How to stop a car

Choosing a safe place to stop the car

There are a lot of places that are not safe to stop at, where if you were to stop at them during your test, it could result in a fail. When you have your driving lessons, your driving instructor should go through the safe and unsafe places to stop in more depth. As a heads up, though, here are a couple of unsafe places.

1. Clearway, no stopping
2. Hazard lines
3. Double yellow lines
4. Parking within 10 meters of or opposite a junction
5. Blocking driveways or pathways
6. Parking on bends

Using the MSPSL routine

If you have spotted a place to stop and you're sure it's safe, you'll need to make use of the MSPSL routine to carry out the manoeuvre. MSPSL stands for Mirrors, Signal, Position, Speed and Look. We'll go through these now.

Mirrors: use your interior and left door mirror to check what is behind you and beside you.

Signal: based on your observations using your mirrors, would a signal benefit any other road users or pedestrians? If it would, make sure you apply your signal in good time. Be careful of signalling early, like passing a side road on the left, as other road users may think you're turning.

Position: on your driving lessons, your instructor might give you a focal point on the front of your car to line up with the kerb if that would be necessary. You should glance in your left door mirror regularly for updates on your position and the situation around you. You should be about the width of a drain away from the kerb before coming to a stop.

Speed: start by gently applying the brake - you don't want to surprise other road users by slamming on the brakes! Just before the revs of the engine go too low or the car starts to judder, fully depress the clutch pedal. This will stop the car from stalling. Once the clutch is fully down, gradually increase pressure on the brake pedal until the car is about to stop. To avoid the car lurching, release the brake slightly (about 1-2mm), then reapply once the car has lost its momentum.

After the car has stopped

Once the car has come to a complete stop, you should fully apply the handbrake and select neutral. You may now cancel your signal and take your feet off the foot pedals.

Coasting

If you press the clutch down too early, you stop the car slowing down in a process called engine braking. When you take your foot off the accelerator, the engine will progressively slow the car down. When you depress the clutch, you're disconnecting the engine, preventing engine braking from happening, so the car may actually start to increase its speed, particularly if you're on a downward hill or on a bend.