Quick Test #1

If you can’t get your vehicle onto the hard shoulder, use your hazard warning lights to warn others. Leave your vehicle only when you can safely get clear of the carriageway. Do not try to repair the vehicle or attempt to place any warning device on the carriageway.

Don’t use the hard shoulder for stopping unless it is an emergency. If you want to stop for any other reason go to the next exit or service station.

A casualty suffering from shock may have injuries that aren't immediately obvious. Call the emergency services then stay with the person in shock, offering reassurance until the experts arrive.

The first priority with a casualty is to make sure their airway is clear and they’re breathing. Any wounds should be checked for objects and bleeding stemmed using clean material. Ensure the emergency services are called as they’re the experts. If you’re not first aid trained consider getting training. It might save a life.

Various items can provide invaluable help in the event of a collision or breakdown - such as a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher. They could even save a life.

Deep water can affect your brakes, so you should check that they’re working properly before you build up speed again. Before you do this, remember to check your mirrors and consider what’s behind you.

Having an excess on your policy will help to keep down the premium, but if you make a claim you will have to pay the excess yourself.

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.

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.

Active Traffic Management schemes are intended to reduce congestion and make journey times more reliable. In these areas the hard shoulder may be used as a running lane to ease congestion at peak times or in the event of an incident. It may appear that you could travel faster for a short distance, but keeping traffic flow at a constant speed may improve your journey time.

When traffic travels at a constant speed over a longer distance, journey times normally improve. You may feel that you could travel faster for short periods but this won’t generally improve your overall journey time. Signs will show the maximum speed at which you should travel.

You should never overtake as you approach a junction. If a vehicle emerged from the junction while you were overtaking, a dangerous situation could develop very quickly.

Try to plan your journey so that you can take rest stops. It’s recommended that you take a break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving or riding. This should help to maintain your concentration.

If your vehicle is fitted with drum brakes they can get hot and lose efficiency. This happens when they’re used continually, such as on a long, steep, downhill stretch of road. Using a lower gear will assist the braking and help prevent the vehicle gaining momentum.

If you’re involved in a collision, head restraints will reduce the risk of neck injury. They must be properly adjusted. Make sure they aren’t positioned too low, in a crash this could cause damage to the neck.

Look out on the approach especially for children and older pedestrians. They may walk across without looking. Zebra crossings have flashing amber beacons on both sides of the road, black and white stripes on the crossing and white zigzag markings on both sides of the crossing. Where you can see pedestrians waiting to cross, slow down and prepare to stop.

When you see emergency vehicles with blue flashing beacons, move out of the way as soon as it is safe to do so.

Your headlights and tail lights help others on the road see you. It may be necessary to turn on your lights during the day if visibilty is reduced, for example in heavy rain. In these conditions the light may fade before the street lights are turned on. Be seen to be safe.

With-flow bus lane which pedal cycles and taxis may also use ahead.

Route for trams only. The sign may include the bus symbol, the pedal cycle symbol and/or the word ‘taxi’ where these vehicles may use the tram route.