Before you start
Agree the exercise and signal with your instructor in a suitable place before practising. While waiting for the signal, continue normal safe driving and attention to the road. This is not an exercise to spring on another driver or rehearse independently in traffic. Learn the braking response of the actual car, including its anti-lock braking system where fitted.
Get comfortable with the steering, pedals and gears first. For a manual, revisit clutch control; for an automatic, learn how that car moves when you release the brake. In either, a control sequence never replaces checking that the space is safe.
Emergency stop, step by step
An emergency stop is different from routine braking or parking. Keep control and respond promptly; practise the exercise only under suitable instruction.
Distinguish an emergency from normal slowing
Normal braking is planned, with observations and progressive pressure. An immediate hazard may leave no time for the normal routine. Do not delay necessary emergency braking to check the mirrors. Keep control of the wheel rather than swerving into an unchecked space.
Brake decisively
Apply the footbrake promptly and keep the car under control. With ABS, use firm continuous pressure as the handbook advises; a pulsing pedal can be normal ABS operation. Do not pump the brake simply because you feel that pulse.
Stay in control after the stop
Once stopped, hold the vehicle securely and deal with the situation. An engine stall in a manual is secondary to stopping safely in a genuine emergency. Do not let the car roll while restarting or resetting the controls.
Observe before moving again
Traffic may have moved alongside or around you during the stop. Check all around, including blind spots, and move only when safe. Practise emergency stops only under suitable instruction in a location assessed for the exercise, never as a surprise experiment in traffic.
Common difficulties and what to change
You look at the examiner instead of the road.
Listen to the briefing, then keep your normal forward awareness. Anticipating the signal by watching a hand or changing your driving unnaturally adds risk rather than demonstrating a prompt response.
You delay braking to complete a routine mirror check.
In an emergency the immediate task is to stop under control. Do not insert a routine pre-braking mirror sequence that delays the necessary response. Continue keeping the car controlled rather than swerving into an unchecked space.
You start moving again as soon as the car stops.
Secure the car and wait for the instruction to continue. Traffic could now be passing on either side. Prepare and make fresh all-round observations before moving off; the stop and restart are separate tasks.
Work on one specific issue during supervised practice. For observations, see mirrors and blind spots. When preparing for an assessed drive, use the practical mock-test guide.
Questions about emergency stop
Will every driving test include an emergency stop?
You may be asked to carry out an emergency stop, but it is not part of every test. Prepare for it with your instructor rather than trying to predict whether it will be selected on the day.
What changes in an automatic car?
There is no clutch pedal to coordinate. Move your right foot promptly from accelerator to brake and maintain control, using the procedure learnt for that car. Once stopped, secure it appropriately and make fresh observations before moving again.
Before moving away again
After the stop, secure the car and make a fresh all-round check before moving again. Other traffic may now be passing on either side. Follow the controls and restart procedure for your particular manual or automatic car.
For the wider learning sequence, see the practical driving course. Before the test, practise the vehicle-safety questions too.