The aim of this lesson is to legally and safely bring your car to a stop on an incline, and then to restart your car and move away without rolling backwards or stalling the engine. You’ll need to be driving in a 50kph zone on a road with a moderate incline with at least 50m of visibility in front of and behind you.
Note: many modern cars have hill start systems which will hold the brake for you to stop you rolling back. Check with your instructor about this.
Driver actions: stopping
- Locate a safe parking space and check all your mirrors
- Bring your car’s speed down smoothly and change your position to move towards the kerb
- Indicate for at least three seconds and check over your left shoulder for hazards, for example a cyclist that might be matching your speed
- Stop your car in a legal and safe position within 300mm of the kerb and parallel to it.
- Follow the correct procedure to take the car out of gear and put the handbrake/park brake on (remember to keep for the foot brake pressed because you are on a slope).
Driver actions: moving off
- Put your car in first gear (manual) or drive (automatic). Remember to keep your left foot on the clutch and your right foot on the brake.
- Scan all around for hazards, including in your mirrors and over your right shoulder. Pay particular attention to cyclists that might be in your blind spot
- Indicate right for at least three seconds before moving out
- If you are in a manual you will need to give the car slightly more acceleration than for starting on a flat road. Hold it in that position, bring the clutch up gradually until you can feel and hear the bite point.
- If you are in an automatic there will be a certain amount of engine torque applied to the wheels which will help prevent you rolling backwards, but it may not be enough without further pressure on the accelerator. Hold a small amount of pressure on the accelerator and you’ll feel the car want to move forwards. It should not be labouring, though.
- Release the handbrake/park brake, give a final check over your right shoulder and in your mirrors
- Move off smoothly, accelerating to an appropriate speed
Perform the tasks at least three times.