Safe and Civilised Driving Practices
This domain is the one most often answered by instinct instead of by rule, which is exactly why marks are lost. The exam wants the specific number or the specific action, not the option that merely sounds cautious.
Following distance and speed
- Expressway: above 100 km/h keep at least 100 m; at or below 100 km/h at least 50 m.
- 30 km/h is the ceiling near schools, at sharp bends and steep descents, and when towing a broken-down vehicle.
- Fog on the expressway: visibility under 200 m - 60 km/h and a 100 m gap; under 100 m - 40 km/h and 50 m; under 50 m - 20 km/h and leave at the nearest exit.
Overtaking and giving way
- Overtake on the left. Do not overtake at junctions, pedestrian crossings, tunnels, bends, narrow bridges or railway crossings, nor when the vehicle ahead is turning left or is itself overtaking.
- At an unsignalised junction: turning yields to straight, right turn yields to left turn, minor road yields to major road.
- On a narrow slope the uphill vehicle goes first, unless the downhill vehicle is already halfway down. On a narrow mountain road the vehicle not against the rock face goes first.
- At a pedestrian crossing, slow down and stop for anyone crossing.
Night weather and fatigue
- Dip to low beam 150 m before oncoming traffic; never use high beam on well-lit city streets; flash between high and low beam to warn before overtaking.
- Rain, snow and ice: longer gaps, gentle steering and gentle braking; after fording water, brake lightly to dry the discs.
- No more than 4 hours' continuous driving without a stop of at least 20 minutes.
- Civilised driving: no hand-held phone, no litter thrown out, no horn in a no-horn zone, no driving along the hard shoulder.
Worked example
On an expressway in fog with visibility of about 80 m, you must slow to 40 km/h, keep more than 50 m from the car ahead, switch on fog lamps, position lamps and hazard lights, and take the next exit. Continuing with high beam cuts visibility further, and stopping in a live lane is an offence.
Traps
- High beam in fog or on lit city roads.
- Overtaking on the right on a multi-lane road.
- Assuming the wider road always has priority at an unmarked junction.