An anti-lock braking system (ABS) prevents the wheels from locking, so you can continue to steer the vehicle during heavy braking. ABS doesn't replace the need to plan well ahead and brake smoothly and progressively.

In a left-hand-drive vehicle, use of the mirrors and awareness of blind areas is very important. Being seated on the car's left makes the blind area on your right more difficult to overcome. For example, when joining a dual carriageway or motorway from a slip road, traffic on the carriageway will be approaching in the blind area on your right and could easily be overlooked.

If you operate the brakes when air is in the hydraulic system, they'll have a spongy feel and braking efficiency will be reduced. This is because the air in the system is being compressed as you brake; hydraulic brake fluid alone can't be compressed. If you notice there's a fault with your brakes, have them checked as soon as possible. Don't drive with faulty brakes.

Ring roads are designed to keep traffic away from town centres. Unless you need to visit the town centre, you should use the ring road, as this will help to avoid congestion and reduce your journey time.

Road humps are there to reduce the speed of traffic. Don't accelerate between them, as their purpose is to slow traffic along the whole street. This is to protect vulnerable road users in the area.

You mustn't park in spaces designated or marked for specific users, such as registered disabled drivers (whose vehicle will display a blue disabled badge), or in places reserved for local residents.

If you drive at speed in very wet conditions, your steering may suddenly feel lighter than usual. This means that the tyres have lifted off the surface of the road and are skating on the surface of the water. This is known as aquaplaning. Reduce speed by easing off the accelerator, but don't brake until your steering feels normal again.

If your car is fitted with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), this will activate when you brake so hard that the tyres start to lose their grip on the road surface. At this point, the wheels would normally lock up and a skid would start. The ABS senses the wheel locking and releases the brake pressure just enough to avoid the skid. It then cycles through applying and releasing the brake pressure many times per second. This ensures maximum braking for the available grip is constantly applied without the wheels locking.

Spilled fuel wastes money, damages the environment and makes the road surface slippery. This can be particularly dangerous for motorcyclists. Ensuring that you replace the fuel filler cap securely will prevent fuel spilling from your vehicle's fuel tank.

A flashing amber light is shown at pelican crossings, but not at puffin crossings. Puffin crossings are controlled electronically and detect when pedestrians are on the crossing. The red light will remain showing to drivers until the system detects that the crossing is clear. The sequence of lights is then the same as for normal traffic lights.

The flashing amber light allows time for pedestrians to finish crossing. If the crossing is clear and it's safe, you may drive on before the green light shows.

Most motorway signs have a blue background with white lettering, numbers and borders. These signs not only confirm motorway status but are designed to give clear information to drivers travelling at motorway speeds.

Some junctions only have 'give way' lines. This is usually where there's relatively little traffic. 'Give way' signs, and/or road markings, show you that traffic on the road you want to enter has priority.

A red cross with flashing red lights above your lane shows that your lane is closed. You should move into another lane as soon as you can do so safely. If the signal shows above all lanes, you must stop and not go beyond the signal.

Use hazard warning lights when your vehicle is stationary, to warn that it's temporarily obstructing traffic. Never use them to excuse dangerous or illegal parking. You may also use hazard warning lights while you're driving on a motorway or unrestricted dual carriageway if you need to warn traffic behind of a hazard ahead.

A convex mirror gives a wide view of the scene behind. However, it won't show you everything behind, or to the side of, your vehicle. Before you move off, look over your shoulder to check for anything that's not visible in the mirrors.

On a single carriageway road, the national speed limit will apply, unless signs indicate otherwise. For a car, the limit is 60 mph unless the car is towing a trailer - in which case the limit is reduced to 50 mph.

Look at each sign that you pass on the road, so that you don't miss any warnings, orders or information. The shape of the sign will tell you its purpose: triangular signs warn, circles give orders and rectangles inform.

There are some crossings where cycle routes lead cyclists to cross at the same place as pedestrians. These are called toucan crossings. Always look out for cyclists, as they're likely to be approaching faster than pedestrians.