Driving Test Revision: Points to remember
Speed limits in braces thus: {30}
Road signs/markings in square brackets thus: [Give Way]
Merging
- Match your speed to the traffic you are joining; be next to the gap you want to move into; mirrors and signal in good time, move over safely
- If there is no gap, match your speed and signal: wait to see IF someone will let you in
- If you can't get in, you'll have to change your route for safety's sake
Examples:
- Joining Queensway (EP)
- changing lanes in Town Centre or anywhere else
- overtaking on Queensway
Danger!
- If you get in the wrong lane, don't panic, don't swerve across lanes
- If possible, make a safe, planned lane change
- If you can't, live with your mistake and go where the lane you are in goes
System of Car Control:
- Mirrors (always 2)
- Signal
- Correct position
- Correct speed
- Correct gear
- Is is safe? Look, decide.
- Act (on the gas and go; or, change your plan, change your gear)
Turning left
- Usually 2nd gear (1st if you need to)
- Is it safe? Look up the road, in the road, in your left mirror (for Boy on Bike)
- Follow the kerb
Turning right
- Plan A: usually 2nd gear; Plan B : slower, 1st gear, turn behind oncoming vehicle(s); Plan C: stop, wait, turn behind oncoming vehicles
- Is it safe? Look up the road, in the road, in your right mirror (for overtaking idiot)
- Turn (or stop) when the front of your car reaches the centre line of the new road)
- If there is a central reserved lane, change lanes (all four wheels in the middle lane and parallel to the kerb), make your turn from there
- If there are islands and bollards at the end of the new road, look for a [Keep Left] sign on a bollard and turn just after it
Emerging from a side road
- Usually 1st gear (unless you can see that an open junction is clear)
- Is it safe? Look right - left - right and keep looking
- Be ready to stop, but don't stop if not necessary. Coast in 1st or use clutch control if the exit is blind
Roundabouts
- Use the System of Car Control approaching and again leaving the roundabout
Approaching
- Left first exit: signal left, use left lane
- Left second (or other) exit and Ahead: no signal on approach, use left lane (unless road markings direct otherwise)
- Right any exit: signal right, use right lane on approach
Leaving
- First exit: keep signal on, stay in lane
- Other exits:
- count the exits, stay in lane
- One exit before leaving: mirrors, signal left, change to left lane (if necessary)
Multi-lane roundabouts, roundabouts with traffic lights and gyratory systems
- Keep all your wheels in your lane until you make a planned, safe lane change
- Mirrors, signal, manoeuvre when you do change lane
- Plan your route ahead and get into the correct lane in good time
- If you get in the wrong lane, get back safely if you can; if not, go where the lane takes you. Safety is more important than sticking to your planned route.
- If there are traffic lights, treat each set of lights as a separate junction
- Keep well back and look for lane markings
Traffic lights
- Decide your Course in good time (NB: - on test, it's ahead unless you are told otherwise)
- On the approach always look for markings to indicate which lane you should use
- You must stop for Amber if you can do so safely.
- You must stop behind the line (the first line, if there is a forward bicycle line)
- Exception: - if the lights change and you cannot stop behind the first line, you must stop behind the second line if you can.
- You may go through a Red in the direction indicated by a Green-Arrow
- Turning right:
- at Green, give way to oncoming traffic;
- but a Green-Arrow indicates that oncoming traffic must stop. Still, beware red-light jumpers!
Problem lights:
- The pedestrian crossing in Haybridge Road (by TeCAT), with a [Give Way] behind it
- Turning Right from Mill Bank to Holyhead Road at The Cock
Speed limits
Keep a lookout for changes, especially:
- turning into a side road
- before emerging into a major road
- before and after roundabouts
Remember that
- street lights, no signs means {30}
- no street lights, no signs means national speed limit ({60} on ordinary roads)
- But beware Hortonwood where {40} signs are missing but {30} signs are clear
Problem speed limits
- Oakengates gyratory system and town centre - {20}
- Telford Town Centre and roads approaching it - {30}
- Holyhead Road ("the old A5") all the way from Priorslee to past Wellington - {30}
- Summerfield Road from Trench Lock towards Oakengates - {30}
- Downhills where it's easy to drift over, eg:
- Mossey Green Way, toward the Peugeot garage - {40}
- Waterloo Road, past Hadley Learning Centre - {30}
- Holyhead Road, past Ketley School (and the speed camera!) - {30}
- Steep hills where you need firm acceleration in lower gears to achieve a reasonable speed in a reasonable time, eg:
- Red Hill (Asda Donnington towards Priorslee) - {60}
- up Queensway from Wombridge Interchange towards Greyhound Island - {60}
One Way Streets
- You can use either lane. Don't change lane unless it is necessary.
- You can pass either side: expect overtaking traffic on your left
- especially at Town Centre, where other traffic will be speeding (and you will not, will you?)
