EDT Session 5 — Correct Positioning 2

EDT Session 5 — Correct Positioning 2 — is where the driving test manoeuvres make their first appearance. This session takes everything you learned about road positioning in Session 2 and applies it to more complex situations: reversing, the turnabout (3-point turn), bay parking, stopping in confined spaces, and busier traffic conditions. Session 5 is also the first time you will encounter the precise slow-speed vehicle control that the RSA driving test assesses directly.

What Is EDT Session 5?

EDT Session 5 is titled "Correct Positioning 2 — More Complex Situations" in the official RSA EDT syllabus. It builds directly on Session 2 (Correct Positioning 1) but extends all of those positioning skills into more demanding conditions — busier traffic, more complex junctions, and the introduction of the slow-speed manoeuvres that appear on the RSA driving test.

The "more complex situations" in the session title refers to two distinct expansions from Session 2:

1. More demanding traffic conditions — you are no longer in light traffic only. Session 5 introduces positioning in varied road conditions with more vehicles, more pedestrians, and more complex junctions requiring lane discipline.
2. New manoeuvre types — reversing, performing a turnabout, parking, and stopping in confined spaces. These involve slow-speed precision vehicle control that is qualitatively different from forward driving positioning.

Sessions 2 through 8 can be taken in any order after Session 1 is complete. Session 5 is the natural continuation of the positioning theme established in Session 2 and is typically scheduled after Session 4 to allow speed management skills to develop alongside the more complex positioning demands of this session.

RSA Objective and Minimum Content for Session 5

The RSA states that during Session 5, your ADI must make sure that you can correctly position your vehicle on the road for the action you are about to take in more complex and challenging situations. Actions covered include:

• Positioning on the straight
• Cornering
• Negotiating bends
• Negotiating junctions
• Changing lanes
• Entering and exiting from slip roads
• Entering and exiting junctions
• Roundabouts
• Reversing
• Turning (turnabout)
• Parking
• Stopping

The minimum content for Session 5 requires you to drive in traffic in a variety of road conditions, covering: positioning on the straight, in traffic lanes, on bends turning left and right, at junctions, at roundabouts, reversing, performing a turnabout, parking, stopping in a confined space, and stopping in traffic.

Session 2 vs Session 5 — What Changes?

Both Session 2 and Session 5 share the same LDT syllabus references (2.6, 3.4, 3.5, 4.6) because they cover the same core positioning skills. The difference is the environment and the addition of manoeuvres:

Reversing — The Fundamentals

Reversing is used in all three driving test manoeuvres. Before tackling the specific manoeuvres, the fundamental principles of reversing apply to all of them:

How to Reverse Safely

The Turnabout (3-Point Turn) — Full RSA Method

The turnabout — commonly called a 3-point turn — is a manoeuvre that reverses the direction of travel using forward and reverse movements on a narrow road. It is assessed on the RSA driving test and must be performed with full observations and accurate vehicle control.

Full Turnabout Sequence — Step by Step

Reverse Around a Corner — Full RSA Method

The reverse around a corner requires you to reverse from a major road into a minor road to the left, controlling the rear of the car around the corner while maintaining correct distance from the left kerb throughout.

Full Reverse Around a Corner Sequence

Bay Parking — Reversing Into a Bay

Bay parking requires you to reverse your vehicle accurately into a marked parking bay so it sits centrally, parallel to adjacent bays, fully within the lines. It is assessed on the RSA driving test and may take place in a car park or marked bays at the side of the road.

Reversing Into a Bay to the Left

Parallel Parking on the Road

Parallel parking — parking your car at the side of the road alongside and behind another parked vehicle — is introduced in Session 5 and may be assessed on the RSA test. The fundamental sequence:

Throughout, maintain constant observation to the rear and sides. If another vehicle approaches, stop and wait before continuing.

Stopping in a Confined Space

Stopping in a confined space — such as a narrow side road, a loading bay, or a tight parking area — requires precise control of the vehicle's position as it decelerates and stops. Key principles:

• Identify your stopping point early and begin decelerating smoothly and progressively from a distance — not arriving at speed and braking sharply
• Maintain correct road position (approximately 30–45cm from the left kerb) as you stop — do not drift left or right as you decelerate
• In very confined spaces, use clutch control (manual) or very light throttle (automatic) to maintain creeping forward movement rather than stopping and repeatedly moving
• Before stopping, carry out all-round observations to confirm the stopping position is safe — no pedestrians, no cyclists, no fire hydrant or other obstruction at the kerb
• Apply the handbrake smoothly as the car stops — do not allow the car to roll forward after stopping

Stopping in Traffic

Stopping in traffic — at traffic lights, behind queuing vehicles, or when traffic comes to a halt — requires its own set of positioning disciplines:

• Maintain a safe following distance even when stationary. Leave at least one car length (approximately 4–5 metres) between you and the vehicle ahead. This gives you space to move forward if the driver ahead stalls, and allows you to manoeuvre around the vehicle if they break down.
• The stopping position rule: A useful guide is that when stationary behind a vehicle, you should be able to see the rear tyres of the vehicle ahead and a gap of road beneath them. This ensures you have adequate space.
• Check mirrors before stopping. The MSMM interior mirror check before braking ensures you know what is behind you before reducing speed. A vehicle following too closely needs you to brake earlier and more gently to avoid a rear-end collision.
• Select neutral (manual) at prolonged stops — at a red light or a level crossing, select neutral and apply the handbrake rather than holding the clutch pedal down for extended periods. This reduces leg fatigue and clutch wear.
• At traffic lights, remain in gear when you are close to the front of the queue — be ready to move forward promptly when the lights change. A slow reaction at traffic lights disrupts traffic flow and is faultable.

