One for the Driving Instructors: Can You Use Auto Hold in a Driving Test?

slmorgan42 · Mar 13, 2025

Not really an EV question as such, but I’m curious about using Auto Hold during a driving test.

Back when I did my test, it was in a manual horse and cart! At traffic lights, for example, you were expected to apply the handbrake and put the car in neutral.

I’m just wondering—can you use Auto Hold in a driving test?

OriginalBigAl · Mar 13, 2025

Good question, similarly , as more and more cars become hybrid or electric will manual gear changes be phased out from tests meaning new licence holders cannot drive manual cars without resitting the test. A bit of a death knell for the want to be classic car owner who may think twice about going old school.

MGCamb · Mar 13, 2025

The law states you should apply the brake when stopped at lights. Much to my chagrin my boys were taught, by professionals in a manual car, to keep their foot on the brake, the clutch engaged
and in gear to pass their test as it was easier for learners. Thus, yes you can use auto hold.

dawson2099 · Mar 13, 2025

Auto hold applies the brakes

Anon70 · Mar 14, 2025

After 2010 yes you can...

What In-Car Tech You Can and Can't Use in the Driving Test

Modern cars come with a mass of technology designed to keep you safe on the road – but which can and can’t you use in your driving test?

www.theorytestpro.co.uk

Carrying out driving tests: examiner guidance - 7. Particular types of vehicle and adaptations - Guidance - GOV.UK

Guidance for driving examiners on particular types of vehicle and adaptations.

www.gov.uk

slmorgan42 · Mar 14, 2025

Anon70 said:
After 2010 yes you can...

View attachment 35475

What In-Car Tech You Can and Can't Use in the Driving Test

Modern cars come with a mass of technology designed to keep you safe on the road – but which can and can’t you use in your driving test?

www.theorytestpro.co.uk

Carrying out driving tests: examiner guidance - 7. Particular types of vehicle and adaptations - Guidance - GOV.UK

Guidance for driving examiners on particular types of vehicle and adaptations.

www.gov.uk

Ah cool very interesting thank you

Gomev · Mar 15, 2025

Anon70 said:
After 2010 yes you can...

View attachment 35475

What In-Car Tech You Can and Can't Use in the Driving Test

Modern cars come with a mass of technology designed to keep you safe on the road – but which can and can’t you use in your driving test?

www.theorytestpro.co.uk

Carrying out driving tests: examiner guidance - 7. Particular types of vehicle and adaptations - Guidance - GOV.UK

Guidance for driving examiners on particular types of vehicle and adaptations.

www.gov.uk

Being pedantic possibly here but..... It says you have to demonstrate you can use an electronic brake, and that you can use hill hold.....however it doesn't say that you can use Autohold which does not require you personally activating or releasing the handbrake, so thereby not demonstrating any knowledge of how to operate the electronic handbrake.

Thoughts on my take ?

From the first article you linked...

However, you are still expected to demonstrate that you are able to use an e-handbrake correctly – for instance, when moving off or pulling up.

And from the second quoted article you posted it would suggest that the use of Autohold is not allowed (although this does look to be aimed at manual vehicles).

7.11 Electronically operated parking brake (handbrake)

Vehicles fitted with an electronically operated parking brake are suitable for use during a practical driving test. There are usually two ways of releasing an electronically operated parking brake:

by depressing the footbrake whilst releasing the parking brake, then coordinating the accelerator and clutch to move away.
coordinating the accelerator and clutch and when the electronics sense the clutch is at biting point, the parking brake releases automatically. The parking brake will not usually release automatically if the accelerator is not used or the controls are not coordinated correctly.

Providing there is no loss of control either method is acceptable. If an examiner needs to take action to stop the vehicle, if the electrically operated parking brake is applied and held on when the vehicle is in motion, it will bring the vehicle to a controlled stop.

