Town driving

You were marked on: Positioning

• Normal driving - your position of the car when driving such as not driving too close to the pavement or lines
• Lane discipline - your ability to maintain your position within the lane

You needed to show you can keep your car correctly positioned on the road, staying within the correct lane, without driving too close to the lines.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

• Driving too close to the pavement, putting pedestrians at risk
• Driving too close to the centre of the road, putting other road users at risk
• Driving for too long in the right hand lane of a dual carriageway, for no reason
• Straddling lanes causing issues for other road users

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

• Check rules 135 and 137 of the Highway Code
• Read pages 158 to 161 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:

• Identifying lane markings on the road
• Changing lanes using mirrors - signal - manoeuvre (MSM)
  

 Use of signal

There may be times when you might need to signal to change lanes and rely upon the courtesy of another driver to allow you to merge in front of them, so in this instance the signal becomes a request to merge rather than a signal that you intend to immediately change lanes.  However you must continue to allow traffic to flow in your current lane so be prepared to abandon your manoeuvre if no one lets you in. 

Awareness and planning

You need to anticipate and plan with a developing hazard and show your reaction to the situation rather than wait until it actually happens. As your not an experienced driver your examiner is not requiring you to do this as well, however they do expect you to anticipate, plan and react  hazards that occur.

The examiner checks that you

1.    Take every opportunity to look, assess, decide and act with potential hazards and react in a safe manor 

2.    Identify vulnerable road users (mobility scooter/pedestrians and react to allow them adequate space as you pass them

3.    Demonstrate good use the MSM routine on approach to any potential hazards from behind, beside and also well ahead and off you

4.    Adjust your speed or position or both and react and act upon any potential hazards

5.    Slow down and stop when it becomes necessary to avoid dangers

Driving faults recorded

Not anticipating and giving way to pedestrians are about to cross the road, junctions or crossings

Not being aware of cyclists, e scooter or even a e bike was approaching on the left/right or even about to make a change of direction

Not reacting in time to others rod users

1. Indicators
2. Hazard warning lights
3. Reversing lights.
4. Brake lights on other vehicles.
5. Other drivers changing speed or direction.
   

Observations

As you can see all round observations, awareness and planning are critical when in slow moving and queues of traffic you have to particularly watch for pedestrians walking out into the road in front of you. You will have cyclists transitioning from path to road, motorcyclists coming up either side of your vehicle . 

Adequate clearance

When passing stationary vehicles or other obstructions it is important that you keep a certain distance away.

What the examiner is looking for:-

The examiner is checking that you do not get too close to the rear, the side or the front of a stationary vehicle or object as you pass it. You need to give at least a metre clearance if at all possible.

Clearance/obstructions driving faults recorded

• Drives too close to the rear of stationary vehicles before pulling out.
• Drives too close to the side of stationary vehicles while driving past.
• Cuts back to the left too soon after passing stationary vehicles.

Awareness and planning - keeping junctions clear

In queues of traffic you will need to keep out of junctions to ensure you keep the exits clear for vehicle coming in and out of the side junction.

Awareness/planning/following distance

Before passing the junction when in queues of traffic wait until the vehicle in front of you is roughly 3 to 4 lines past the junction in front of you.

Keep junctions clear

Look at the diagram below the purple vehicle is just at the 1st white give-way line past the junction. There is road paint saying KEEP CLEAR, your objective is not to block the T junction or cross road and allow the side roads to make progress.

Your instructor will explain always stop the opposite side of the junction in busy traffic even if their is no road paint NEVER STOP IN A JUNCTION AREA

A simple way to know you are not in the keep clear area is ensure you stop where you can visually see the KEEP writing out of your front wind screen (more of the keep clear writing you see the more your out of the junction area).

Potential safety critical of the incident

First of all your vehicle insurance states if you hit the vehicle in front of you, your vehicle insurance will the have to pay for the damage.

Secondly think of the physical dangers involved in this incident, think about the risk of every situation.

Angle starts

Below the eyesight section on the DL25 their is 4 boxes saying AS NS NS and HS/DS.

AS stands for angle starts

NS stands for normal start

HS stands for hill start

DS stands for descending start

Each of these will be asses on the moving off section

• Safely
• Control

Hill starts (up and down hill is on the below brief) and normal start is when you are asked to pulling up on the left (somewhere safe legal and convenient).

