HERBIE'S WHEELS
SCHOOL OF MOTORING
What are the 27 Skills?
Examiners assess competency across 27 skills (grouped by DVSA criteria) to ensure safe, lawful driving. Whilst we tackle all of these skills we need to showcase awareness anticipation and planning
The Basics
Skill 1: Legal responsibilities
As a driver, it’s your responsibility to know how the law relates to both yourself and your vehicle, so make sure that you’re up to date with the rules and regulations.
Skill 2: Safety checks
It’s important that your car is in good working order before you start the engine. You need to be aware of what to check, how to do it and how often to do it.
Skill 3: Cockpit checks
These checks may be simple, but they’re essential. The car you’re using needs to be comfortable and ready for you to drive before you start the engine.
Skill 4: Security
This covers not only the security of your vehicle but also its contents and your personal security. You need to be aware of the ways that you can reduce the risks.
Control and Positioning
Skill 5: Controls and instruments
You need to concentrate on what’s happening around you when you’re driving, so operating the vehicle’s controls should become second nature.
Skill 6: Moving away and stopping
You have to move away and stop every time you drive and that’s why it’s so important to make sure that you know how to move away and stop safely.
Skill 7: Safe positioning
Make sure that you drive in the correct position for the road on which you’re travelling. It’s important not only for your safety but also for the safety of other road users.
Observations, signalling and planning
Skill 8: Mirrors – vision and use
You must know what’s happening around you at all times and act safely on what you see.
Skill 9: Signals
You need to understand, and respond safely to, signals given by other motorists and give clear, well-timed signals to other road users so that they know what you’re planning to do.
Skill 10: Anticipation and planning
These skills are found in all areas of driving. You should always be aware of what’s going on around you while planning what you need to do in response. Planning ahead can also save you fuel, because easing off the accelerator earlier means you may not need to use the brakes as often or as heavily.
Skill 11: Use of speed
Your speed should be based on various factors, including the condition of the road, weather and traffic, and the presence of pedestrians. Always drive within the speed limit.
Skill 12: Other traffic
In most cases when you’re driving, there will be other traffic on the road. You need to be able to deal safely and confidently when meeting, crossing and overtaking other vehicles.
Skill 13: Fuel-efficient driving
Everything from the type of car and its fuel consumption to the way in which you drive influences the environment. You need to
understand how to minimise the negative effects and how to contribute to keeping the air we breathe cleaner.
Junctions, roundabouts and crossings
Skill 14: Junctions
There are many different types of junction. You need to be able to negotiate any junction on any type of road safely, without holding up other traffic unnecessarily.
Skill 15: Roundabouts
To deal with roundabouts safely and confidently, you should have a thorough understanding of the rules that apply when approaching and negotiating them.
Skill 16: Pedestrian crossings
You should be aware of the basic rules that apply to all pedestrian crossings but you also need to know the differences between each type of
crossing.
Manoeuvres
Skill 17: Reversing
You should be able to reverse smoothly and safely while under complete control. This includes reversing to the left and right around sweeping curves and sharp corners.
Skill 18: Turning the car around
To turn your vehicle around, it’s often easiest and safest to use a roundabout or reverse into a side street. However, if these options are not available, you may need to turn your vehicle around in the road.
Skill 19: Parking
Whether you’re parking at the side of the road or using a bay in a car park, you need to gain the skills to do this safely before you drive on your own.
Skill 20: Emergency stop
Effective scanning and reading of the road ahead will cut down the risk of having to make an emergency stop. If it’s unavoidable, brake as quickly as possible while keeping the car under full control.
Road types
Skill 21: Country roads
Country roads can be trunk roads carrying heavy traffic or narrow lanes where there’s single-file traffic. You must be able to judge the safe speed to drive at, while taking account of the visibility,
signs, hazards and other traffic, as well as road and weather conditions.
Skill 22: Dual carriageways
Some dual carriageways are similar to motorways, with the same speed limit and slip roads to join and leave. Unlike motorways, dual carriageways can have junctions and roundabouts where traffic can join, leave, cross and turn right from the carriageway.
Skill 23: Motorways
Learner drivers can only drive on motorways with an approved driving instructor (ADI) and in a car fitted with dual controls that’s clearly displaying L plates. Your ADI will be able to tell you when you’re ready to take lessons on the motorway. However, motorway driving is not part of the driving test.
Driving conditions
Skill 24: Driving in the dark
There are many factors that make driving in the dark more hazardous. Judging speed at night can be difficult, so be particularly careful at junctions.
Skill 25: Weather conditions
You need to be aware of the effect some weather conditions, such as fog and low sun, can have on visibility. Other conditions, such as ice, snow and rain, can affect the way that your vehicle handles.
Skill 26: Passengers and loads
As a driver, you need to understand the responsibilities that you have to any passengers, whether they’re adults or children, and also how to secure any items that you’re transporting.
Skill 27
You need to be able to drive and keep full controls when following directions from a sat nav or a series of traffic signs.
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This last skill encompasses your entire journey, once you grasp all the other skills, this is where you showcase your awareness and planning and how you deal with everything nad everyone on the road
this is the last exciting step before you are able to show the examiner you are able to fly... or rather- drive solo!