Belarus GAI Theory D common mistakes
Belarus GAI Theory D · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
At an unregulated crossroads with a signposted minor road, the candidate brakes for a bus pulling out of the minor road instead of continuing at a steady speed, treating the bus as if it had priority.
Habit from ordinary driving, where yielding to a large vehicle feels safer, overrides the rule that a bus on a secondary road must yield to traffic on the main road; the candidate also misreads the priority signs under time pressure.
What to do instead
Before each crossroads, name aloud which road you are on and which sign applies to the other vehicle, then decide whether to keep speed or slow. Practise a fixed drill: read the sign, identify the main road, confirm the other driver's obligation, only then adjust speed. This belongs to positioning, maneuvers, and right-of-way.
The candidate stops for a yellow signal at a signalised intersection even when the vehicle is already too close to stop smoothly, then rolls into the box or brakes abruptly.
Treating yellow as equivalent to red rather than as a prohibition on entering only when stopping is possible without harsh braking; anxiety about being marked wrong for crossing on yellow drives the overreaction.
What to do instead
Learn the decision rule: if you can stop comfortably before the line, stop; if not, continue through without changing speed. Rehearse it in a simulator or with an instructor calling out distances, and check the mirror before any decision so the vehicle behind is not surprised. This belongs to traffic signals and signalman directions.
When a signalman's arm position conflicts with the traffic light, the candidate follows the light and ignores the signalman.
Traffic lights are more familiar and visually dominant, and candidates forget that signalman directions take precedence over lights, signs, and markings.
What to do instead
Memorise the precedence order (signalman, then signals, then signs, then markings) and the standard arm and body positions. On test routes, deliberately look for a controller at staffed junctions and state their instruction before acting. This belongs to traffic signals and signalman directions.
The candidate stops or parks within the prohibited zone before a railway crossing, on a crossing approach, or on a bus stop marking, judging the spot clear because no vehicle is visible.
The candidate reads the road by what is physically present rather than by the marking and the stopping-distance rule, and underestimates how far back the prohibition extends.
What to do instead
Learn the fixed distances for stopping before crossings and the meaning of each yellow zigzag and stop line, then physically pace them out during practice so the zone is felt, not guessed. Before stopping anywhere, scan for markings and signs first, then choose the spot. This belongs to stopping, parking, and standing rules.
The candidate drives a category D bus at the general car speed limit on a road where a lower limit applies to buses, or fails to reduce speed for passengers standing in the aisle.
Speed limits are recalled as one number per road type, and the special limits for buses and for carrying standing passengers are not linked to the vehicle category in the candidate's memory.
What to do instead
Build a small table of limits by road type and by vehicle category, and revise it before each lesson. When driving the bus, state the applicable limit aloud on entering each new road section and check it against the passenger load. This belongs to category D specific requirements.
The candidate overtakes a slow truck on a two-lane road without checking that the lane ahead is clear far enough, or begins the overtake just before a crest or a pedestrian crossing.
The candidate judges the gap by the truck's speed alone and ignores closing speed and sight distance; overtaking also feels urgent when stuck behind a slow vehicle.
What to do instead
Apply a fixed checklist before overtaking: is it permitted here, is the lane ahead clear for the whole maneuver, can I see far enough, and can I complete it before the restriction. If any answer is no, hold back. Practise estimating closing speed on a straight road with an instructor. This belongs to speed, following distance, and overtaking rules.
The candidate follows a bus or truck at the same gap used behind a car, then cannot see the signals or the road ahead and reacts late when the larger vehicle brakes.
The gap is set by habit and by the vehicle directly ahead rather than by the sight line around it; candidates also forget the longer braking distance of a loaded bus they are driving.
What to do instead
Use the time-gap method: pick a roadside object, count seconds until you reach it, and keep at least the required gap, adding more when the vehicle ahead blocks the view or the road is wet. Sit slightly offset in the lane to see past the larger vehicle. This belongs to speed, following distance, and overtaking rules.
The candidate answers first-aid questions by choosing to move an injured motorcyclist out of the road, or by giving fluids to an unconscious casualty.
The instinct to clear the scene and to be helpful overrides the rules against moving casualties with suspected spinal injury and against oral intake for an unconscious person.
What to do instead
Learn a short priority sequence: protect the scene, call for help, check breathing, control bleeding, do not move the casualty unless there is immediate danger such as fire. Revise the specific prohibitions as a list and rehearse them in scenario questions. This belongs to vehicle technical condition, equipment, and first aid.
The candidate drives a bus with a known defect, such as a faulty door interlock or a warning lamp lit, assuming it is minor and the trip is short.
Commercial pressure and habit make drivers tolerate defects, and the candidate does not connect the defect to the prohibition on operating a vehicle that fails the technical requirements.
What to do instead
Memorise the short list of defects that absolutely prohibit operation, especially brake, steering, lighting, tyre, and door faults on a bus. Do a walk-around check before every trip and record it; if a prohibited defect is found, the vehicle stays put. This belongs to vehicle technical condition, equipment, and first aid.
After a minor collision, the candidate leaves the scene or moves the vehicles without first recording the position, then argues about fault at the roadside.
Panic and the wish to unblock traffic lead to moving vehicles before evidence is fixed; candidates also confuse the duty to stop and report with an optional courtesy.
What to do instead
Learn the statutory sequence: stop, switch on hazard lights and set the warning triangle, do not move vehicles until the position is recorded or unless removal is required, exchange details, and report when required. Practise the sequence as a script so it is automatic under stress. This belongs to liability for traffic offenses and administrative responsibility.