Road Positioning: DVSA Skill 7 — Lane Discipline Guide
Road positioning is one of those skills that is always being assessed, even when the examiner has not explicitly asked you to do anything. Every metre of the test — from the moment the car moves to the moment it parks — the examiner is observing whether you are in the right place on the road.
Poor positioning is the underlying cause of a surprisingly large number of test failures. Candidates who drift too close to parked cars risk opening-door collisions. Those who take the wrong lane at a roundabout create confusion for other drivers. Those who drift across the centre line on bends create a head-on hazard. All of these are directly addressed by mastering DVSA Skill 7.
What Examiners Look For
The examiner assesses whether your position on the road is appropriate for the conditions at all times. This breaks down into several specific checks.
On normal roads, they expect you to maintain a safe lateral distance from parked vehicles — approximately 1 metre, or enough to clear a suddenly opened car door. Too close risks a collision; unnecessarily far out risks drifting into oncoming traffic.
At left turns, your position should indicate your intention: move slightly left, check the left mirror for cyclists, and avoid swinging wide into the oncoming lane on the turn itself. At right turns, you should be positioned at the right of your lane — making your intention clear to drivers behind — without encroaching on the oncoming side of the road.
Lane discipline is a specific examiner check on any road with multiple lanes in the same direction. Sitting in the middle or right lane when the left lane is clear is a fault. Moving between lanes without a clear reason is a fault. Lane choice at junctions and roundabouts is also assessed here — selecting the wrong lane and then correcting late creates risk and costs faults.
The 5 DVSA Levels for Road Positioning
Level 1: Introduced
The pupil understands that road position matters and can identify correct and incorrect positions when shown them. They may need the instructor to manage positioning during early lessons.
Level 2: Helped
The pupil attempts to position correctly but frequently drifts or requires hands-on correction from the instructor. They may hug parked cars or drift across the centre line on bends.
Level 3: Prompted
The pupil maintains broadly correct positioning but needs verbal reminders — “move a little left,” “you’re drifting right on this bend,” or “check which lane you need at this roundabout.”
Level 4: Independent
The pupil maintains correct road position without prompting in the majority of situations. They choose the correct lane at junctions and roundabouts and adjust their position fluently for turns.
Level 5: Reflection
Test-ready standard. Positioning is automatic and appropriate to the conditions. The pupil anticipates hazards that require a position adjustment — for example, moving slightly right when a cyclist is ahead — and can explain their reasoning.
Positioning Technique in Detail
Normal Driving Position
On a two-way road, your default position is in the left half of your lane, approximately 1 metre from the kerbside or from the line of parked vehicles. This gives you a safety buffer from the door zone without pulling towards oncoming traffic.
Look well ahead — 50 to 100 metres — rather than at the road immediately in front of your bonnet. Drivers who look close get a choppy, reactive road position. Drivers who look ahead get a smooth, predictable line.
The Door Zone
Parked cars carry one of the most common hazards on residential roads: a suddenly opened door. Drivers, passengers, and cyclists all misjudge the risk. Your 1-metre gap should be consistent — not varying between 20cm and 1.5m depending on how wide the road feels. A consistent gap indicates proper awareness; an erratic gap suggests you are reacting rather than planning.
Approaching Left Turns
As you approach a left turn, move slightly to the left of your normal position, but do not hug the kerb so tightly that cyclists cannot filter alongside you safely. Check the left door mirror for cyclists before moving left.
Do not swing right before a left turn (a common error where drivers take a wide arc to make the turn easier). This creates a hazard for following traffic and takes your vehicle into the oncoming lane on the turn itself.
Approaching Right Turns
Move to the right of your lane — not across the centre line, but close to it — to make your intention clear and to allow vehicles behind you to continue forward in the left lane if the road is wide enough. Signal in good time.
Approach the junction slowly enough to stop if needed, but aim for a controlled, confident position rather than straddling the centre line as you wait for a gap.
Narrow Roads
On narrow roads, position yourself so that if an oncoming vehicle appears, both of you can pass safely by moving slightly left each. Keep your speed low enough to stop before any blind bends. If the road is too narrow to pass, one vehicle must reverse to a passing place — this is covered in more detail in country road driving.
Lane Discipline on Multi-Lane Roads
On any road with lanes marked in the same direction, keep to the left lane unless overtaking. After overtaking, return to the left lane promptly. Do not occupy the right or centre lane as a matter of preference — it is both illegal and a specific examiner fault.
At roundabouts, use the approach road’s lane markings and road signs to select the correct lane well in advance. Changing lanes on a roundabout is dangerous and almost always a serious fault.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
| Mistake | Why It Happens | The Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Hugging parked cars too closely | Overcompensating to stay away from oncoming traffic | Set a consistent 1-metre gap and trust it; look ahead, not at the parked cars |
| Drifting across the centre line on bends | Looking at the bend rather than through it | Look to the exit of the bend; the car follows your eyes |
| Wrong lane at a roundabout | Not reading the road signs early enough | Read the exit number before you reach the roundabout, not as you enter it |
| Swinging right before a left turn | Copying lorry-style wide turns unnecessarily | Stay in position; only large vehicles need a wide arc |
| Middle-lane sitting on dual carriageways | Uncertainty about when to return to the left | Rule of thumb: if the lane to your left is clear of vehicles, move back to it |
Practice Tips
Narrate your lane choices. Before every junction, roundabout, or lane change, say aloud which lane you are choosing and why. This forces you to make a conscious decision rather than drifting into a lane by accident.
Use a reference point for the 1-metre gap. In most cars, keeping the white line or the edge of the parked cars level with your right-side windscreen pillar gives roughly the correct gap. Find your own reference point with your instructor on a quiet road.
Film yourself from a passenger-seat camera. A phone propped on the dashboard showing your lane position can reveal drift you are completely unaware of during the lesson. Review it after the lesson with your instructor.
Practise roundabouts at quiet times first. Most lane choice errors at roundabouts happen under traffic pressure. Find a quiet roundabout and practise every exit from every approach lane before adding traffic pressure.
Track Your Progress
Road positioning improves most rapidly when pupils have a clear feedback loop after every drive. At the end of each lesson, ask your instructor to rate your positioning on the 5-level scale above and identify one specific improvement to focus on next time. Most pupils reach Level 4 within 10–15 hours of driving, but consistent Level 5 positioning on varied road types may take longer.
Related Skills
- Car Controls (Skill 5) — good steering technique is the foundation of consistent road positioning
- Moving Off and Stopping (Skill 6) — safe stopping positions depend on correct positioning awareness
- Control and Positioning Skills Overview — see all skills in this category and how they connect