You were marked on: Positioning

• approach speed - your ability to approach junctions at an appropriate speed
• observation - your effective observation and judgement of your surroundings
• turning right - your position when turning right
• turning left - your position when turning left
• cutting corners - your ability to avoid cutting corners when turning

You needed to show you can drive through junctions safely. You should have observed your surroundings, made your intentions clear, followed road signs and signals, and properly controlled the car.

Examples of faults

Some of the most common faults for this area include:

• incorrectly judging the speed of an oncoming vehicle, forcing it to slow down when emerging from a junction
• not checking for other road users when emerging from a slip road, onto a dual carriageway
• being positioned too far to the left when turning right onto a minor road, holding up vehicles behind you
• approaching a junction too fast, making it difficult to make observations

Your examiner may have explained the specific details of any faults you made.

How you can improve in this area

If you made faults in this area during your test, or if you want to improve in this area, you should:

• check rules 170 to 190 of The Highway Code
• read section 8 of ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the Essential Skills’ (2022 edition)

If you need to rebook the test, spend time practising and improving this skill with your driving instructor or supervising driver. You could work on:

• using the mirrors - signal - manoeuvre (MSM) routine
• using the position - speed - look (PSL) routine to improve your manoeuvres
• approaching and emerging at a variety of different junctions
  

Being in the left hand lane and turning right could be dangerous to other road users that are in the right hand lane already waiting to turn right.

You could be holding the traffic up behind you in the left hand lane wanting to turn left when you are waiting for a gap to turn right.

Using the right hand lane

The right hand lanes on a one way system are not specifically for overtaking, so you may pass on either side, also traffic can equally merge from the right as well as from the left.

Specific road markings on a one way street

When entering and exiting a one way street the road marking are slightly different giving you the information you are NOT on a two way road but on a ONE WAY road.

Entering the junction

Look for the single white dotted line all the way across the mouth of the junction, this is the observations you need to take as your entering the junction.

Exiting the junction

At the end of the road look for the double white dotted line that will be all the way across the mouth of the junction (and the directional arrows on the floor), this is the observations you need to take as you approaching the junction.

Cycle Lanes

These are marked by white line markings along the carriageway. You’ll find two types of cycle lanes:

1. Solid White Line: You MUST NOT drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a solid white line during its times of operation.
2. Broken White Line: You MUST NOT drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a broken white line unless it is unavoidable. However, you can use it for cycling.

Planning with cyclists and cycle lanes

When driving keep one eye on a cyclist cycling on the pavement or in a cycle lane as the cyclist could transition from path to road in a split second.

Highway code for cyclists

The highway code tells cyclists to check  behind before pulling/moving Out.  If you need to pull out of a cycle lane, make sure it is safe to do so. Always signal your intention clearly to motorists and other road users. 

Your job an a driver is to constantly look for and potential risks and manage these risk in a safe and controlled manor.

Contraflow system

Now lets put one way streets and cycle lanes together but travelling in different directions.

A contraflow system is an arrangement where traffic flows in the opposite direction to its normal flow. While it was initially associated with temporary traffic arrangements on motorways, it has evolved to include permanent fixtures for buses and cyclists in busier areas.

A contraflow lane allows traffic to move in the opposite direction of the surrounding lanes. These lanes are often used for bicycles or bus rapid transit on what are otherwise one-way streets.

Contraflow Cycle Lanes

• Contraflow cycle lanes are specifically designed for cyclists to ride in the opposite direction of motor vehicle traffic. They convert one-way streets into two-way streets, allowing bikes to travel in both directions while motor vehicles continue in their usual direction.
• These lanes aim to increase cyclist safety by providing a separate lane for cycling, allowing riders to avoid busy roads and tricky junctions. Cyclists can use contraflow lanes to cycle in either direction on the road.
• Contraflow cycle lanes are often separated from motor vehicle traffic by yellow centre lane striping or other forms of segregation.
  

