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VORT Slow Speed Manoeuvres
The slow speed manoeuvres should be done at no more than walking speed with quick hands on the steering wheel: Slow car, fast hands! This is harder than it sounds, requiring significant co-ordination between the hands for steering and the right foot manipulating the brake and accelerator to control the car's speed. There are also observations, over the right/left shoulder and to the rear, to be carried out as well as the manoeuvring procedure to remember!
The following collection of lists documents the minimum requirements that must be met for each slow speed manoeuvre.
Moving off uphill
- Checks centre mirror and applies signal for 5 seconds or more
- Checks centre mirror and over the right shoulder (blind spot check) for traffic
- If safe, releases the handbrake
- Accelerates smoothly away from the kerb and cancels signal
See "Moving off uphill" in the CBT section for a step-by-step procedure
U-Turn
- Selects a suitable, safe and legal location to commence the U turn
- Checks the centre mirror and signals intention in reasonable time (Note: 5 seconds if leaving from the left kerb)
- Positions vehicle appropriately, safely and legally prior to and on completing the turn
- Does not unduly inconvenience other road users
- Checks for traffic in appropriate directions at appropriate times (Eg. Blind spot if applicable)
- Maintains full control of the vehicle throughout the turn
NOTE 1: If another vehicle pulls up behind then the driver must abandon the u-turn and just turn right into the side road. It is not strictly illegal to do a u-turn if there is a car behind but it can prove to be a dangerous undertaking.
NOTE 2: Also if another vehicle is waiting to turn right from a side road which will be used for the U turn then the candidate must abandon the U turn and turn right. Apart from being a dangerous situation the candidate must give way to the right turning vehicle and not cause confusion.
See "U-turn in traffic" in the CBT section for a step-by-step procedure
3-Point Turn
- Selects a suitable, safe and legal position to start turn
- Complies with the moving off procedure; centre mirror, signal for 5 seconds, centre mirror, blind spot check and smooth take off (handbrake optional if required to stop rolling)
- Proceeds across the road under full control without affecting other traffic
- Steers quickly to the left (best practice – about a metre from the right kerb)
- Selects the appropriate gear for reversing
- Then uses the handbrake to avoid rolling when necessary (Please not the sequence of steps 5 and 6)
- Checks right, left and behind just before and while reversing
- Proceeds across road in reverse under full control
- Steers quickly to the right and prepares to move off down the road without any additional steering (except for straightening)
- Selects first or drive gear and then uses the handbrake to avoid rolling (where necessary)
- Checks left and right just before driving forward under full control
- Obstructs no other traffic unnecessarily during the turn
NOTE: The vehicle must not touch any kerb and must stay within the boundaries as stated by the examiner (eg. Between the kerbs)
See "3-point turn" in the CBT section for a step-by-step procedure
90-Degree Angle Parking
Entering
- Checks the centre mirror before signalling for a reasonable time
- Positions vehicle appropriately and wholly within the designated parking bay
- Demonstrates appropriate observation patterns
- Gives appropriate signal where necessary (I really don’t know what this means)
- Stops the vehicle so that the front of it is not more than 300 mm from the kerb or end of the parking bay
Exiting
- Observes left, right and behind, before moving the vehicle and during reversing
- Completes the manoeuvre in one attempt where sufficient space is available and substantially clears adjacent bays
- Reverses vehicle for only such a distance as is necessary to complete the moving off in the required direction (eg. Approximately 45 degreesish, depending on the position of adjacent obstacles)
- Positions the wheels of the vehicle at the completion of the reversing so that it can be driven in the intended direction with less than one further turn of the wheel (any straightening of the wheels is acceptable)
- Observes in the appropriate directions and signals (if appropriate) before moving off.
NOTE: Appropriately parked is defined as:
- Wholly within the parking bay
- No more than 300 mm out of parallel with the marked parking bay lines and with the wheels straight
- The front of the vehicle must be within 300 mm of the end of the bay and the wheels must not touch the kerb
See "90-degree angle park" in the CBT section for a step-by-step procedure
Reverse Parallel Parking
Exiting
- Checks right and left blind spots and behind, by turning around prior to and during reversing
- Uses the moving off procedure; centre mirror, signal for 5 seconds, centre mirror, blind spot check and smooth take off (handbrake optional if required to stop rolling) for leaving the bay
Re-entering
- Before reversing checks right and left blind spots and behind, by turning around prior to and during reversing
- Before turning the wheel to the left (to move around the front pole) checks left and right blind spots and forward for other road users
- Completes the parking exercise with no more than two changes of direction after commencing reversing (eg. Backwards, forwards and then backwards)
- Does not touch any pole, allow any part of the vehicle to pass between a pole and the kerb, or touch the kerb with a wheel.
- Finishes in a position with the left wheels of the vehicle within 300 mm of the kerb and the vehicle no closer than 900 mm from either pole (Note: doesn’t say anything about having the wheels straight)
NOTE: For all slow manoeuvres
- The manoeuvres must be done in the exact sequence described
- The vehicle must not roll contrary to the intended direction of movement
- The driver must give way to all road users when performing these slow manoeuvres. This means that they must not start any manoeuvre if another road user is close enough to be affected by the driver’s vehicle (eg. Causing a change of speed or direction).
- If after commencing a manoeuvre another road users approaches from any direction the driver should allow them to pass by.
- The driver can only continue the manoeuvre when another road user is present if road user stops with the intention of forfeiting their right of way.
- The driver must be looking in the direction of travel as the car starts to move. (Yes look where you're going)
See "Reverse parallel park" in the CBT section for a step-by-step procedure
See VORT introduction and VORT tips for more information