More confident second time round

This morning, I slept till 9.30am (a luxury since I had been waking up by 7.30am, regardless of weekends or weekdays) and my driving lesson started at 11am.

This time, I drove us to Clifton High School under the instructor's guidance. I was more confident and actually cruised at 40 miles per hour compared to less than 20 miles per hour on my first day.

Today, I got to do turnabout and parallel parking where there was a three-minute period for you to complete each task during the driving test.

Let's helped me remember the process by committing it to writing:

The first is turnabout in a tight space (there are four turns; drive, reverse, drive, reverse, drive).

1. Signal right 30 feet before the cone while doing all the mirror checking and head checks.

2. Once the driver seat passes the cone, turn right immediately and stop the vehicle where you can still see the kerb. If the hood (British: bonnet) covered the kerb, the vehicle is too close to the kerb for maneuvers.

3. Check rear view mirror, left side mirror and do a left head check.

4. Turn wheel to the left fully and move till the vehicle is close to the kerb.

5. Reverse and turn wheel fully to the right till the vehicle is close to the opposite kerb.

6. Shift to drive and turn wheel fully to the left, careful not to go out of the junction.

7. Reverse and turn wheel fully to right.

8. Shift to drive and straighten wheels.


Second station is parallel parking
1. Keep signalling right and position vehicle two to three feet from front poles.

2. Reverse till the front poles are at the middle of the rear passenger window. You should be able to see three back poles in the rear view mirror at the right.

3. Turn right fully and reverse till the three back poles move across to the left and stop when the last pole disappear from view in the rear view mirror.

4. Turn left fully and reverse till rear wheel touches the kerb.

5. Shift to drive and turn right fully, counting from one to three. Stop at three.

6. Reverse and turn left fully till right front wheel touches the kerb.

7. Move vehicle forward by one count and straighten wheels.

8. Secure vehicle by pulling hand brake, shift to park.