When using Contraflow Cycle Lanes

When encountering a contraflow cycle lane, cyclists should follow these guidelines:

• Utilize cycle lanes and tracks, advanced stop lines, and toucan crossings where available to make your journey safer and easier.
• Be cautious of potential hazards such as broken-down vehicles, debris, and narrower lanes.
• 20 zones: Pay attention to temporary speed limit signs and adjust your speed accordingly.
• Maintain distance: Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you.
• Choose the right lane: Get into the correct lane early and stay in it throughout the contraflow.
• Hard shoulder: Be aware that the hard shoulder might be in use during a contraflow system.  
  

Planning turning left over a bus/tram lane

When travelling on a main road turning left into a junction you need to work out when you are going to start the slowing down routine. As you may have a bus/tram or even a cyclist in the lane you are needing to cross over.  The question is "have you time to overtake a slower moving vehicle Bus (tram or cyclist) without slowing them down. 

Risk management

Think about the risk management here:-

Cyclist is a vulnerable road user so the wrong action could be life changing

A bus/tram have all ages on  board a sudden use of brakes from the driver that is driving the bus/tram could hurt anyone and everyone on board.  Why? as they do not wear seatbelts.

Always strategies a safe plan if you don't know don't go.  Hold back and wait for a safe negotiation.

Don't overtake just before you turn left and watch out for traffic coming up on your left before you make the turn, especially if driving a large vehicle. Cyclists, motorcyclists and other road users in particular may be hidden from your view.

When can you use a bus lane?

If you’re driving outside a bus lane’s operational hours, then you can use it as long as it’s safe to do so.

This will help ease traffic congestion, freeing up another lane for other vehicles.

Be aware that not using a bus lane when it’s safe to do so during your driving test could result in a marking down.

The bus lane’s blue sign will also show which other road users are permitted to use it

Who can use a bus lane?

This all depends on the lane in question. While some are reserved entirely for buses (which must have a minimum of 10 seats including the driver), individual signs will signal which other road users may drive in them.

If they display the word ‘local’ then the lane can only be used by local bus services.

The following vehicles may be allowed to use bus lanes at indicated times if they are shown on the sign:

• Licensed London Taxis (Hackney carriages)
• Motorcycles (without side cars)
• Mopeds
• Scooters
• Tricycles (non-motorised, motorised under 450kg, not with side cars)
• Bicycles

What happens if you cross in to a bus lane?

In some circumstances you may be required to cross the solid white line into the bus lane. You should only drive into the lane when you have no other choice but to move over.

These cases could include:-

• To avoid an obstruction in the road
• To move out of the path of an emergency vehicle or to avoid an accident.

If you do enter a bus lane you must make sure you leave it again as soon as is safe to do so.

You can be fined for moving out of the way of an ambulance, here’s how to avoid it

What are the penalties for using bus lanes?

Bus lanes are introduced using Traffic Regulation Orders through powers issued under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and carry penalties for misuse.

Bus lanes are increasingly monitored by CCTV cameras to record any unauthorised vehicle driving or parking within the operational area.

The recordings are also checked to determine whether the lines may have been crossed in mitigating circumstances (e.g. to make way for emergency services).

If you’re caught using a bus lane during operational hours you could be liable to pay a penalty charge notice.

A PCN will be sent to the vehicle’s registered keeper containing details of the contravention, vehicle information and photographic evidence.

The amount payable varies across the country – being much higher in the capital and its Congestion Charge zone.

Fines for driving in bus lanes are as follows:

Client-centred-driving lesson

On your driving lessons you will be given all the relevant information on bus lane times of when you can and con not use them.  By this stage of your driving lessons you should be driving independently and take mock driving test routes.  Your objective is to become as independent as soon as possible so your driving instructor will be coach you on slight errors (minor mistakes) so your driving lesson becomes a client-centred lesson and not a instructor- lead-lesson.

Parking up on the left somewhere safe legal and convenient

On your driving test you have to demonstrate your rules of the (highway code) road, you will be asked to pull up on the left hand side of the road a few times.  This does not sound difficult but unfortunately student have failed their driivng test due to where they have parked up on the left.

For example

• A bus stop
• A drive way
• Yellow zig zag lines outside a school (inside operational times)
• Single yellow lines (inside operational times)
• Double yellow lines

There is just a few of the top of my head, do you know your road signs and road markings?