Lady-Drivers :: Preparing for your Theory test....

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ATTITUDE

• A flashing amber light at a pelican crossing means to give way to pedestrians already on the crossing.
• At a zebra crossing if people are waiting to cross, slow down and be prepared to stop. If they do not start to cross after you have stopped then be patient and wait.
• When travelling behind another vehicle at speed leave one metre gap for every mph your are travelling at.
• A 2 second gap is safe for good driving conditions but on wet roads this should be at least doubled.
• A flashing amber light on a vehicle means it is travelling quite slowly, a green flashing light is displayed by a doctor on call and could be travelling quite quickly or stopping suddenly.
• If a bus at a stop is signalling right always slow down and give way if it is safe to do so.

SAFETY AND YOUR VEHICLE

Get to know how to check liquid levels in your car. Low brake fluid level could result in an accident. Four things that must work before driving are speedometer, windscreen wipers, windscreen washers and horn.

The tread on tyres must be 1.6mm minimum depth and cover at least 3/4of the width of the tyre, and must be inflated to the correct pressure. Always check the pressure when the tyres are cold. If the tyres are under inflated the braking and steering would be affected.

Tyres may wear unevenly due to a fault with the braking system, wheel alignment or suspension. If you have a fault with the brake system they may pull to one side when braking, get them checked at a garage straight away.

SAFETY MARGINS

Get to know the overall stopping distances in feet, metres and car lengths. Remember on roads in good conditions one metre for every mph or a 2 second time gap is safe. In the rain your overall stopping distance will be at least doubled because your tyres will have less grip on the road.

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

• On a country road with no pavements, expect pedestrians to be on your side of the road.
• When turning into a side road always give way to pedestrians who are in the process of crossing the side road. The same applies when reversing, give way to the person who wishes to cross behind you.
• Do not park your vehicle if it obstructs other road users. If you are turning right out of a side road and cannot see properly because of obstructions always move slowly forward until you can see.
• You will cause danger or obstruction parking across a driveway, at a bus stop or level crossing.
• At a pedestrian crossing never stop on the crossing, unless to avoid an accident, never park at the zigzag lines or overtake within these lines.
• Beware of children running into the road if there is an ice-cream van nearby. Always slow down if you see a ball bouncing into the road, a child may be following it.
• Never attempt to overtake a cyclist just before you intend to turn to the left, hold back until the cyclist has past the junction.
• At roundabouts give cyclists plenty of room, they are slower and more vulnerable.
• Never think you know which direction a cyclist is going at a roundabout, some of them may not be happy taking up a right position when turning right.
• Give cyclists and motorcyclists as much room as cars when overtaking, they may swerve out, especially on a windy day. Watch out for motorcyclists at junctions they are small and hard to see.
• Watch out for pedestrians who may step out from behind buses at bus stops.
• Compared to other drivers, learner drivers are more likely to have an accident after passing their test, and drivers in the age group 17-25 are most at risk.
• A person is likely to be killed if struck by a car at 40mph, so to help reduce the risk of accidents after your test and to help you drive safely on motorways, consider taking PASS PLUS lessons.

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VEHICLE HANDLING

There are 3 things that are going to affect the stopping distance. They are:

• Your speed
• The tyres on the vehicle
• The conditions of the road surface (e.g. rough/smooth/wet/icy).

If you are following a vehicle at a safe distance on a wet road and somebody overtakes and pulls in the gap ahead of you, drop back again to a safe distance.

Whilst on a dual carriageway if you see in your mirror a car behind has started to pull out to overtake, stay in your lane, don't signal until that car is past you.

There are 3 situations when you can overtake a car on the left they are:

• In a one way street
• When the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right
• When you are in slow moving traffic and the right hand lane is slower moving than you are

RULES OF THE ROAD

The speed limit in built up areas is 30 mph, and the national speed limit on a dual carriageway is 70 mph. A built up area is indicated by street lighting. A 30 mph sign indicates you must not exceed that speed, but if you are driving in an area with traffic parked on the roadside, keep your speed down, vehicles may be pulling out, drivers may open doors, or children may run from between the vehicles.

