How to pull up on the right

The purpose of this manoeuvre is to familiarise pupils with how to pull-up on the right-hand side of the road safely, and with enough room to stop without obstructing traffic.

Although the Highway Code advises not to park against oncoming traffic, it is an exercise learner drivers might find themselves tasked with during their driving test.

Here is the basic step-by-step process of pulling up on the right-hand side of the road.

1. Check your mirrors first.
2. Complete in-car checks.
3. Observe the road for oncoming traffic.
4. Position your car slightly left of the center of the road.
5. Safely turn to the right.
6. Give yourself enough space to straighten the car.

What you’ll be asked to do during your test

During your driving test, you’ll find that examiners will break the manoeuvre down into three parts.

1. Pull up on the right-hand side of the road
2. Reverse for 2 car lengths
3. Re-join the traffic.

It’s likely that the examiner won’t ask you to complete this exercise on a busy road, so, don’t panic!

However, should you find yourself faced with oncoming traffic at any point, just relax and remember how you’ve practiced with this move your driving instructor.

What the examiner is looking for

It’s important to remember these three things:

1. Your examiner will make sure that you do not risk the safety of you or other road users when pulling up to the right, reversing and, re-joining the traffic.
2. You’re able to display a lot of observational skills by not obstructing driveways or parking illegally (think about double yellow lines and school areas).
3. That you’re able to complete the manoeuvre without supervision and that you’re completely in control of the car.
4. Your ability to plan by choosing where you will pull up on the right and how you’ll handle oncoming traffic.

How to complete the manoeuvre successfully

It’s much more likely that you’ll learn how to pull up on the right during your driving lessons easier than you will reading how to do it. But! Using this as a reference before you practice is going to give you the edge when you’re behind the wheel.

Pulling over to the right

1. Find the best place to pull over (away from junctions or bus stops)
2. Mirror, check, blind spot, signal.
3. Leave a good distance between your car and the car you’re pulling up behind. The bigger gap between you and the car in front makes the second and third stages of the manoeuvre much easier.
4. As you approach the right-hand-side of the road, use a shallow angle so that you are not aiming at the curb as if you were doing a turn in the road.
5. When you park up, treat it the same as if you were pulling up on the left, using your door mirrors as references and leaving a 20cm-30cm gap between your wheels and the curb.
6. Once you’ve straightened up and successfully parked, it’s time to cancel your right signal and apply the handbrake.
7. You’ll now need to reverse no more than 2 car lengths (meaning that straightening your wheels prior will make this a lot easier).
8. Complete all your in-car checks before reversing – looking behind and in front for any approaching traffic.
9. Keep your speed slow and steady! Remember, you’re not being judged on how quickly you do this, but how safely.
10. You’re done!

The next part is to simply join traffic again, completing your in-car routine as you normally would (mirror, signal, manoeuvre) before pulling away from your parked position.