Auto Trader Blog

Looking over my shoulder into the back window, everything seems to be running smoothly. My learner car is moving slowly and the road is clear.

After gradually turning left, I glance to the right to check for oncoming cars, but disaster strikes. My arms follow my head and turn the wheel right.

On top of this, I try to slow down and correct my embarrassing understeer, but slightly release the clutch instead of pushing it down, moving us faster. Oh dear. Within seconds I’m on the wrong side of the road, cursing under my breath for the second time today.

The left reverse has to be the most frustrating car manoeuvre ever known to the motoring man.

If I don’t understeer, I oversteer onto the kerb or rush the procedure altogether. And that’s if cars don’t appear from the right, causing me to stop and have to do it all over again.

Alex (my instructor) asks me to pull over and hands me the old left reverse guidance sheet to study again. It’s time to learn it from scratch.

Feeling refreshed, I go for it again. This time, with the added theory, the manoeuvre is completed with ease. And to make sure it’s now properly stuck in my mind, I smoothly carry out a second reverse, before punching the air in triumph.

On the drive home I get a bit excited and almost forget to brake for an oncoming 4×4. But that’s another story. For another blog.

Don’t forget to visit the Auto Trader Features Hub for our exclusive learner driver features this week.