Safe Routines

Driving is an inherently dangerous activity...it involves moving a large object weighing upwards of a tonne, often at high speeds, and usually with other road users close by.
Every year some 3,500 people die on the UK's roads (one of the best records in the World!) and many more are injured. Around 99% of crashes are down to one principal factor...Driver Error.
This is why it is absolutely vital that safety is built-in to every element of your driving.
To achieve this various "Safe Routines" are used when driving, and these should be introduced on your very first lesson.

The Cockpit Drill

This simple 5-step routine should be carried out every time you get in the car.

1. Adjust the seat. Make sure you are comfortable and can easily reach and operate the foot pedals. The seat will normally have back/forward adjustment, and a rake adjustment for the seat-back. On some seats you can adjust the height and lumbar support.
2. Steering. Make sure you have a comfortable grip on the wheel at "10 to 2" or "1/4 to 3", and a slight bend in the elbows when holding the top of the wheel. Some steering wheels are adjustable.
3. Mirrors. Adjust all the driving mirrors to give yourself the best view.
4. Seat Belt. ALWAYS wear the seatbelt. Some have adjustment for height.
5. Visual check. Check that your passengers are aboard and wearing their seat-belts. Check all the doors are closed.

Engine Start

It is essential to check a few of things before starting the engine...we don't want the car driving itself away before we're ready.

1. Check that the handbrake is applied.
2. Check that the gears are in "neutral" (manual transmission), or the gear selector is set at "P" (park) for automatic transmission.
3. Turn the key to start the engine.

Mirrors-Signal-Manoeuvre

This is the "Safe Routine" we use on the move to deal with any situation or hazard that we encounter. Any action that you take in the car (any time you move your hands or feet) should be part of a Mirrors-Signal-Manoeuvre (MSM) routine.
When you identify a hazard ahead, check the rear-view mirror to add information about the situation behind you to what you see ahead of you. Use the information to decide if a signal is needed, and to decide when to give the signal. At the appropriate moment, begin the manoeuvre. This may involve a change of road position and/or a change of speed. A final check is wise before begining any manoeuvre, and if changing lane or moving away, the "Blind Spot" must be checked as well.
When used correctly, the MSM routine should allow you to comfortably deal with any road hazard that you encounter, because it ensures that you arrive at the hazard at an appropriate speed with the car fully under control, and having taken into account the other road-users around you.
Alternatively, consider the following routine. MS-PSL. This is Mirrors, Signal, Position, Speed, Look.
Sometimes a single mirror check will cover two or three hazards if they are very close to each other, but other times each hazard will require it's own MSM routine. A good example is a parked car just before a left turn into a side road. An initial mirror check is needed before moving out to pass the parked car, but signalling early could lead to following drivers thinking you are parking too, or you could start signalling left just as you move out to the right to pass the parked car (an incorrect signal). So after the first mirror check, move out to pass the stationary vehicle, and as you pass it re-check the mirror, then signal left for your left turn, at which point you can start slowing as the first step of your left-turn manoeuvre.

Please Note

These guidlines are intended to help you remember the basic procedures, but are not comprehensive or definitive. Follow your Instructors guidance, and you will soon develop the skills of Hazard Perception, and the ability to "think on your feet" which are key to good driving.