MB Class 5 Learner cheat sheet

Sign shape carries meaning: octagon = stop, inverted triangle = yield, pennant = no passing zone, diamond = warning, pentagon = school zone or school crossing, round = railroad advance warning, rectangle = regulatory or guide information.

Sign colour carries meaning: red = stop, yield or prohibition; yellow = warning; fluorescent yellow-green = school, pedestrian or bicycle warning; orange = construction and maintenance; white = regulatory; green = guide and direction; blue = services and disabled parking; brown = recreation and points of interest.

A flashing red signal is treated exactly as a stop sign: full stop, yield to cross traffic and pedestrians, then proceed when safe. A flashing yellow signal means slow down and proceed with caution; no stop is required unless traffic or a hazard demands it.

A steady yellow light means the signal is about to turn red; stop if you can do so safely, otherwise clear the intersection. A green arrow is a protected movement; a green circle permits the movement only after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

Solid yellow centre lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions and prohibit passing on the side of the solid line; broken yellow lines permit passing when safe. Two solid yellow lines prohibit passing in both directions.

Solid white lines mark the right edge of the roadway or separate lanes travelling the same direction; crossing a solid white line is discouraged, and a double solid white line must not be crossed. Broken white lines separate same-direction lanes and may be crossed to change lanes.

Pavement markings: a crosswalk may be marked by two parallel white lines or by wide transverse bars; a stop line is a solid white bar across your lane; a yield line is a row of white triangles pointing toward approaching traffic.

Railroad crossings: a round yellow advance warning sign, white X-shaped crossbuck and pavement markings signal the approach. Flashing red lights and lowered gates require a full stop; never drive around a lowered gate.

At an uncontrolled intersection, the vehicle that arrives first has the right-of-way; if two vehicles arrive at the same time, the vehicle on the left yields to the vehicle on the right.

A vehicle turning left must yield to oncoming traffic going straight or turning right, and to pedestrians in the crosswalk. A vehicle turning right must yield to pedestrians and cyclists continuing straight.

At a four-way stop, vehicles proceed in the order they arrived and came to a complete stop; simultaneous arrivals are resolved by yielding to the vehicle on the right.

When entering a roadway from a driveway, parking lot, alley or private road, you must yield to all traffic already on the roadway and to pedestrians on the sidewalk.

Emergency vehicles approaching with lights and siren have the right-of-way: pull to the right edge of the roadway and stop until the vehicle passes, and never stop in an intersection.

Passing is prohibited on a hill crest, on a curve, at a railway crossing, at an intersection, and anywhere a solid line or no-passing sign applies.

Following distance: use the three-second rule in good conditions, and increase to four or more seconds at night, in rain, on gravel, or behind large vehicles that block your view.

Speed limits are maximums for ideal conditions; reduce speed for rain, fog, snow, darkness, curves and heavy traffic. Posted limits in residential and school zones are strictly enforced when children are present.

The three-second following rule: watch the rear of the vehicle ahead pass a fixed object, then count three seconds before your own front bumper reaches it; less than three seconds means you are too close.

Stopping distance equals perception distance plus reaction distance plus braking distance; total distance rises with the square of speed, so doubling speed roughly quadruples braking distance.

Scan 12 to 15 seconds ahead of your vehicle in city driving and further on highways to identify hazards early; check mirrors every 5 to 8 seconds and before any lane change or braking.

Before reversing, walk around the vehicle to check for children, pets and obstacles; back slowly and turn your head to look through the rear window rather than relying only on mirrors or cameras.

Hydroplaning occurs when tyres ride on a film of water; ease off the accelerator, avoid hard braking and steer straight until traction returns.

Fatigue impairs judgement and reaction time comparably to alcohol; symptoms include yawning, drifting, heavy eyelids and missed signs. The countermeasure is to stop and rest, not to open a window or turn up the radio.

In fog, use low-beam headlights; high beams reflect off the moisture and reduce visibility. Slow down and increase following distance rather than relying on hazard lights while moving.

Skids: ease off the accelerator, look and steer where you want to go, and avoid hard braking. If the rear wheels skid, steer in the direction of the skid to regain control.

A vehicle's blind spots are largest behind and to the sides; shoulder-check before every lane change because mirrors do not cover the area beside the rear quarter panel.

Pedestrians in a marked or unmarked crosswalk have the right-of-way; a driver must yield and must not pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian.

Cyclists are vehicles with the same road rights and duties as cars; leave at least one metre of clearance when passing a cyclist where speed limits are low, and more at higher speeds.

When passing a cyclist, wait until oncoming traffic is clear and you can give full clearance; do not squeeze past when the lane is too narrow, and check your right mirror before turning right across a bike lane.

Motorcyclists are entitled to a full lane; never share a lane with a motorcycle, and check mirrors and blind spots twice before changing lanes because a motorcycle's narrow profile makes speed and distance hard to judge.

Large trucks and buses have wide right-turn sweeps and long stopping distances; never pass on the right of a truck signalling a right turn, and avoid travelling in the no-zone directly behind or beside the trailer.

School buses: when a school bus displays flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, traffic in both directions must stop unless separated by a physical median or barrier, and remain stopped until the lights stop flashing.

Emergency vehicles: when an ambulance, fire truck or police vehicle approaches with lights and siren, pull to the right and stop. Do not follow an emergency vehicle closer than 150 metres.

Share the road with horse-drawn vehicles, farm equipment and pedestrians on rural roads: slow down, give wide clearance, and pass only when sight lines are clear.

The Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system has three stages: learner (Class 7L), novice (Class 7N) and full (Class 5). Each stage has its own restrictions that must be completed before advancing.

Learner stage: a minimum age (typically 16), a written knowledge test and vision screening, a supervising driver aged 25 or older seated beside the learner, and zero blood-alcohol for the driver.

Learner restrictions: no driving between midnight and 5 a.m., no passengers other than the supervisor and immediate family, and a minimum 12-month holding period before the road test.

Novice stage: the learner must pass a road test to become a novice (Class 7N); the novice may drive unsupervised but with passenger and time-of-day limits and a zero blood-alcohol requirement.

Novice restrictions typically prohibit carrying more than one passenger under a set age (often 19 or 25, depending on the province) unless a supervising adult is present, and prohibit driving between midnight and 5 a.m.

Full licence: after completing the novice stage (usually 24 months, reducible with an approved driver-training course), the driver takes a road test to earn a Class 5 licence with no GDL restrictions.

Demerit points accumulate against the driving record; a novice driver is suspended at a lower point threshold than a full licence holder, and suspensions reset or lengthen the GDL progression.

A driver must carry a valid licence while driving, produce it on request, and report a change of name or address within the required period (commonly 10 to 30 days depending on jurisdiction).