Page 5 of 7
Driving In Traffic
During the drive your testing officer will check that you do the following:
- Mirrors
- You must check either the internal mirror or external driver's mirror:
- Indicators
- You must signal for long enough to give sufficient warning to other drivers and pedestrians before turning and for at least 5 seconds if merging into traffic or changing lanes. For roundabouts, you must keep signaling whilst driving in the roundabout. You must cancel for signal immediately after turning or diverging.
- Lane Change
- Before merging into traffic or changing lanes, you must do a head check (by turning your head and looking through the appropriate side window to check for other road users in your blind spots). You must maintain reasonable progress and accept a safe gap in the traffic.
- Approach
- If slowing down or stopping, you must brake smoothly using brakes only, or brakes and gears.
- Position Stop
- You must stop the car within 2 meters of the stop line at a stop sign. You must not stop with the front wheels on or in front of the stop line. If there is no stop line, you must stop as close as practical to, but before the stop sign or intersection.
- Judgment
- At intersections you must slow down, look in the correct direction and react correctly to other vehicles and pedestrians.
- Turns
- When turning, you must drive in the correct lane or position on the road, and follow all the road markings and traffic lane arrows.
- Progress
- You must travel at a speed suitable for the conditions, but not above the speed limit.
- Position on Road
- The vehicle must travel entirely within the lane markings of the correct lane or in the correct line of traffic.
- Car Control
- You must control the vehicle correctly using steering, gears and clutch (if fitted), brakes, accelerator and handbrake.
- Safety Margin
- You must keep an acceptable safety margin (traveling distance) on the roads when following other vehicles.
- Low Speed Maneuvering
- This checks that you can control the car at low speed, including reverse. You should not turn the steering wheel while the car is stationary (dry steering). You will be asked to do one of the low speed maneuvers during your driving assessment:
