Driving Standards Agency (Great Britain) - The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: The Essential Skills

Written and compiled by the Learning Materials Section of The Driving Standards Agency (DSA).

Crown Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd.

Crown Copyright material is reproduced with permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queens Printer for Scotland.

First edition Crown copyright 1992

Second edition Crown copyright 1997

Third edition Crown copyright 1999

Fourth edition Crown copyright 2001

Fifth edition Crown copyright 2005

Sixth edition Crown copyright 2007

Seventh edition Crown copyright 2011

Fifth impression 2012

ISBN 978 0 11 5532153

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Other titles in the Driving Skills series

The Official DSA Theory Test for Car Drivers

The Official DSA Theory Test for Car Drivers (DVD-ROM)

The Official DSA Guide to Learning to Drive

Prepare for your Practical Driving Test (DVD)

DSA Driving Theory Quiz (DVD)

The Official Highway Code Interactive CD-ROM

The Official DSA Theory Test iPhone App

The Official DSA Theory Test Kit iPhone App

The Official Highway Code iPhone App

The Official DSA Guide to Ridingthe essential skills

The Official DSA Theory Test for Motorcyclists

The Official DSA Theory Test for Motorcyclists (DVD-ROM)

The Official DSA Guide to Learning to Ride

Better Bikingthe official DSA training aid (DVD)

The Official DSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches

The Official DSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles

The Official DSA Theory Test for Drivers of Large Vehicles

The Official DSA Theory Test for Drivers of Large Vehicles (CD-ROM)

Driver CPCthe official DSA guide for professional bus and coach drivers

Driver CPCthe official DSA guide for professional goods vehicle drivers

The Official DSA Guide to Tractor and Specialist Vehicle Driving Tests

The Official DSA Guide to Hazard Perception (DVD)

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is accurate at the time of going to press. The Stationery Office cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies. Information in this book is for guidance only.

All metric and imperial conversions in this book are approximate.

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Visit www.gov.uk and try it out!

You can also find contact details for DSA and other motoring agencies like DVLA at www.gov.uk

Youll notice that links to GOV.UK, the UKs new central government site, dont always take you to a specific page. This is because this new kind of site constantly adapts to what people really search for and so such static links would quickly go out of date. Try it out. Simply search what you need from your preferred search site or from www.gov.uk and you should find what youre looking for. You can give feedback to the Government Digital Service from the website.

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. Youll see its logo at theory and practical test centres.

DSA aims to promote road safety through the advancement of driving standards, by

establishing and developing high standards and best practice in driving and riding on the road; before people start to drive, as they learn, and after they pass their test

ensuring high standards of instruction for different types of driver and rider

conducting the statutory theory and practical tests efficiently, fairly and consistently across the country

providing a centre of excellence for driver training and driving standards

developing a range of publications and publicity material designed to promote safe driving for life.

The Driving Standards Agency recognises and values its customers. It will treat all its customers with respect, and deliver its services in an objective, polite and fair way.

www.gov.uk/dsa

The Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) is an executive agency within the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland.

Its primary aim is to promote and improve road safety through the advancement of driving standards and implementation of the governments policies for improving the mechanical standards of vehicles.

dvani.gov.uk

section one

THE DRIVER

This section covers

A message from the chief driving examiner

Each year thousands of men, women and children are killed or seriously injured on roads in Great Britain. The majority of the crashes that result in these deaths and injuries are caused by human error. This makes it vital that every driver understands the responsibility that driving a car brings with it and the importance of making safety their overriding priority.

Safe driving is all about developing the right attitude and approach, and combining this with a sound knowledge of defensive driving techniques. It means not only driving with courtesy and consideration for everyone else, but also being prepared to make allowances for the mistakes of others.

The increasing volume of traffic on our roads today means youll often find yourself driving in crowded conditions on all types of road. By adopting the correct attitude and taking pride in your driving, youll ensure that this convenient means of transport remains both safe and enjoyable.