Always use your headlights, even on motorways that are lit. Use dipped beam where necessary, to avoid dazzling other drivers.

Generally, vehicles shouldn't park partially or fully on verges, footpaths or pavements. However, it's becoming more common for this to be allowed on some narrow streets. Special parking signs will show where it's allowed.

When you start to feel tired, it's vital to stop in a safe place as soon as you can. If there's no service area for several miles, leave the motorway at the next exit and find somewhere to rest. While finding somewhere to stop, keep the car well ventilated with fresh air. Don't stop on the hard shoulder to rest.

Hatch markings are painted at potentially dangerous areas to separate streams of traffic. For example, they can be seen at sharp bends and at junctions to protect traffic turning right.

If you feel drowsy while driving on a motorway, find a safe and legal place to park as soon as you can. This will mean either leaving the motorway at the next exit or pulling in at the next service area.

Seat belts should be worn at all times, unless you're carrying out a manoeuvre that involves reversing. The seat belt should be put back on when you've finished the manoeuvre.

Normally, you should travel in the left-hand lane and use the right-hand lane only for overtaking or turning right. Move back into the left-hand lane as soon as it's safe, but don't cut across the path of the vehicle you've just overtaken.

If your vehicle breaks down on a level crossing, your priority is to get everyone out of the vehicle and clear of the crossing. If there's a railway telephone, use it to tell the signal operator what's happened. If you have time before a train arrives, move the vehicle clear of the crossing, but don't attempt this if the crossing alarm sounds.

It's not easy to see cyclists and motorcyclists, due to their small size when compared with other vehicles. At junctions, it's important that you look for these small vehicles; they're easy to overlook and riders are very vulnerable to injury in a collision.

If you stop for pedestrians and they don't start to cross, be patient and don't wave them across or sound your horn. This could be dangerous if another vehicle is approaching and hasn't seen or heard your signal.

When approaching a contraflow system, slow down in good time and obey reduced speed limits. You may be travelling in a narrower lane than normal, with no permanent barrier between you and the oncoming traffic. Be aware that the hard shoulder may be used for traffic, and the road ahead could be obstructed by slow-moving or broken-down vehicles.

When there's reduced grip (for example, when there's wet mud, snow or ice on the road), drive in a high gear. The engine then drives the wheels with less torque than if you were using a low gear, and this reduces the likelihood of wheelspin.

If you're driving along a main road and find you need to turn around and drive in the opposite direction, you'll have to find a safe place to turn. Don't attempt to turn around on the main road but find a quiet side road. Choose a place where you won't obstruct an entrance or exit. Look out for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, as well as other traffic.

Make sure that you don't swing out into the centre of the road just before turning left. Stay in your normal driving position, so that other road users don't misunderstand your intentions.

If you see a bus ahead, watch out for pedestrians. They may not be able to see you if they're crossing behind the bus.

In icy conditions, it's very important that you take appropriate action in plenty of time. On slippery surfaces, harsh use of the accelerator, brakes or steering is likely to lead to skidding.

The thinking distance is the distance that the vehicle travels from the moment the driver realises there's a need to brake, until they actually begin to apply the brakes. This reaction time can increase if a driver is tired or unwell.

Before you move out to overtake, you must be sure that it's safe to complete the manoeuvre - and in order to be sure, you must be able to see far enough ahead. If anything is obstructing or restricting your view, you can't know whether the road ahead is clear and, therefore, you shouldn't overtake.

It's important to be seen as well as be able to see. In conditions of reduced daytime visibility, you should switch on your dipped headlights. This increases your visibility without the risk of dazzling approaching drivers.

When moving off from the side of the road, you shouldn't drive out into the path of an approaching vehicle, either behind or ahead. To make sure there's no vehicle in the blind area, drivers need to look around just before moving off.

Properly timed signals tell other road users what you intend to do. When you're turning right at a roundabout, signal left just after passing the exit before the one you wish to take. This helps drivers behind and also those waiting to join the roundabout.

Use the hard shoulder like an acceleration lane. Build up your speed and wait for a suitable gap before merging into the left-hand lane of the motorway.

An instructor needs to explain that taking effective observation means not only looking but assessing the situation and using sound judgement. These are skills that develop over time. To emerge safely, a learner driver may need a much larger gap in the traffic than an experienced driver.

As you approach a left-hand bend, control your speed so that you can deal with any hazard safely. Don't move out to the centre of the road to improve your view. This could put you too close to oncoming traffic. A vehicle coming the other way might be positioned on the crown of the road.

Large goods vehicles are fitted with speed limiters. This means it can take them a long time to overtake if the vehicle they're passing is travelling close to their limited speed. If a lorry is struggling to overtake you, slow down to let it pass. This helps the lorry driver and also other drivers following behind who want to travel faster.

