Chapter 2 – Attitude
Chapter 2 – Attitude
Attitude means:
- Your frame of mind when you are driving
- How you react when you meet road hazards
- How you behave towards other drivers
Common Themes
Competitive driving and showing off whilst driving is dangerous. Young, inexperienced drivers can often be involved in crashes because of it.
Fuel –
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- Diesel fuel when spilled is slippery.
- Always make sure your fuel cap is correctly replaced after filling up.
- A loose filler cap can waste fuel and money and make the road slippery for other road users.
Rural Roads –
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- Slow down and be careful when approaching animals and livestock.
- When passing a horse move forward slowly and give plenty of room.
- If you encounter a farmer herding animal, you should stop and switch off your engine if he asks you to.
Pedestrian Crossings
Pelican Crossing – the flashing amber light means give way to pedestrians already on the crossing.
Toucan Crossings – both pedestrians and cyclists can ride across these.
Puffin Crossing – Steady amber light follows the green light. The red light will stay on until the pedestrians using it has reached a safe position.
Zebra Crossing – when approaching a zebra crossing if pedestrians are waiting to cross you must slow down and stop. If they fail to cross immediately you should be patient and continue to wait.
Never wave a pedestrian across at any crossing, as there may be another vehicle coming.
Vehicles with flashing beacons:
When there is a vehicle following you with BLUE flashing beacons make sure you pull over as soon as safely possible to give way. These vehicles are:
- bomb disposal
- blood transfusion
- police patrol
- mountain rescue
- coastguard
- ambulance
- fire engine
Vehicle’s with GREEN flashing beacons: Doctor’s car.
Vehicle’s with AMBER flashing beacon is likely to be a disabled person vehicle or slow-moving vehicle.
Facts to know
Flashing Headlights – only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there.
Dipped Headlight: Always use dipped headlight when there is oncoming traffic.
Full beam headlights – only use when on an unlit road at night when there is no traffic ahead of you; if there is traffic ahead of you use dipped beam headlights.
When waiting at the traffic queue at night, apply the handbrake only to avoid dazzling the drivers following you.
- On the instrument panel the full beam headlights warning looks like:
Tailgating – this means following another vehicle too closely. It can be distracting and intimidating for the driver in front, and dangerous, as it could cause an incident if the vehicle in front stops suddenly.
If a driver is following you too closely, slow down gradually and increase the distance between your car and the one in front of you.
Two Second Rule / Separation distance / safe gap – in good, dry conditions you should leave a two-second between you and the vehicle you are following. In wet conditions, the gap should be four seconds. In icy conditions, distance should be 10 times or 20 seconds.
If it is safe to do so, give way to buses.
If a bus lane on your left shows no time of operation, it means it is in operation 24 hours a day, so don’t drive or stop in it.
Don’t follow long vehicles too closely as doing so will reduce your view ahead.
If a long vehicle is trying to overtake you, slow down and allow them to pass.
If a lorry/long vehicle turns right and then starts turning left slow down and allow it to turn.
In a one-way street, when wanting to turn right you should position your car in the right-hand lane, to help other users know what you intend to do.
At an unmarked crossroads, slow down and look both ways.
If a vehicle pulls up in front of you at the junction, slow down and be ready to stop.
When driving a slow vehicle on a narrow winding road then pull in safely when you can, to let vehicles overtake you.
If another road user cuts you up, drop back to leave the correct separation distance
Tram rails pose most risk to cyclists
Diamond-shaped road signs give instructions to tram drivers