Pull Up on the Right and Reverse: The Complete Guide

“Pull up on the right-hand side of the road.” When the examiner says those words, many learners freeze. Park on the wrong side? Facing the traffic? It feels like breaking every rule you have learned.

Pull up on the right and reverse is a set test manoeuvre, added to the UK driving test in December 2017. It has three clear parts: pull up on the right, reverse back about two car lengths, then rejoin the traffic. This guide breaks each part into simple steps. Our Bolton instructors practise it on quiet residential streets until it becomes routine.

What the Examiner Is Really Testing

The examiner is not testing strange parking. They are testing whether you can manage a car safely while it is temporarily on the “wrong” side of the road. That means three skills:

• Judgement: choosing a safe, legal and sensible place to stop.
• Observation: constant checks, because traffic now approaches you from unusual angles.
• Control: reversing in a straight line, close to the kerb, at walking pace.

The official GOV.UK guide to the driving test lists this manoeuvre among those you could be asked to perform. The examiner chooses a suitable road — normally a quiet, straight residential street — and asks you to pull up on the right where it is safe. You pick the exact spot.

Step 1: Choose Where to Pull Up

Your choice of spot decides how easy everything else becomes. Look for a clear, straight stretch with good views in both directions.

Avoid stopping:

• Opposite a junction or a driveway entrance
• On a bend, a hill crest or anywhere visibility is poor
• Opposite parked cars on the left, which would block your view when rejoining
• Near a pedestrian crossing, bus stop or roadworks

A sensible spot also has room behind you. You will reverse about two car lengths, roughly eight to ten metres. Make sure that space is empty and stays legal. Choosing well is a skill examiners notice, just like choosing a good bay in forward bay parking.

Step 2: Pull Up on the Right

1. Mirrors. Check your centre mirror, then your right mirror.
2. Signal right. Let other road users know your plan early.
3. Blind spot check. Glance over your right shoulder. A cyclist or overtaking car may sit there.
4. Wait for a real gap. You are crossing a lane of oncoming traffic. Accept a genuine gap, never a hopeful one.
5. Steer across smoothly. Cross at a shallow angle and straighten up early.
6. Stop parallel to the right kerb. Finish reasonably close, wheels straight, without touching the kerb.
7. Secure the car. Handbrake on, neutral selected. Take a breath — part one is done.

The common fault here is rushing the crossing. Signal, check, pause, then move. That small pause proves you have genuinely judged the oncoming traffic.

Step 3: Reverse Back Two Car Lengths

The examiner will now ask you to reverse back for about two car lengths. Nobody measures with a tape. They want a sensible distance, in a straight line, close to the kerb.

1. Prepare. Select reverse gear. Your reversing lights warn people behind you.
2. Do a full 360° check. Mirrors, both blind spots, and a proper look over your left shoulder through the rear window. Traffic now approaches from in front of you on your side of the road. Look ahead too.
3. Reverse at a crawl. Use clutch control in a manual, or ease off the brake in an automatic. Slower gives you time to think.
4. Look mainly in the direction of travel. Face the rear window for most of the reverse, with regular glances all around.
5. Stay parallel to the kerb. Small steering corrections keep you straight. Drifting towards the middle of the road is the classic fault here.
6. Watch for people. Pedestrians may cross behind you. Driveways can hide reversing cars. Pause if anything approaches.
7. Stop and secure. After about two car lengths, stop, handbrake on, neutral.

Our instructors drill this slow, straight reverse during manual driving lessons because it also strengthens your general reversing control.

Step 4: Rejoin the Traffic Safely

Rejoining is the part examiners watch most closely. You are moving off from the right side, facing the direction traffic comes from. Your view and your risks are different from a normal move-off.

1. Prepare to move. Select first gear or Drive, ready to go.
2. Check everything, twice. Mirrors, then both blind spots. Pay special attention to anything overtaking you from behind, and to oncoming traffic ahead.
3. Signal left. It tells everyone you are crossing back to your normal side.
4. Wait for a safe gap in both directions. You need space ahead and behind. Do not force traffic to brake for you.
5. Move off smoothly. Steer across to the left side of the road and settle into normal driving position.
6. Cancel the signal and build speed normally.

The most common serious mistake in this whole manoeuvre is pulling away without a proper blind spot check. Turn your head. Examiners watch for that head movement, exactly as they do in an emergency stop recovery or any normal move-off.

Five Common Mistakes (and Their Fixes)

• Choosing a poor spot. Fix: scan ahead early and pick a straight, clear stretch with space behind.
• Signalling and moving in one motion. Fix: separate the steps. Mirror, signal, blind spot, pause, then steer.
• Drifting away from the kerb while reversing. Fix: pick a reference in the rear window and make tiny, early corrections.
• Reversing too far or barely at all. Fix: picture two parked cars end to end. That is your target distance.
• Rejoining without looking behind. Fix: build a strict routine. No gap gets accepted until both blind spots are checked.

Every fix is about routine, not talent. Practise the sequence until your checks happen automatically. The same discipline improved your hill start — slow, ordered steps beat rushed talent.

Should You Ever Do This in Real Life?

Rarely. In everyday driving, parking on the left is almost always safer and simpler. The Highway Code even requires you not to park at night facing against the traffic flow, unless you are in a recognised parking space.

So why does the test include it? Because life sometimes puts you on the right side briefly: turning around, avoiding an obstruction, or using a space on a one-way street. The DVSA wants proof that you can handle those moments with observation and control. Learn it for the test, respect it for life.

Where This Manoeuvre Happens Around Bolton

Examiners favour quiet residential roads with light traffic. Around Bolton, routes from the test centre pass plenty of wide, straight residential streets in areas like Great Lever and Halliwell. Your instructor will know the likely spots and practise them with you.

Practise at quiet times while learning. Never practise alone as a learner; a qualified supervisor must sit beside you. Short, regular practice on two or three streets builds the routine fast.

FAQs About Pull Up on the Right

Do I choose where to pull up, or does the examiner?

Both play a part. The examiner chooses the road and gives the instruction. You choose the exact stopping place, and that choice is part of what is being assessed.

How far exactly is two car lengths?

Roughly eight to ten metres — about twice the length of a typical family car. Examiners judge a sensible distance, not a precise measurement.

Can I refuse this manoeuvre on the test?

No. It is one of the set manoeuvres, like reverse bay parking. Refusing or avoiding it would count against you. Good preparation removes the fear entirely.

What happens if a car comes while I am reversing?

Pause and let it pass if needed, keeping your car straight and controlled. Then re-check all around before continuing. The examiner wants safe decisions, not a non-stop performance.

Is it illegal to park on the right side of the road?

During the day it is not automatically illegal, but it is discouraged because you face oncoming traffic. At night, the Highway Code says you must not park facing against the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space. On your test, you perform this manoeuvre at the examiner’s request on a suitable road.

More questions? Read our frequently asked questions page.

Master the Manoeuvre Learners Practise Least

Pull up on the right and reverse is the manoeuvre most learners avoid — which is exactly why it catches them out. Three parts, one calm routine: choose well, reverse straight, rejoin carefully.

Shah Driving School teaches manual and automatic lessons across Bolton, Horwich, Atherton and Farnworth. Our DVSA-approved instructors give every manoeuvre equal practice time, including this one. Book your lessons today, or explore our intensive driving courses if your test is near. Let’s make the “scary” manoeuvre your easiest one.