If you want to turn your car around try to find a place where you have good all-round vision. If this isn’t possible and you’re unable to see clearly, then get someone to guide you.

You should be constantly scanning the road for clues about what is going to happen next. Check your mirrors regularly, particularly as soon as you spot a hazard. What is happening behind may affect your response to hazards ahead.

The longer traffic lights have been on green, the greater the chance of them changing. Always allow for this on approach and be prepared to stop.

Look well ahead and only pull out if it is safe. You will need to use all of the road to pass the cyclist, so be extra-cautious. Look out for entrances to fields where tractors or other farm machinery could be waiting to pull out.

Modern vehicles provide the driver with well-positioned mirrors which are essential to safe driving. However, they cannot see every angle of the scene behind and to the sides of the vehicle. This is why it is essential that you check over your shoulder, so that you are aware of any hazards not reflected in your mirrors.

You should only flash your headlights to warn others of your presence. Don’t use them to, greet others, show impatience or give priority to other road users. They could misunderstand your signal.

You should consider drivers behind as brake lights can dazzle. However, if you are driving in fog it’s safer to keep your foot on the footbrake. In this case it will give the vehicle behind extra warning of your presence.

Horses can become startled by the sound of a car engine or the rush of air caused by passing too closely. Keep well back and only pass when it is safe; leave them plenty of room. You may have to use the other side of the road to go past: if you do, first make sure there is no oncoming traffic.

Coasting is when you allow the vehicle to freewheel in neutral or with the clutch pedal depressed. Doing this gives you less control over the vehicle. It's especially not to let your vehicle coast when approaching hazards such as junctions and bends and when travelling downhill.

Rear fog lights make it easier to spot a vehicle ahead in foggy conditions. Avoid the temptation to use other vehicles’ lights as a guide, as they may give you a false sense of security.

When going downhill, prolonged use of the brakes can cause them to overheat and lose their effectiveness. Changing to a lower gear will assist your braking.

Snow chains can be fitted to your tyres during snowy conditions. They can help you to move off from rest or to keep moving in deep snow. You will still need to adjust your driving according to the road conditions at the time.

Bright rear fog lights might be mistaken for brake lights and could be misleading for the traffic behind.

You must take extra care when on single track roads. You may not be able to see around bends due to high hedges or fences. Proceed with caution and expect to meet oncoming vehicles around the next bend. If you do, pull into or opposite a passing place.

Trams can run on roads used by other vehicles and pedestrians. The part of the road used by the tram is known as the reserved area and this should be kept clear. It has a coloured surface and is usually edged with white road markings. It might also have a different surface texture.

If you’re planning to make a journey when it’s foggy, listen to the weather reports on the radio or television. Don’t travel if visibility is very poor or your trip isn’t necessary. If you do travel, leave plenty of time for your journey. If someone is expecting you at the other end, let them know that you’ll be taking longer than normal to arrive.

Only overtake on the left if traffic is moving slowly in queues and the traffic on your right is moving more slowly than the traffic in your lane.

Stay in the left-hand lane long enough to get used to the higher speeds of motorway traffic.

Try to join the motorway without affecting the progress of the traffic already travelling on it. Always give way to traffic already on the motorway. At busy times you may have to slow down to merge into slow-moving traffic.

On a motorway it is best to use a roadside emergency telephone so that the emergency services are able to locate you easily. The nearest telephone is shown by an arrow on marker posts at the edge of the hard shoulder. If you use a mobile, they will need to know your exact location.
Before you call, find out the number on the nearest marker post. This number will identify your exact location.

Wait for a safe gap in the traffic before you move out. Indicate your intention and use the hard shoulder to gain speed but don’t force your way into the traffic.

A red cross above the hard shoulder shows it is closed as a running lane and should only be used for emergencies or breakdowns. At busy times within an Active Traffic Management (ATM) area the hard shoulder may be used as a running lane. This will be shown by a mandatory speed limit on the gantry above.

At some junctions the layout may make it difficult to turn offside to offside. If this is the case, be prepared to pass nearside to nearside, but take extra care as your view ahead will be obscured by the vehicle turning in front of you.

Take care if you have to pass a parked vehicle on your side of the road. Give way to oncoming traffic if there isn’t enough room for you both to continue safely.

A long vehicle may have to straddle lanes either on or approaching a roundabout so that the rear wheels don’t cut in over the kerb.
If you’re following a long vehicle, stay well back and give it plenty of room.

Red rear reflectors show up when headlights shine on them. These are useful when you are parked at night but will only reflect if you park in the same direction as the traffic flow. Normally you should park on the left, but if you’re in a one-way street you may also park on the right-hand side.

