Tips for a Successful Driver’s Test
This guide is put together by a member of the driving community and not by a safety professional. This is intended to serve as a simple guide and not as an official set of protocols.
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Review the rules Before going for your driver’s test, it’s always a good idea to make sure you know the theory and rules of the road by heart.
Review the rules of the road, including: • Speed limits on residential roads and main roads • Signals to follow at pedestrian crossings • Procedures to follow when traffic lights are out of order
• Road signs and their meanings
Tip: Always allow pedestrians to cross at any marked crosswalkeven if they have not pressed the crossing button. Pedestrians always have the right of way!
Know your vehicle Make sure you know your vehicle and how it works. Driver’s tests start when you check your signals, brake lights and tires before starting the engine. Any infraction here can be an automatic end to your test.
Check your vehicle’s instruments: •
Headlights, tail lights and brake lights
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Tires- inflated and clear of obstruction
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Left and right signal lights
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Windscreen wipers
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Steering wheel
•
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Tip: A crack in your windscreen becomes a hazard when it obscures the driver’s view at any point. Once a crack begins it is best to get it fixed quickly, as the windscreen repair cost can become more costly the more the crack grows.
Practice makes perfect Practice the manoeuvers of the road before beginning your driver’s test. The more you practice, the more confident you will be and your difficult manoeuvers will be much easier to complete.
Manoeuvers worth practicing: • Two and Three-point turns • Left and Right-hand turns • Parallel parking • Perpendicular parking
• Reversing • Lane changes Tip: Be aware of road signs and know the areas where you can appropriately make left, right and U-turns.
See, Think, Do The most important thing during your driver’s test is to be alert and aware of your surroundings.
• Keep an eye out for hazards, cyclists and pedestrians • Reflect on the appropriate precautions • Exercise your knowledge and experience by making the appropriate manoeuvre. Lots of practice and learning all the rules of the road is the best way to ensure you take your driver’s test with confidence.
Tip: Don’t be discouraged if you are unsuccessful the first or second - time. It is more often than not that first-time drivers pass their driver’s test the second or third time.