It’s easy to lose your way in an unfamiliar area. If you need to check a map or ask for directions, first find a safe place to stop.

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.

Plate used with level crossing warning signs: advance warning of light signals at a level crossing with or without a gate or barrier.

In good, dry conditions an alert driver who’s driving a vehicle with tyres and brakes in good condition, needs to keep a distance of at least two seconds from the car in front.

If you are towing a caravan or trailer you must not use the right-hand lane on a motorway with three or more lanes, except in certain circumstances, such as lane closures.

Try not to brake or steer heavily as this will only make matters worse and you could lose control altogether. Keep calm and regain control by easing off the accelerator.

In the event of a towbar failure the cable activates the trailer brakes, then snaps. This allows the towing vehicle to get free of the trailer and out of danger.

The right-hand lane of the motorway is for overtaking. Sometimes you may be directed into a right-hand lane as a result of roadworks or a traffic incident. This will be indicated by signs or officers directing the traffic.

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

These markings are used outside schools so that children can see and be seen clearly when crossing the road. Parking here would block people's view of the school entrance. This could endanger the lives of children on their way to and from school.

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

You should normally travel in the left-hand lane unless you are overtaking a slower- moving vehicle. When you are past that vehicle move back into the left-hand lane as soon as it’s safe to do so. Don’t cut across in front of the vehicle that you’re overtaking.

Driving at a slow speed in a high gear will reduce the likelihood of wheel-spin and help your vehicle maintain the best possible grip.

If there is no-one on the crossing when the amber light is flashing, you may proceed over the crossing. You don’t need to wait for the green light to show.

Where you see this sign, the 20 mph restriction starts. Check all around for possible hazards and only increase your speed if it’s safe to do so.

These lines may be painted on the road on the approach to a roundabout, a village or a particular hazard. The lines are raised and painted yellow, and their purpose is to make you aware of your speed.

When approaching a contraflow system reduce speed in good time and obey all speed limits. You may be travelling in a narrower lane than normal with no permanent barrier between you and the oncoming traffic. Be aware that the hard shoulder may be used for traffic and the road ahead could be obstructed by slow- moving or broken down vehicles.

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.

It is your legal responsibility to keep the details of your Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C) up to date. You should tell the licensing authority of any changes. These include your name, address, or vehicle details. If you don’t do this you may have problems when you sell your vehicle.

To prevent your lights from dazzling the driver of the car in front, wait until you’ve overtaken before switching to full beam.

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.

Always look out for motorcyclists, and cyclists, particularly at junctions. They are smaller and usually more difficult to see than other vehicles.

Any load will have an effect on the handlingn of your vehicle and this becomes worse as you increase the load. Any change in the centre of gravity or weight the vehicle is carrying will affect its braking and handling on bends.

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.

Sometimes you may not be able to see that the road is icy. Black ice makes a road look damp. The signs that you’re travelling on black ice can be that the steering feels light or that the noise from your tyres suddenly goes quiet.