mefoster wrote:The reversing out of a parking space sounds like yet more catering to the lowest common denominator. Rather than teach, emphasise and test the much safer reverse-in parking, they resign themselves to people's laziness. Too much effort I guess. By testing reverse-out they are legitimising the potentially more dangerous manoeuvre. "Well it's on the driving test so it must be right".
They already test a candidates ability to reverse into a parking bay, all be it one with nothing either side. As only one manoeuvre is tested it is realy pot luck which one a candidate gets.
If they want to make the test more real life like, the left reverse should be ammended to what most drivers do, all be it badly, and that is to reverse into a position near the centre line, finishing only just inside the road in the right turn position, so as to be able to drive off to the right. And as for what I saw one instructor doing last week, I fail to see the reason. He pulled up about three car lengths beyond the junction before starting a left reverse. I get mine to pull up just beyond the junction almost at point of turn so that they can see into the junction, and I've never had a problem with it.