If you're waiting at a junction and a vehicle is approaching from your right, signalling to turn left into your road, wait until you're sure it's turning before emerging. It may be that the driver intends to stop on the left beyond your road, or they may have forgotten to cancel the signal from a previous manoeuvre.

If your view of the road ahead is restricted because you're being dazzled by approaching headlights, slow down and, if you need to, stop.

On occasions, other road users may make a mistake or lack judgement. When this happens, try not to let it annoy you. Don't react by showing anger, sounding your horn, flashing your headlights or shouting. A safe driver remains calm and makes allowances for others.

Cyclists approaching a roundabout in the left-hand lane may be turning right, but may not have been able to get into the correct lane due to heavy traffic. They may feel safer by keeping to the left all the way around the roundabout. Give them plenty of room and be prepared for them to take a different course to other traffic.

There are marker posts at 100 metre intervals along the hard shoulder of a motorway. The markers direct you to the nearest emergency telephone, so follow them if you've broken down.

Traffic-calming measures are used to make the roads safer for vulnerable road users, such as cyclists, pedestrians and children. They can be designed as chicanes, road humps or other obstacles that encourage drivers and riders to slow down.

You should keep to the left and only use the centre or right-hand lanes if you're passing slower-moving traffic.

Wet weather will affect the time it takes for you to stop. If another vehicle pulls into the gap you've left, ease back until you've regained the stopping distance that's appropriate for the conditions.

Large vehicles can hide other vehicles that are overtaking, especially motorcycles. You need to be aware of the possibility of hidden vehicles and not assume that it's safe to emerge.

Horse riders often keep to the outside of the roundabout even if they're turning right. Give them plenty of room and remember that they may have to cross lanes of traffic.

hen a vehicle is travelling slowly, the driver or rider is probably looking for a turning or entrance. Be patient and stay behind them. They're quite likely to change direction or stop, suddenly and without signalling.

Signals should be cancelled soon after use. If a driver is unsure of the location of a junction or destination, they may signal earlier than normal while looking for their turn. Don't attempt to overtake, as they may turn suddenly.

At a crossroads where there are no 'give way' signs or road markings, no-one has priority, even if the roads are of different sizes. Approach slowly and only cross when the junction is clear.

If you wish to overtake a long vehicle, stay well back so that you can see the road ahead. Don't
-get too close to the vehicle, as this will restrict your view of the road ahead
-get impatient; overtaking on a busy road calls for sound judgement
-take a gamble; only overtake when you can see that you can safely complete the manoeuvre.

You may be difficult to see when you're travelling at night, even on a well-lit road. If you use dipped headlights rather than sidelights, other road users will see you more easily.

While the car is in motion, hazard warning lights are only allowed to be used if you're travelling on a motorway or unrestricted dual carriageway and you want to warn traffic behind of a hazard ahead. Only use them for a short period of time - just long enough to ensure that your warning has been seen.

The cockpit drill is a logical sequence of safety checks. New drivers should be trained to go through them methodically and in sequence every time they get into a vehicle. Briefly, these checks are
- doors closed
- parking brake set
- driver's seat position
- head restraint adjusted
- mirrors adjusted
- seat belts fastened
- gear lever in neutral (check parking brake again)
- fuel.

Head restraints are provided to protect against neck and spine injuries, commonly referred to as 'whiplash'. They should be correctly adjusted before the start of every journey. An incorrectly adjusted head restraint will offer reduced protection.

To reduce the risk of wheelspin when moving off on a slippery surface, use a higher gear than normal. This will reduce the amount of torque transmitted to the driven wheels. Gentle use of the accelerator will also make it easier for the tyres to keep their grip.

When driving through shallow flood water or fords, drive through slowly, in a low gear, while keeping the engine speed high by slipping the clutch; this should prevent water from entering the exhaust system. Check for traffic behind you and, if it's safe to do so, try your brakes as soon as you're clear of the water. Don't attempt to drive through deep or fast-flowing flood water.

Try not to panic if a tyre bursts while you're driving. Take your foot off the accelerator and avoid braking suddenly. Try to steer a straight course while holding the wheel firmly.

If your tyres show uneven or excessive wear, have the alignment checked. This is often called tracking, and it can be carried out by most garages or tyre-fitting businesses.

Where it's necessary to temporarily close a motorway or other main road, signs will be displayed advising drivers to follow a particular symbol in order to rejoin their route. These symbols are often permanently displayed on direction signs.

Hatch markings are used to separate traffic and to protect traffic turning right. Where the boundary line is broken, you may enter the area only if necessary and provided you can see that it's safe. A continuous white line defining the hatched area means that you mustn't enter, except in an emergency. All other rules of the road apply as normal.

Many modern cars have cruise control fitted; it automatically maintains a steady speed set by the driver. Setting the cruise control when you can see the road well ahead is clear can help keep fuel consumption down and reduce vehicle emissions.

