Mirrors, signal, manoeuvre
The routine behind most of the judgement questions: look, tell people, then act — in that order.
Mirrors–signal–manoeuvre is the sequence underneath a large share of the questions that look like they are about something else. You check your mirrors to know what is around you, you signal to tell other road users what you intend, and only then do you act on it.
The order is the point. A signal given before you have looked is a statement you cannot support — you may be signalling into a space that is occupied. And a signal is information, not a request: giving one does not create priority, and moving on the strength of having indicated is a common and expensive error.
The manoeuvre part itself splits into position, speed and look, with the final look being the blind-spot check immediately before you commit. Most "what should you do first" questions resolve to whichever step in this sequence comes earliest.
8 practice questions on this
Each one shows the answer, and our note on why every other option is not it.
Car
Lorry & Bus (LGV/PCV)
Driving Instructor (ADI Part 1)
- When should your pupil use the 'two-second rule'? Band 1 road procedure
- Part of the MSM routine is referred to by the abbreviation PSL. What does PSL stand for? Band 4 publications, instructional techniques
- What should you teach your pupil about changing lanes on a motorway? Band 4 publications, instructional techniques
- What are mnemonics useful for? Band 4 publications, instructional techniques