Theory Test #9

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.

Motorcyclists are affected more by windy weather than other vehicles. In windy conditions, high-sided vehicles cause air turbulence. You should keep well back as the motorcyclist could be blown off course.

A mandatory speed limit sign above the hard shoulder shows that it can be used as a running lane between junctions. You must stay within the speed limit. Look out for vehicles that may have broken down and could be blocking the hard shoulder.

If you are in a collision that causes damage or injury to any other person, vehicle, animal or property, by law you MUST STOP. Give your name, the vehicle owner’s name and address, and the vehicle’s registration number to anyone who has reasonable grounds for requiring them.

Be especially careful if you’re on a motorway in fog. Reflective studs are used to help you in poor visibility. Different colours are used so that you’ll know which lane you are in. These are
• red on the left-hand side of the road
• white between lanes
• amber on the right-hand edge of the carriageway
• green between the carriageway and slip roads

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.

Check the casualty for shock and if possible try to cool the burn for at least ten minutes. Use a clean, cold non-toxic liquid preferably water.

Ensure that you can see clearly through the windscreen of your vehicle. Stickers or hanging objects could affect your field of vision or draw your eyes away from the road.

An immobiliser makes it more difficult for your vehicle to be driven off by a thief. It is a particular deterrent to opportunist thieves.

There might be pedestrians crossing from in front of the bus. Look out for them if you intend to pass. Consider how many people are waiting to get on the bus - check the queue if you can. The bus might move off straight away if no one is waiting to get on. If a bus is signalling to pull out, give it priority if it’s safe to do so.

This crucial road sign warns drivers about upcoming traffic flow in both directions.

Keep well back and allow the cyclist room to take up the correct position for the turn. Don’t get too close behind or try to squeeze past.

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.

Triangular signs give you a warning of hazards ahead. They're there to give you time to prepare for the hazard; for example, by adjusting your speed.

The fuel in your vehicle can be a dangerous fire hazard. If you smell fuel check out where it's coming from. Never
• use a naked flame near the vehicle if you can smell fuel
• smoke when refuelling your vehicle.

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

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.

Before emerging right onto a dual carriageway make sure that the central reserve is deep enough to protect your vehicle. If it’s not, you should treat it as one road and check that it’s clear in both directions before pulling out. Neglecting to do this could place part or all of your vehicle in the path of approaching traffic and cause a collision.

If you follow another vehicle with your headlights on full beam they could dazzle the driver. Leave a safe distance and ensure that the light from your dipped beam falls short of the vehicle in front.

Rapid acceleration and heavy braking lead to greater fuel consumption. They also increase wear and tear on your vehicle.

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.

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.

Rear fog lights shine brighter than normal rear lights so that they show up in reduced visibility. When the weather is clear they could dazzle the driver behind, so switch them off.

Take notice of any instructions given on variable message signs or by tunnel officials. They will warn you of any incidents or congestion ahead and advise you what to do.

It’s usually better to drive a burning vehicle out of a tunnel. If you can’t do this pull over and stop at an emergency point if possible. Switch off the engine, use hazard warning lights, and leave the vehicle immediately. Call for help from the nearest emergency point. If you have an extinguisher it may help to put out a small fire but don't try to tackle a large one.

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.

During long journeys an engine can use more oil than on shorter trips. Insufficient oil is potentially dangerous: it can lead to excessive wear and expensive repairs. Most cars have a dipstick to allow the oil level to be checked. If not, you should refer to the vehicle’s handbook. Also make checks on
- fuel
- water
- tyres.

In icy and snowy weather, your stopping distance will increase by up to ten times compared to good, dry conditions. Take extra care when braking, accelerating and steering, to cut down the risk of skidding.

Don’t be tempted to drive if you’ve lost or forgotten your glasses. You must be able to see clearly when driving.

The yellow boxes filled with criss-crossing yellow lines are known as box junctions. Although you must not enter the box until your exit road is clear, you may wait in one if you want to turn right and are only stopped by oncoming traffic or other vehicles waiting to turn right.

Make a note of the date that your MOT certificate expires. Some garages remind you that your vehicle is due an MOT but not all do. You may take your vehicle for MOT up to to one month in advance and have the certificate post dated.

When a car is three years old (four years old in Northern Ireland), it must pass an MOT test and have a valid MOT certificate before it can be used on the road. Exceptionally, you may
• drive to a pre-arranged test appointment or to a garage for repairs required for the test
• drive vehicles that are more than 40 years old without an MOT test, but they must be in a roadworthy condition before being used on the road. See GOV.UK for more details.

The licensing authority need to keep their records up to date. They send out a reminder when a vehicle's excise licence (road tax) is due for renewal. To do this they need to know the name and address of the registered keeper. Every vehicle in the country is registered, so it’s possible to trace its history.

Although a convex mirror gives a wide view of the scene behind, you should be aware that it will not show you everything behind or to the side of the vehicle. Before you move off you will need to check over your shoulder to look for anything not visible in the mirrors.

Large vehicles can hide other vehicles that are overtaking, especially motorcycles which may be filtering past queuing traffic. You need to be aware of the possibility of hidden vehicles and not assume that it is safe to emerge.

It’s a good idea to plan an alternative route in case your original route is blocked for any reason. You’re less likely to feel worried and stressed if you’ve got an alternative in mind. This will enable you to concentrate fully on your driving or riding. Always carry a map that covers the area you will travel in.

If you’re travelling in a one-way street and wish to turn right you should take up a position in the right-hand lane. This will enable other road users not wishing to turn to proceed on the left. Indicate your intention and take up your position in good time.

Always check the road into which you are turning. Approaching at the correct speed will allow you enough time to observe and react. Give way to any pedestrians already crossing the road.

Pull onto the hard shoulder and use the emergency telephone to report your problem. This lets the emergency services know your exact location so they can send help. Never cross the carriageway to use the telephone on the other side.