Overtaking on the approach to a junction is fraught with danger and shouldn't be attempted. Particular guidance needs to be given about the unusual course a large goods vehicle may need to take in order to negotiate the junction safely.

Officially, the flashing of headlights has the same meaning as sounding the horn - a warning of the presence of a vehicle. However, drivers sometimes flash their headlights for other reasons. Make sure you know what's meant by the signal before acting on it.

When booking a driving-test appointment, it's important to declare if the candidate is deaf. This will ensure that appropriate arrangements are made for the test.

At junctions where the view is restricted, you need to make sure your pupil has time to assess the situation. Teach them to approach slowly and get a good look at the traffic situation before making a decision.

If you're feeling upset or angry, your concentration and judgement will be affected; this will increase your risk of an incident while driving. You should therefore wait until you've calmed down before you start driving.

If you're taking medication that's likely to affect your driving, don't drive. You mustn't put other road users, your passengers or yourself at risk.

If you're involved in a collision, a correctly adjusted head restraint will reduce the risk of neck and back injury. It may not be effective if it's not properly adjusted.

The decisions we make when driving are shaped by our attitude, norms and motivation. But we're not always aware of these. Open questions can be used to explore these issues without making the pupil defensive. You can then work with the pupil to address any unhelpful attitudes.

While a driving instructor should have a prepared plan for each lesson, there needs to be flexibility in how it's delivered. If one teaching method isn't successful, then other methods need to be tried to find one that works for the pupil.

Any medical condition that would affect your driving must be reported to the DVLA Drivers Medical Group or, in Northern Ireland, the DVA Drivers Medical Section. If you have any condition or you have to take any medication that you think might affect your driving, it's worth checking the information available on www.gov.uk

Sometimes another road user will use a signal whose meaning is open to interpretation. When this happens, learner drivers should make sure they understand what the other driver intends before taking any action.

Learning isn't always a continuous upward process. Sometimes pupils simply need time to consolidate learning before moving on. On other occasions there may be something blocking progress. You should work with the learner to understand what's happening and decide how to proceed.

Detailed instruction should decrease as the pupil's ability increases. An instructor shouldn't be controlling the pupil all of the time. This takes the initiative away from the pupil and could be considered over-instruction.

When teaching a pupil how to move off on a downhill gradient for the first time, the instructor will have to tell them which gear to use. However, as the pupil's skill develops, they should be encouraged to think for themselves and to make decisions based on their knowledge and experience.

If your usual techniques or methods don't appear to be working, you should discuss the matter with your pupil, and explore alternative ways of getting the point across.