- Turning right, you must be in the right hand lane. Examples of right turns at the end of one-way streets:
- Pool Meadow (Hadley)
- Queen Street (Wellington)
- Plough Road (Wellington)
- Ladycroft (Wellington)
- Don't turn into one from the wrong end by mistake
- eg down Rock Road into Overdale
Contact Richard online here
Phone: 0845 226 0025 - I guarantee your call will be answered!
Text: 07973 870 831
Address: 23 Meadowlea, Madeley, Telford TF7 5BE
Help Index
Home
System of Car Control:
- Mirrors (always 2)
- Signal
- Correct position
- Correct speed
- Correct gear
- Is is safe? Look, decide.
- Act (on the gas and go; or, change your plan, change your gear)
Turning left
- Usually 2nd gear (1st if you need to)
- Is it safe? Look up the road, in the road, in your left mirror (for Boy on Bike)
- Follow the kerb
Turning right
- Plan A: usually 2nd gear; Plan B : slower, 1st gear, turn behind oncoming vehicle(s); Plan C: stop, wait, turn behind oncoming vehicles
- Is it safe? Look up the road, in the road, in your right mirror (for overtaking idiot)
- Turn (or stop) when the front of your car reaches the centre line of the new road)
- If there is a central reserved lane, change lanes (all four wheels in the middle lane and parallel to the kerb), make your turn from there
- If there are islands and bollards at the end of the new road, look for a [Keep Left] sign on a bollard and turn just after it
Emerging from a side road
- Usually 1st gear (unless you can see that an open junction is clear)
- Is it safe? Look right - left - right and keep looking
- Be ready to stop, but don't stop if not necessary. Coast in 1st or use clutch control if the exit is blind
Roundabouts
- Use the System of Car Control approaching and again leaving the roundabout
Approaching
- Left first exit: signal left, use left lane
- Left second (or other) exit and Ahead: no signal on approach, use left lane (unless road markings direct otherwise)
- Right any exit: signal right, use right lane on approach
Leaving
- First exit: keep signal on, stay in lane
- Other exits:
- count the exits, stay in lane
- One exit before leaving: mirrors, signal left, change to left lane (if necessary)
Multi-lane roundabouts, roundabouts with traffic lights and gyratory systems
- Keep all your wheels in your lane until you make a planned, safe lane change
- Mirrors, signal, manoeuvre when you do change lane
- Plan your route ahead and get into the correct lane in good time
- If you get in the wrong lane, get back safely if you can; if not, go where the lane takes you. Safety is more important than sticking to your planned route.
- If there are traffic lights, treat each set of lights as a separate junction
- Keep well back and look for lane markings
Traffic lights
- Decide your Course in good time (NB: - on test, it's ahead unless you are told otherwise)
- On the approach always look for markings to indicate which lane you should use
- You must stop for Amber if you can do so safely.
- You must stop behind the line (the first line, if there is a forward bicycle line)
- Exception: - if the lights change and you cannot stop behind the first line, you must stop behind the second line if you can.
- You may go through a Red in the direction indicated by a Green-Arrow
- Turning right:
- at Green, give way to oncoming traffic;
- but a Green-Arrow indicates that oncoming traffic must stop. Still, beware red-light jumpers!
Problem lights:
- The pedestrian crossing in Haybridge Road (by TeCAT), with a [Give Way] behind it
- Turning Right from Mill Bank to Holyhead Road at The Cock
Speed limits
Keep a lookout for changes, especially:
- turning into a side road
- before emerging into a major road
- before and after roundabouts
Remember that
- street lights, no signs means {30}
- no street lights, no signs means national speed limit ({60} on ordinary roads)
- But beware Hortonwood where {40} signs are missing but {30} signs are clear
Problem speed limits
- Oakengates gyratory system and town centre - {20}
- Telford Town Centre and roads approaching it - {30}
- Holyhead Road ("the old A5") all the way from Priorslee to past Wellington - {30}
- Summerfield Road from Trench Lock towards Oakengates - {30}
- Downhills where it's easy to drift over, eg:
- Mossey Green Way, toward the Peugeot garage - {40}
- Waterloo Road, past Hadley Learning Centre - {30}
- Holyhead Road, past Ketley School (and the speed camera!) - {30}
- Steep hills where you need firm acceleration in lower gears to achieve a reasonable speed in a reasonable time, eg:
- Red Hill (Asda Donnington towards Priorslee) - {60}
- up Queensway from Wombridge Interchange towards Greyhound Island - {60}
One Way Streets
- You can use either lane. Don't change lane unless it is necessary.
- You can pass either side: expect overtaking traffic on your left
- especially at Town Centre, where other traffic will be speeding (and you will not, will you?)
- Turning right, you must be in the right hand lane. Examples of right turns at the end of one-way streets:
- Pool Meadow (Hadley)
- Queen Street (Wellington)
- Plough Road (Wellington)
- Ladycroft (Wellington)
- Don't turn into one from the wrong end by mistake
- eg down Rock Road into Overdale