This sign indicates that there are waiting restrictions. It is normally accompanied by details of when restrictions are in force. Details of most signs which are in common use are shown in The Highway Code and a more comprehensive selection is available in Know Your Traffic Signs.

It is your responsibility to make sure you are properly insured for the vehicle you are driving.

Every vehicle used on the road has a registration certificate. The document shows vehicle details including date of first registration, registration number, previous keeper, make of vehicle, engine size and chassis number, year of manufacture and colour.

The cost of insurance varies with your age and how long you have been driving. Usually, the younger you are the more expensive it is, especially if you are under 25 years of age. The Pass Plus scheme provides additional training to newly qualified drivers. Pass Plus is recognised by many insurance companies and taking this extra training could give you reduced insurance premiums, as well as improving your skills and experience.

If you accumulate six or more penalty points within two years of gaining your first full licence it will be revoked. The six or more points include any gained due to offences you committed before passing your test. If this happens you may only drive as a learner until you pass both the theory and practical tests again.

The fuel in your vehicle can be a dangerous fire hazard. Never

• use a naked flame near the vehicle if you can smell fuel
• smoke when refuelling your vehicle

If it's possible, and you can do so without causing further danger, it may be safer to drive a vehicle which is on fire out of the tunnel. The greatest danger in a tunnel fire is smoke and suffocation.

A SORN declaration allows you to keep a vehicle off road and untaxed. SORN will end when the vehicle is taxed, sold or scrapped.

DO NOT remove a motorcyclist’s helmet unless it is essential. Remember they may be suffering from shock. Don’t give them anything to eat or drink but do reassure them confidently.

Lorry drivers can be unaware of objects falling from their vehicles. If you see something fall onto a motorway look to see if the driver pulls over. If they don’t stop, do not attempt to retrieve it yourself. Pull on to the hard shoulder near an emergency telephone and report the hazard. You will be connected to the police or a Highways Agency control centre.

An adult casualty is not breathing normally. To maintain circulation place two hands on the centre of the chest. Then press down 4 to 5 centimetres at a rate of 100 times per minute.

Remember DR ABC (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Compressions). An unconscious casualty may have difficulty breathing. Check that their airway is clear by tilting the head back gently. Unblock the airway if necessary, then make sure the casualty is breathing. Compressions may need to be given to maintain circulation.

If a young child has stopped breathing, first check that their airway is open and then begin CPR. With a young child, you may only need to use one hand and you shouldn’t press down as far as you would with an adult. Continue the procedure until the child is breathing again or until a medical professional takes over.

Use a liquid that is clean, cold and non-toxic, preferably water. Its coolness will help take the heat out of the burn and relieve the pain. Keep the wound doused for at least ten minutes. If blisters appear don't attempt to burst them as this could lead to infection.

Your vehicle must not be overloaded. Carrying heavy loads will affect control and handling characteristics. If your vehicle is overloaded and it causes a crash, you’ll be held responsible.

Riding in a towed caravan is highly dangerous. The safety of the entire unit is dependent on the stability of the trailer. Moving passengers would make the caravan unstable and could cause loss of control.

The safest way to carry items on the roof is in a specially designed roof box. This will help to keep your luggage secure and dry, and also has less wind resistance than loads carried on a roof rack.

Check the vehicle handbook. This should give you guidance on the correct tyre pressures for your vehicle and when you may need to adjust them. If you are carrying a heavy load you may need to adjust the headlights as well. Most cars have a switch on the dashboard to do this.

When driving on downhill stretches of road selecting a lower gear gives increased engine braking. This will prevent excess use of the brakes, which become less effective if they overheat.

Drive extremely carefully when the roads are icy. When travelling on ice, tyres make virtually no noise and the steering feels light and unresponsive. In icy conditions be very gentle when braking, accelerating and steering.

Harsh use of the accelerator, brakes or steering are likely to lead to skidding, especially on slippery surfaces. Avoid steering and braking at the same time. In icy conditions it’s very important that you constantly assess what’s ahead, so that you can take appropriate action in plenty of time.

Once you have applied the brake keep your foot firmly on the pedal. Releasing the brake and reapplying it will disable the anti- lock brake system.

In windy conditions, care must be taken on exposed roads. A strong gust of wind can blow you off course. Watch out for other road users who are particularly likely to be affected, such as cyclists, motorcyclists, high-sided lorries and vehicles towing trailers.

A skid happens when the driver changes the speed or direction of their vehicle so suddenly that the tyres can't keep their grip on the road. Remember that the risk of skidding on wet or icy roads is much greater than in dry conditions.