Quick Test #1

Don’t travel in icy or snowy weather unless your journey is necessary. Drive extremely carefully when roads are or may be icy. Stopping distances can be ten times greater than on dry roads.

Third party insurance doesn’t cover damage to your own vehicle or injury to yourself. If you have a crash and your vehicle is damaged you might have to carry out the repairs at your own expense.

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.

A doctor attending an emergency may show a green flashing beacon on their vehicle. Give way to them when you can do so safely as they will need to reach their destination quickly. Be aware that they might pull over suddenly.

Try to stay calm, especially if you have passengers on board. If you can’t restart your engine before the warning bells ring, leave the vehicle and get yourself and any passengers well clear of the crossing.

Have the correct details ready before you use the emergency telephone. The operator will need to know the details of your vehicle and its fault. For your own safety always face the traffic when you speak on a roadside telephone.

If a school crossing patrol steps out into the road with a stop sign you must stop. Don’t wave anyone across the road and don’t get impatient or rev your engine.

Poor contact with the road surface could cause one or more of the tyres to lose grip on the road. This is more likely to happen when braking in poor weather conditions and when the road has a loose or uneven surface.

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.

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.

A heavy load on your roof rack will reduce the stability of the vehicle because it moves the centre of gravity away from that designed by the manufacturer. Be aware of this when you negotiate bends and corners. If you change direction at speed, your vehicle and/or load could become unstable and you could lose control.

When the area is safe and there’s no danger from other traffic or fire it’s better not to move casualties. Moving them may cause further injury.

If possible, lay the casualty down. Protect yourself from exposure to blood and, when you're sure there's nothing in the wound, apply firm pressure to it using clean material.

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.

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

Pedestrians and riders on two wheels can be harder to see than other road users. Make sure you keep a look-out for them, especially at junctions. Good effective observation, coupled with appropiate action, can save lives.

The continuous white line shows the edge of the carriageway. It can be especially useful when visibility is restricted, for example at night or in bad weather. It is discontinued where it crosses junctions, lay-bys etc.

If you are carrying anything on a roof rack, make sure that any cover is securely fitted and does not flap about while driving. Aerodynamically designed roof boxes are available which reduce wind resistance and, in turn, fuel consumption.

A toucan crossing is designed to allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross at the same time. Look out for cyclists approaching the crossing at speed.

As you begin to think about overtaking, ask yourself if it’s really necessary. If you can’t see well ahead stay back and wait for a safer place to pull out.

Some bus lanes operate only during peak hours and other vehicles may use them outside these hours. Make sure you check the sign for the hours of operation before driving in a bus lane.