Most bus lanes may also be used by cyclists. The bus-lane sign will show its times of operation (where time limits apply) and any other vehicles that may also use the bus lane.

In a crash, the occupants of a vehicle can be thrown violently forward and then back again. The head restraint should be adjusted so that it gives maximum protection to the neck as the occupant is thrown backwards.

The 'max speed' plate advises the maximum safe speed for negotiating the hazard shown on the warning sign. Drivers should slow down, as the hazard can be deceiving; for example, a bend may be much sharper than it initially appears.

Category: Band 2 traffic signs and signals

A continuous white line is often seen along the edge of the road. Its purpose is to mark the edge of the carriageway. This can be helpful in conditions of poor visibility, such as when it's foggy or at night.

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.

At a puffin crossing, an electronic device will keep the red light showing until it detects that the pedestrians have reached a safe position. Don't proceed until the green light shows - and then, only if it's safe to do so.

A driver flashing their headlights has the same meaning as sounding the horn - it's a warning of their presence.

Selecting a low gear will help the engine's resistance, known as engine braking, to control your vehicle's speed. This is especially useful when travelling downhill.

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.

Check the vehicle handbook: this should give you guidance on the correct tyre pressures for your vehicle. There may be recommendations to increase the tyre pressure when carrying heavy loads or when travelling continuously at higher speeds, such as when using a motorway.

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.

Selecting a low gear when travelling downhill will help you to control your speed. The engine will assist the brakes and help prevent your vehicle from gathering speed.

If your tyres don't have enough air in them, they'll drag against the surface of the road. This makes the steering feel heavy. As well as affecting steering, under-inflated tyres can affect braking, cornering and fuel consumption.

Most pedestrian crossings are for pedestrians only, but the toucan crossing has been designed to be shared by both pedestrians and cyclists. You can expect to find a toucan crossing where a cycle route and a footpath cross a road at the same point.

These signs are directed at tram drivers. By knowing what they mean, you'll be able to anticipate the actions of the driver.

A spongy footbrake normally indicates that air has entered the hydraulic system. This may be caused by allowing the fluid level to fall too far, a fluid leak, or moisture ingress. If the brakes feel spongy or slack, have them checked by a qualified mechanic. Test your brakes before the start of every journey. Check the brake fluid regularly but don't overfill it.

Over-inflated tyres will cause excessive wear along the centre of the tread. Check your tyre pressures on a regular basis, and when the tyres are cold.

The colours of the reflective studs on the motorway, and their locations, are
- red - between the hard shoulder and the carriageway
- white - between the lanes
- amber - between the edge of the
carriageway and the central reservation
- green - along slip-road exits and entrances bright green/yellow - at roadworks and contraflow systems.

You may be difficult to see when you're travelling at night, even on a well-lit road. If you use dipped headlights rather than sidelights, other road users will see you more easily.

You must obey signals given by police officers, traffic officers, traffic wardens and signs used by school crossing patrols. When a police officer signals to you to stop, you should stop safely on the left and switch off your engine.

Before giving any signal, you need to use your mirrors to check what's behind and consider how other drivers may be affected by your signal. Sometimes a signal may not be necessary or you may feel it safer to give a signal earlier or later than normal.

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.

Diamond-shaped signs apply to tram drivers. You should know their meaning so that you're aware of the priorities and are able to anticipate the actions of the driver.

Puffin crossings have infra-red sensors that detect when pedestrians are crossing and hold the red traffic signal until the crossing is clear. The use of a sensor means there's no flashing amber phase, as there is with a pelican crossing; the lights follow the same sequence as traffic lights.

If you want to turn left and there's a cyclist in front of you, hold back. Wait until the cyclist has passed the junction and then turn left behind them.

If you want to turn left and there's a cyclist in front of you, hold back. Wait until the cyclist has passed the junction and then turn left behind them.

There's an eyesight test for the Register of Approved Driving Instructors. The requirement is that an instructor must be able to read a number plate with letters and figures 79 mm high and 50 mm wide at a minimum distance of 26.5 metres (87 feet). This is a greater distance than the minimum legal requirement for car drivers.

It must be appreciated that the examiner's decision can't be changed. However, if the candidate believes that the test wasn't conducted properly, they have the right to appeal to the Magistrates' Court in England and Wales or the Sheriff's Court in Scotland.

When parking at night, park in the direction of the traffic flow. This will enable other road users to see the reflectors on the rear of your vehicle. You must also use parking lights where the speed limit is more than 30 mph.

To park at night without lights, you must comply with certain conditions. The road must be subject to a 30 mph speed limit, or less. Parking too close to a junction or facing the flow of traffic could confuse and cause danger for other road users.

It's advisable to use headlights when visibility is poor, but they must be used when visibility is seriously reduced. This is generally when you can't see more than 100 metres (328 feet). Front and rear fog lights may also be used, but you must switch them off again when visibility improves.

