New drivers are tasked with learning multiple skills all at once and some are much harder to pick up than others. But which manoeuvres do new drivers tend to struggle with the most? We analyzed lesson data from more than 5,400 Kruzee students across Ontario, and the results reveal exactly where new drivers have the most room to grow.
The Data Behind the Rankings
At Kruzee, every student’s progress is tracked using a personalized in-car sheet. Their instructor uses the sheet during each lesson to grade them on 17 core driving manoeuvres on a scale of 1 to 4. A score of 1 means there’s room for improvement, while a score of 4 means they’ve shown strong, consistent performance.
For this post, we pulled the in-car sheet data from over 5,400 Ontario students and calculated the average score for each of the 17 manoeuvres. The five with the lowest average scores are:
- Highway and Freeway Driving
- Safety Checks: Mirrors, Blind Spots, and Scanning
- Lane Positioning and Lane Changes
- Backing and Reverse Driving
- Speed Control
1. Highway and Freeway Driving
Average Score: 2.62 out of 4.0
Highway driving is what students consistently score the lowest on, and it’s not hard to see why. Going onto the highway is one of the last skills students learn in their lessons, as it’s important that their steering, speed control, and lane changes are solid beforehand.
There’s also a rule that makes highways unfamiliar for students in Ontario: if you only have your G1 licence, you aren’t allowed on 400-series highways or high-speed expressways unless accompanied by a licensed driving instructor. That means for most students, their very first time merging onto a highway happens during a lesson.
This combination of lack of exposure and the pressure of high speeds is why most students have the most room to grow when it comes to highway driving.
2. Safety Checks: Mirrors, Blind Spots, and Scanning
Average Score: 2.65 out of 4.0
Safety checks scored the second lowest, and it’s rarely because students don’t know what to do. Most students can execute these checks perfectly: checking their mirrors, performing a shoulder check to look in their blind spot, and scanning the road ahead. The challenge, however, is remembering to do them consistently. When a new driver’s attention is stretched, the safety checks are usually the first thing to slip.
The good news is that safety checks are pure habit. With enough repetition in lessons, they stop being something students have to remember and become something they do automatically.
3. Lane Positioning and Lane Changes
Average Score: 2.70 out of 4.0
Lane positioning and lane changes came in as the third-lowest scoring manoeuvre. Lane discipline involves more judgement calls than some of the other manoeuvres, like parking or steering. Students must ask themselves questions like: How early should I change lanes? Is the gap big enough for me to merge into? Will that car let me merge?
This kind of judgment comes with experience, which is why new drivers tend to struggle with lane changes especially. Many will hesitate too long and miss safe gaps, while others commit to a gap that’s too tight and end up forcing the car behind them to slow down.
Changing lanes also involves several skills, such as mirror checks, blind spot checks, signalling, and smooth steering, so a weakness in any of them can show up as a lower score for the manoeuvre as a whole.
4. Backing and Reverse Driving
Average Score: 2.71 out of 4.0
Reversing can feel very unnatural at first – steering is mirrored, visibility shrinks, and the car responds differently at low speeds. It’s also a manoeuvre that students simply don’t practice very often. A typical drive might involve dozens of turns, but only one or two moments of reversing.
The most common issue that instructors see is students relying entirely on backup cameras, instead of using their mirrors and physically turning to look out the rear window. While cameras are helpful aids, they leave blind spots and road test examiners want to see drivers physically check their surroundings.
5. Speed Control
Average Score: 2.75 out of 4.0
Speed control rounds out the top five, and students struggle with it in both directions. Some drift over the limit without noticing, especially on downhills or open road, while others drive well under the limit out of nervousness.
New drivers are also slow to adjust to the areas where speed limits change, such as school zones and construction zones, which can impact how their instructor scores them.
Similar to safety checks, speed control improves as the basics become more automatic. Once the mechanics of driving begin to click, students find that proper speed control comes naturally.
Summary
Per data from over 5,400 Kruzee students in Ontario, the five manoeuvres that students struggle with the most are:
- Highway and Freeway Driving
- Safety Checks: Mirrors, Blind Spots, and Scanning
- Lane Positioning and Lane Changes
- Backing and Reverse Driving
- Speed Control
Final Thoughts
Looking at the list as a whole, a pattern emerges: these aren’t skills that students struggle to understand, they’re skills that all depend on good judgement and habits that only form through practice. So if you’re finding any of these five manoeuvres difficult, you’re not alone; you’re alongside thousands of other new drivers.
Ready to turn these tricky manoeuvres into second nature? Find a top-rated, certified instructor near you.
