Vehicle Controls
The third section of the test asks which control you use to do something - change gear, slow down, signal a turn. Here is every control, what it does, and whether you work it with your hand or your foot.
This is the one section that changes with your licence code, and it has the smallest margin for error - eight questions, and you can only get two wrong. Check which code you are writing before you study.
Light and heavy motor vehicle
11 controls
- 1
Centre rear-view mirror hand
Monitors traffic to the rear. Used before slowing down, stopping or changing speed.
- 2
Windscreen wiper hand
Keeps the windscreen clear in rainy conditions.
- 3
Left and right rear-view mirrors hand
Monitor traffic to the rear and at the sides of the vehicle.
- 4
Steering wheel hand
Changes the direction of the vehicle.
- 5
Indicator light switch hand
Advises other road users of your intention to steer or turn left or right.
- 6
Gear lever hand
Selects the appropriate gear.
The gear lever in an automatic vehicle operates differently from a manual gearbox.
- 7
Hand brake (parking brake) hand
Keeps a parked vehicle stationary.
Some vehicles have the parking brake as a foot-operated control (for example Mercedes-Benz).
- 8
Clutch foot
Assists when engaging or disengaging a gear, and stops the vehicle stalling just before it comes to a standstill.
Automatic vehicles do not have a clutch control.
- 9
Brake foot
Slows the vehicle down and brings it to a complete standstill.
- 10
Accelerator foot
Increases and decreases the speed of the vehicle.
- 11
Horn hand
Alerts other road users in order to avoid a collision.
Worth remembering
- Gears are changed using the gear lever (6) together with the clutch (8).
- The clutch (8) is the control an automatic vehicle does not have.
- Check the mirrors before slowing, stopping or changing speed, and signal before changing direction.
- Braking distance is longer on a wet road than a dry one, longer at higher speed, and longer when the vehicle is loaded.
Source: Vehicle controls manual §2.2, §2.5
Motorcycle
9 controls
- 1
Gear lever foot
Selects the gear. Used together with the clutch to change gears.
- 2
Clutch hand
Engages and disengages the drive so a gear can be changed.
- 3
Left and right rear-view mirrors hand
Monitor traffic behind and to the sides.
- 4
Front brake hand
Applies the front brake and activates the stop lamp.
- 5
Throttle hand
The twist grip that regulates fuel supply to the engine, increasing or decreasing speed.
- 6
Indicator light switch hand
Signals your intention to turn or change direction.
- 7
Rear brake foot
Applies the rear brake.
- 8
Handlebars hand
Steer the motorcycle.
- 9
Fuel tank
Holds the fuel.
Worth remembering
- The front brake (4) and rear brake (7) are used together to bring the motorcycle to a complete standstill.
- Controls 4, 5 and 7 together control the speed of the motorcycle.
- Stopping distance is longer on a wet road than a dry one, longer at higher speed, and longer when carrying a passenger.
Source: Vehicle controls manual §1.2