Complex Road Positioning in Varied Traffic

Session 5's traffic driving requires you to apply all of the Session 2 positioning skills in busier, more demanding conditions. The same principles apply — approximately 1 metre from the left kerb on a straight, correct approach position for turns, correct lane at roundabouts — but with more vehicles, more pedestrians, and less time and space to make decisions.

Key differences from Session 2:

• More vehicles means more lane discipline. In light traffic you can get away with imperfect positioning. In moderate traffic, drifting between lanes or being in the wrong lane on approach to a roundabout causes real disruption and danger.
• More opportunities for positioning errors. Parked vehicles require you to move out, overtake (with full MSMM), and return to position — all while managing the adjacent traffic lane.
• Bus lanes become relevant. Many North Dublin test routes pass through bus lane zones. Entering a bus lane during operational hours (typically 7am–10am and 4pm–7pm on weekdays) is a serious fault.
• Pedestrian crossings require specific positioning. Stop at the stop line — not before it (failing to advance to the line) and not over it (stopping in the pedestrian crossing zone).

Safe Use of Available Road Space

One of the RSA's expected outcomes for Session 5 is that you can make appropriate and safe use of road sharing. This is an extension of the positioning theme into the social dimension of driving — using the road space available to you in a way that is safe for all other road users, not just yourself.

Practical implications:

• Give cyclists at least 1 metre of clearance when overtaking. If the lane is too narrow to pass safely, wait behind the cyclist until the road widens or the traffic situation allows safe overtaking.
• When passing parked vehicles, leave enough space for a car door to open. Move out progressively and well in advance of the parked vehicle, not at the last moment.
• In narrow sections of road (country lanes, tight urban streets), move as far left as safely possible to allow oncoming vehicles to pass. If it is genuinely too narrow, stop and wait for the oncoming vehicle.
• Do not straddle lane markings — be clearly in one lane or the other at all times on multi-lane roads.

Common Manoeuvre Faults on the RSA Driving Test

Manoeuvres are a significant source of test failures at Finglas, Raheny, and Killester. These are the most frequently recorded faults during manoeuvres on the RSA test:

Fault	Manoeuvre	How to Fix It
Insufficient observation before reversing	All manoeuvres involving reverse	Carry out a full 360-degree observation every time before selecting reverse and before each rearward movement. Turn your head — do not rely exclusively on mirrors. This is the single most common manoeuvre fault.
Mounting the kerb during turnabout	Turnabout	Move slowly enough that you have time to react to the kerb approaching. Use reference points from inside the car (your ADI will identify these) to know when to stop. Never rush a manoeuvre.
Drifting wide during reverse around corner	Reverse around corner	Begin steering left earlier on the approach to the corner. Keep looking at the left kerb in your left door mirror throughout — it should remain approximately 30–45cm away. Small steering corrections keep you on track.
Not fully within the bay lines	Bay parking	Use the bay lines in your door mirror as your primary reference. If the car is not straight, use forward and reverse corrections before applying the handbrake — the examiner allows corrections as long as they are controlled and observed.
Failure to check for traffic before beginning manoeuvre	All manoeuvres	Before any manoeuvre, specifically check in both directions along the road for approaching traffic. If a vehicle is approaching, wait until it has passed before beginning. The examiner will record a fault if you begin a manoeuvre in front of an approaching vehicle.
Reversing at speed	All manoeuvres involving reverse	All reversing must be at very slow speed — approximately walking pace. If you are reversing faster than a pedestrian can walk, you are reversing too fast. Clutch control in a manual, very light throttle in an automatic.
Not resuming correct road position after manoeuvre	Turnabout, reverse around corner	After completing the manoeuvre, pull away using MSMM and establish correct road position (approximately 1 metre from the left kerb) before accelerating to the road speed.

How to Prepare for Session 5

The RSA recommends at least three hours of supervised practice between Session 4 and Session 5, specifically practising correct speed management. For Session 5, the following preparation is most effective:

• Practise slow-speed vehicle control with your Sponsor in a quiet car park before Session 5. The ability to move the car at genuinely slow speed (walking pace) is a prerequisite for all manoeuvres. Drive forward and backward at very low speed using clutch control (manual) or light throttle (automatic) until you can move the car smoothly at 2–3 km/h.
• Read the RSA Rules of the Road sections on reversing and parking. Available at rsa.ie. Know the legal rules about where you cannot reverse (across a junction, onto a main road from a side road) and where you cannot park (within 15 metres of a junction, on a double yellow line, etc.).
• Sit in the passenger seat while someone else reverses and observe how the front of the car swings when reversing. Understanding the geometry of reversing from the outside makes applying it from the inside significantly easier.
• Act on your Session 4 feedback. If your ADI highlighted speed management issues in Session 4, address those before Session 5 adds manoeuvre precision as a new challenge on top.

Expected Outcomes by End of Session 5

What Comes Next — EDT Session 6

After Session 5, the EDT programme moves forward to Session 6 — Anticipation and Reaction. This is where the focus shifts from where to be and how to move, to what to watch for: hazard scanning, identifying potential hazards early, and responding appropriately through speed, position, and observation. Session 6 introduces the concept of scanning — the continuous, systematic process of checking the road environment for developing hazards before they become emergencies.

Between Session 5 and Session 6, the RSA recommends at least three hours of supervised practice with your Sponsor — specifically practising the positioning skills from Session 5 in varied traffic conditions. Your ADI will advise at the end of Session 5 on which manoeuvres require the most practice before the next formal session.