If there is an obstruction on your side of the road you must be prepared to give way to oncoming traffic. When you leave your vehicle parked on the road, you must never leave the engine running. There are 4 places you must never park a car. They are, at a bus stop, opposite a traffic island, blocking someone's drive, or near the brow of a hill.

The nearest you may park a car to a junction is 10 metres. You may sometimes be able to park where there is a single broken line but look for the signs. Never park in a disabled space unless you have an orange badge. When parking at night you must use your side lights where the speed limit exceeds 30 mph.

MOTORWAY RULES

Four classes of vehicle not allowed to use a motorway are:

• Learner drivers
• Farm tractors
• Horse riders
• Cyclists

• If you are carrying out a longjourney on a motorway, make sure your vehicle is roadworthy as the high speeds on a motorway may increase the chances of breaking down.
• Whilst you are on a motorway you must not stop to pick up that has dropped off your vehicle.
• If you are joining a motorwayfrom a sliproad, make sure you match the speed of your vehicle tothat of the traffic in the nearside lane and move into a clear space,but always be prepared to give way to traffic already on the motorway.
• The maximum speed on a motorway is 70 mph, but if you are towing atrailer the maximum speed is 60 mph.
• On a motorway the left hand lanecan be used by any vehicle, and should be used for normal drivingexcept when overtaking.
• The right hand lane is only for overtakingother vehicles.
• Always overtake on the right on a motorway, unlessin a queue and the right hand lane is travelling slower than you.
• Never stop on the hard shoulder unless it is an emergency.
• If youbreak down on a motorway try to get your vehicle onto the hard shoulderand use the emergency telephones to call for assistance. If youstop on the hard shoulder in an emergency, the safest place to waitfor help is on the grass bank (including all passengers).
• Always switch on your hazard warning lights if you break down on a motorway.

ROAD AND TRAFFIC SIGNS

Get to know your road and traffic signs. Remember that red round signs give orders, but red triangular signs give warnings. Blue background signs give positive instructions. A brown background to a sign give tourist information and a yellow background to a sign means it is temporary.

The sequence of traffic lights are red, red and amber, green, amber, red. The sequence at a pelican crossing are, red, amber flashing, green, amber, and red. A red traffic light means STOP, an amber light also means STOP. A red and amber light together means to remain stopped until the green light shows. At a set of traffic lights showing green, you must not proceed if the exit road you intend to use is blocked.

At a pelican crossing, when pedestrians see a flashing green man signal, drivers will see a flashing amber signal. The zigzag line markings at a pedestrian crossing, mean that you must not park on those lines at any time.

HAZARD AWARENESS

• Do not park anywhere which could cause a hazard.
• Do not park on the zigzag lines of a crossing.
• Do not stop blocking side roads in a traffic jam.
• Do not stop for pedestrians trying to cross the road other than at pedestrian crossings, unless the person is elderly or disabled (but remember pedestrians already on the road have priority over vehicles).
• When passing parked cars look out for pedestrians, especially children stepping out. Watch for cars pulling out or car doors opening.
• In slow moving traffic at junctions, do not try to force your way through, but remember if you are turning right at a box junction you may continue even if the amber light has appeared.

DOCUMENTS

To drive on a road a learner must have a signed valid provisional licence. The licence must be taken with you on a test. A uniformed police officer may require you to produce your licence, insurance certificate and MOT certificate.

When you tax a vehicle you will need to produce your motor insurance. If you cannot produce your documents for a police officer, you have 7 days to produce them at a police station. Before you drive somebody else's vehicle make sure it is insured for your use. The minimum insurance you must have to drive a vehicle on the road is third party.

A motor car needs an MOT certificate 3 years from new and to be renewed every 12 months.