Test readiness

Independent driving with sat nav

Lesson breakdown

Sub-skills

Lesson 1

Following a sat nav instruction to turn right at traffic lights

The sat nav tells you to turn right - checking that against the actual lane, signal, and traffic is what makes the instruction useful.

Open lesson

Lesson 2

Turn right, then left at the traffic lights

When the sat nav bundles two manoeuvres into one line - "at the end of the road, turn right then turn left" - you still have to treat them as two separate decisions, made in quick succession rather than as a single action.

Open lesson

Practical test

Why it matters

In the independent driving part of the test - about 20 minutes following a sat nav or traffic signs - the examiner sets the sat nav up for you and you can't use your own. Going the wrong way or missing a turn is not a fault in itself; the examiner will help you back onto the route. What's assessed is your normal safe driving, not whether you follow the route perfectly.

What to look out for

The road always wins

A sat nav instruction is guidance to check against what you can see, not a command. If they disagree, the road is right.

A wrong turn isn't a fault

On test the examiner sets up the sat nav (you can't use your own) and won't mark you for going the wrong way - they'll help you back onto the route. What's assessed is how safely you drive, not whether you follow it perfectly.

Key steps

1 Read road signs and markings in good time, so you can position and signal correctly well before a junction.
2 Treat a sat nav instruction as a suggestion to check against the road, not something to act on instantly.
3 If the sat nav and the road disagree, for example it says turn but there's no turning there, follow what you can actually see, not the instruction.
4 Set the destination before you set off, so you're never adjusting it while driving.
5 If you miss a turn or the instruction was wrong, keep driving safely and take the next safe opportunity to get back on route, rather than reacting suddenly.

Common mistakes

Reacting instantly to a sat nav instruction

Check it against the road first. A late or unclear instruction should never override safe positioning or observation.

Adjusting the sat nav while moving

Set your destination and route before you drive off, not while the car is in motion.

Panicking after missing a turn

Keep driving safely and normally. The sat nav or examiner will simply offer a new route.

Highway Code

This lesson is a revision aid, not a replacement for The Highway Code.

Rule 150

Do not be distracted by maps or screen-based information (such as a sat nav) while driving. If necessary, find a safe place to stop.

Read on GOV.UK