If you're involved 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.

Some vehicles are prohibited from using the motorway. These include motorcycles under 50 cc, cyclists, horse riders, agricultural vehicles and powered wheelchairs/mobility scooters.

If you're involved in a collision that causes damage or injury to any other person, vehicle, animal or property, you must stop and exchange details with anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them. If you don't give your details at the time, report the incident to the police as soon as is reasonably practicable and in any case within 24 hours.

If you aren't sure of the speed limit, a good indication is the presence of street lights. If there's street lighting, the speed limit will usually be 30 mph unless otherwise indicated.

A pedestrian who's carrying a white cane with a red band or bands is both blind and deaf. This makes them very vulnerable, since they can neither see nor hear you approaching.

The details on your motor insurance certificate show who, when and what's insured. You'll have to produce the certificate if you've been involved in an incident and when requested by the police.

When parking on a road at night, all vehicles must display parking lights when the road has a speed limit greater than 30 mph.

Only use your fog lights when visibility is seriously reduced. Use dipped headlights at other times when visibility is poor. Your headlights and tail lights help others on the road to see you. It may be necessary to turn them on during the day if visibility is reduced; for example, due to heavy rain.

If your vehicle requires an MOT certificate, it's illegal to drive it without one. As well as being illegal, the vehicle may be unsafe for use on the road and your insurance may be invalid.

A person who's colour-blind will have to take exactly the same practical driving test as any other candidate. No restriction will be placed on their driving licence when they pass their test.

High-intensity rear fog lights are far brighter than normal rear lights. When visibility is reduced to 100 metres (328 feet) or less, they should be used to help drivers behind to see your vehicle. When visibility improves, these high-intensity lights should be switched off to avoid dazzling drivers behind.

Your safety and that of others may depend on the condition of your tyres. You must check that they're correctly inflated and have sufficient tread depth. The legal minimum tread depth for cars is 1.6 mm. This depth should be across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tyre and around the entire circumference.

For the purposes of driving a motor car, deafness isn't classed as a disability. Having passed their test, deaf drivers won't have their licence restricted.

A 16 year old may drive a car if they're in receipt of the enhanced rate of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment. However, if the enhanced rate is withdrawn, the normal minimum age for driving a car (17 years old) will then apply.

A category B driving entitlement is normally valid until a person's 70th birthday. The new photocard licence needs to be updated every 10 years; this is to keep the photograph up to date.

Red rear reflectors show up when headlights shine on them. These are useful when you're parked at night but will only reflect if you park in the same direction as the traffic flow. Normally you should park on the left, but if you're in a one-way street you may also park on the right-hand side.

A 60 mph speed limit applies to a vehicle towing a trailer on a motorway; such a vehicle is also not allowed in the right-hand lane of a motorway that has more than two lanes.

If you want to turn left and there's a cyclist in front of you, hold back. Wait until the cyclist has passed the junction and then turn left behind them.

Giving the pupil a chance to reflect on their own performance helps them to consolidate their learning and to raise any issues that are concerning them. It gives the instructor a clearer insight into what the pupil is thinking and provides a good foundation for agreeing what to do in the next lesson.

The closer a driver gets to the vehicle in front, the less they can see of the road ahead. The safety aspects of keeping well back to gain a better view need to be emphasised and practised. It takes a long time to overtake a long vehicle and a good view of the road ahead is necessary to see that there's enough room to overtake safely.

It's important that driving faults and errors are dealt with promptly. Learning will also be more effective if the pupil can spot their own errors and come up with their own strategies for ensuring the errors don't happen again. If the pupil doesn't recognise the fault, you'll need to tell them. Even then, the pupil can still work on developing strategies themselves.

If the number of points on a new driver's licence (including any points gained as a learner) reaches six or more within two years of passing their first practical driving test, their licence will be revoked. To regain a full driving licence, both the theory and practical tests will have to be retaken.

At the correct stage in a pupil's development, it's beneficial to practise steering the vehicle with one hand. They should then find it easier to change gear, operate another control or give arm signals as and when appropriate. Any tendency to drive with one hand without good reason should be strongly discouraged.

If you need to use the dual controls, you must make sure the pupil understands why you've done so. If you need to use the dual controls often, it suggests that you've overestimated your pupil's ability and are asking too much of them. If you don't recognise this, your pupil may lose confidence and the trust between you may begin to break down.

Once identified, driving faults should be addressed at the earliest opportunity. A fault should be looked upon as a chance to teach the point and to encourage a change for the better in the pupil's driving.

In client-centred learning, there should be lots of opportunities for you to observe how your pupil's learning is going. You should provide frequent feedback on their progress, based on these observations, and talk to your pupil about how they view their progress. Then you can adjust the lesson content to meet your pupil's learning needs.