Planning your driving test will dramatically improve your chances of passing the first time. This in turn will help you become a safe and confident driver. Forward planning is probably the hardest part of learning to drive. The list below generalizes and helps break down the areas and routes you are expected to drive. It should help improve your forward planning into a more logical process. All these key skills when combined should maximise your driving performance when you are training or near the test standard stage.
Residential zones
These areas consist of housing estates. The roads are normally tighter with lots of t-junctions and crossroads. The junctions are controlled with road markings and from time to time no road markings. The reason for fewer road markings is less traffic. The four key skills in these areas when driving forward are:
- Closed fields of vision
- Clearance
- Moving off at angles
- Meeting traffic
All of the above are listed on the test sheet report. Examiners are testing these criteria. A good understanding of these four key skills will help improve you as a driver. Each time you enter a residential zone, risk assess for these hazards, they are frequent and often. Prioritize the risk as you drive. When each risk is identified follow the procedure. This technique will help improve your overall drive, the risks are frequent and often.
Non-Primary Routes
These roads generally consist of single carriageways with medium traffic flow. The traffic information sign will have a white background and a black border. On Approach to a junction with this information sign expect traffic lights to control the junction. The volume of traffic will be greater at these junctions compared to residential zones. The typical risks in addition to the residential zones key skills on these roads when driving forward which happen frequently and often are:
- Traffic light-controlled pedestrian crossings
- Traffic light-controlled junctions
- Progress
- Use of signals
- Buses
- Mirrors
The examiner will use the above criteria to monitor your driving on these roads. You can have additional hazards but the above are generally happening frequently and often. As you drive forward it should become easier to identify the risks. Again prioritize the risks and then follow the procedures. The residential zones key skills are also linked to these areas.
Primary Routes
The background colour to this information sign is green. Primary routes generally are a lot wider than non primary routes. There is a greater volume of traffic to deal with and the traffic-controlled junctions can seem more complex. The typical types of risks in addition to residential zones key skills and non-primary key skills to deal with driving forward on these roads are:
- Bus lanes restrictions
- Cycle lane restrictions
- Stationary traffic in the bus lane
- Changing direction
- Traffic light-controlled pedestrian crossings
- Traffic light-controlled junctions
The examiner will use the above criteria to monitor your driving on these roads. You can have additional hazards but the above are generally happening frequently and often. As you drive forward it should become easier to identify the risks. Again prioritize the risks and then follow the procedures. The residential zones key skills are also linked to these areas, also non-primary route key skills. This is why when you break the roads down into different categories it’s easier to understand the risks and forward plan.