DixieTGS · Mar 15, 2025

Gomev said:
If an examiner needs to take action to stop the vehicle, if the electrically operated parking brake is applied and held on when the vehicle is in motion, it will bring the vehicle to a controlled stop.

I'd certainly use it in an emergency, but from higher speeds isn't it likely to cause the wheels to lock as there's no way of moderating the braking force? Perhaps the parking brake is so weedy compared to the foot brake, this never happens and the stopping distance is actually quite long

.

Gomev · Mar 15, 2025

DixieTGS said:
I'd certainly use it in an emergency, but from higher speeds isn't it likely to cause the wheels to lock as there's no way of moderating the braking force? Perhaps the parking brake is so weedy compared to the foot brake, this never happens and the stopping distance is actually quite long .

No different to using a traditional handbrake in those circumstances if needed.

DixieTGS · Mar 15, 2025

Ah ok, so what I think you're saying is presumably the parking brake is rear only and therefore even if the wheels lock you don't really care as you can still steer with no problem.

Anon70 · Mar 15, 2025

Gomev said:
however it doesn't say that you can use Autohold which does not require you personally activating or releasing the handbrake

There are a couple of ways to activate the handbrake in the MG4 and I would assume as long as you can demonstrate you know how it works in the car you are driving i.e. you can turn it on or off when required then that is enough. As there is no driver operated clutch to hill hold, then once again, as long as you can demonstrate you can use the features of your vehicle to safely achieve the required manoeuvre (in this case a hill start) then that is what is required.

Everest · Mar 25, 2025

But can you complete the parallel parking manoeuvre with an electronic handbrake?

MG Clive · Mar 25, 2025

Everest said:
But can you complete the parallel parking manoeuvre with an electronic handbrake?

Wow, but how does he get it back out.

mystreet · Mar 25, 2025

MG Clive said:
Wow, but how does he get it back out.

He just puts it into reverse

Anon70 · Mar 25, 2025

MG Clive said:
Wow, but how does he get it back out.

As its a BMW group car it should memorise the last 164ft of steering inputs and just follow them in reverse order

Rolfe · Mar 28, 2025

I was given a petrol Fiat 500 with a manual gearbox as a courtesy car to get me home from the Lake District. (Long story.) Now I am stamping on a non-existent clutch and grabbing for a non-existent gearstick every ten minutes. Old habits die hard.

Everest · Apr 1, 2025

Rolfe said:
I was given a petrol Fiat 500 with a manual gearbox as a courtesy car...

That doesn't sound very courteous to me

decrep · Apr 1, 2025

Everest said:
But can you complete the parallel parking manoeuvre with an electronic handbrake?

For some strange reason, after watching this, this video appeared next.

Craziest thing I've ever watched.
It says GM is going to disrupt the whole automotive industry, it spends ages beating about the bush. Then concludes with the solution to all the sustainability/ supply problems, of current technology being solved with the biggest ICE motor GM has ever made. Smells a bit of Trump to me.

Rolfe · Apr 1, 2025

Everest said:
That doesn't sound very courteous to me

Rolfe · Apr 1, 2025

decrep said:
For some strange reason, after watching this, this video appeared next.

Craziest thing I've ever watched.
It says GM is going to disrupt the whole automotive industry, it spends ages beating about the bush. Then concludes with the solution to all the sustainability/ supply problems, of current technology being solved with the biggest ICE motor GM has ever made. Smells a bit of Trump to me.

I have so many questions. Why is such a US-focussed video narrated by a plummy English RP voice from the 1950s? Considering the video only went up a couple of days ago, why is much of it so out of date? It's an obvous anti-EV hit piece of course, but where did it come from? It's quoting the GM CEO, but it doesn't seem to have been made by GM. Unless it has, and the packaging is just deceptive.

The punch-line is risible though. Are we quite sure this isn't an April Fool joke somebody posted three days early?

One for the Driving Instructors: Can You Use Auto Hold in a Driving Test?

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