Steering in reverse
Going backwards, the wheel seems to work the wrong way round and most learners turn it the wrong way at least once. One rule fixes it: turn the wheel the way you want the back of the car to go. Practise it on an S between two cones before you need it in a bay.
Watch it, then drive it
- 1
Watch how it is done
Instructors film this one step by step. Watch a couple before your first try.
More videos on YouTube - 2
Drive it with the coach
Guided mode puts the reference points on screen and stops you the moment you drift.
Practise this in the simulator - 3
Test yourself
Test mode says nothing and marks you in the examiner's words. Three clean runs in a row and it is learnt.
Practise it on your phone
The rule
Want the back to go left? Turn the wheel left. Want it to go right? Turn it right. The front of the car swings the other way, so give the front corners room as well as the back.
Look where you are going
Turn in your seat and look out of the back window for most of the time, with glances at the mirrors and over both shoulders. Reverse at walking pace: the car turns more for every metre in reverse than you expect.
How you practise it here
Watch drives it for you with the commentary running, so you see the whole thing once before you touch anything. Steering only takes the pedals and gears off you, the way an instructor does on the first lesson: a mark on the wheel shows when to turn and how far. Guided puts the reference points on screen and stops you the moment you drift. Test says nothing and marks you in the words the examiner uses. Three clean Test runs in a row counts as learned, and it comes back two days, a week and three weeks later so it is still there on the day.
Step by step
These are the words the simulator says to you, in order, the same commentary you would get from the passenger seat.
- 1Reversing, the wheel seems to work the other way round. The rule: turn it the way you want the back of the car to go. Reverse gear, look behind, and creep back straight.
- 2The back has to go left, round the first cone. Turn the wheel left, about three-quarters of a turn.
- 3The back is swinging left. Now turn the wheel to the right, the same amount, so the back comes the other way round the second cone.
- 4Nearly straight again. Wheel back to the centre and reverse straight into the box.
- 5Straight and inside the box. Stop here and tap Finished.
Common questions
Why does reversing feel so twitchy?
The wheels that steer are now at the back of the movement, so small turns of the wheel swing the tail quickly. Keep the speed down and the corrections small.
Should I use the mirrors or turn round?
Both. Look out of the back window to steer and check the mirrors and blind spots for anything coming. On the test you are marked on observation all the way through a reversing manoeuvre.
The rest of the set
- Steering basics: forwardLearn how far to turn the wheel: a wide turn on half lock, a tight one on full lock, and straightening up after each.Learn ›
- Move off from the kerbPull out from the kerb into your lane: mirrors, a look over your shoulder, a gentle steer out, then straighten.Learn ›
- Pull out of a tight spaceThe car in front is too close to steer out. Reverse a little first, then full lock, and watch the front corner as it swings out.Learn ›
- T-junction: look right, left, rightHighway Code rules 170 and 172: stop at the give way lines, look both ways, creep forward if parked cars hide the road, and pull out only into a gap big enough that nobody has to slow down.Learn ›
- Turning right across trafficHighway Code rules 179 and 180: position just left of the centre line, stop opposite the side road with your wheels straight, and wait for a safe gap in the oncoming traffic before you turn.Learn ›
- Narrow street: who goes first?Highway Code rule 163: when the parked cars are on your side, give way to oncoming traffic. When they are on the other side, you have priority: keep going at a steady pace.Learn ›
Also included: the roundabout simulator and the 3D drives of the routes around your own test centre.