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DRIVING IN DIFFERENT CONDITIONS
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CLEARANCE AND SAFE DISTANCE
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Does a wet road surface
have an effect on your vehicle's braking ability?
It will double the stopping distance,
compared to dry road conditions. |
If you are driving uphill, behind
a slow vehicle, what should you do?
You should remain behind at a safe distance,
until it is possible to safely overtake the vehicle. |
After you have successfully overtaken another
vehicle, what should you do?
You should make sure that you are well past the other vehicle
before carefully moving back into the left-lane. |
What could happen if you move in too
soon, after overtaking another vehicle?
There could be a serious collision between
the two vehicles. |
If you are overtaking
parked vehicles, what action should you take?
You should ensure that there is sufficient
space (clearance) between your vehicle and the parked vehicles. |
If you think that the road might be icy, what
distance should you expect to be able to stop in?
The stopping distance in icy conditions is at least 3-4 times
the stopping distance of normal conditions. So adjust your
speed and the distance from the vehicle ahead, so that you
will be able to safely stop within the clear distance ahead.
Remember that stopping too quickly and braking too hard in
icy conditions will cause the car to skid, possibly with devastating
consequences. |
Under normal circumstances,
what distance (clearance) should exist between moving vehicles
and parked vehicles?
The width of a vehicle's door.
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In dry road conditions,
what gap per mph (miles per hours) should you leave between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead?
The recommended gap in dry conditions
is approximately 1 metre (3.5 feet) for every mph. (eg so if
you driving at 60 mph in dry conditions, you should maintain
a gap of 60 metres between your car, and the vehicle ahead).
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If you are riding a motorcycle, and would
like to overtake the car ahead of you, what should you do?
You should wait until a suitable opportunity arises, and
then overtake carefully. |
ROADHOLDING
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In conditions of heavy
rain, why does it take longer to stop your vehicle?
The reason is that your tyres will have
less road-grip in wet conditions. |
If there is a film of water between
your vehicle's tyres and the road surface, what happens?
Your road-grip is dramatically reduced,
so steering and braking become far less effective. |
When there are loose
chippings on the road, what action should you take?
You should reduce your speed, and ensure
that there is greater clearance between your vehicle and other
road-users, until you have gone past the road-works. |
What should you do if there is spilled
diesel on the road surface?
You should drive carefully, not accelerating
or decelerating quickly, as the road will be extremely slippery.
Don't change your speed quickly, as your car could enter into
a skid. |
If you are driving
in slippery road conditions, what should you do?
You should use very gentle acceleration
and braking, and maintain a reduced speed. |
In slippery conditions, should tractor-drivers
drive with the left-hand wheels on the grassy margins of the
road?
No, they should not! |
Why is it necessary to
drive a tractor at reduced speed, on uneven road surfaces?
It's necessary to do so, in order to
avoid severe bouncing. |
If you are driving downhill on
either snow or ice, what shoud you do?
You should brake very gently to keep
your speed down, and use a lower gear. |
How does driving
at higher speeds affect your road-holding?
Driving at higher speeds reduces the
vehicle's road-holding ability, so you are at much greater
risk of losing control of your vehicle. |
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Should the handbrake be used to stop
your vehicle?
No. (except in very rare circumstances
where your foot-brake has gone into complete failure) |
Applying the handbrake
whilst moving at speed, could have what effect?
The back wheels of your vehicle could
completely lock up, leading to a devastating skid. |
BRAKING AND STOPPING DISTANCE
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What is the normal stopping distance
of a car moving at 30 mph, in dry road conditions?
It is approximately 23 metres. |
What is the normal stopping distance
of a car moving at 30 mph, in wet road conditions?
It is approximately 30 metres.
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What is the usual stopping distance
of a car moving at 60 mph, in dry road conditions?
It is 72 metres approximately. |
If a car is moving at 60 mph in wet road
conditions, what is the normal stopping distance of the vehicle?
It is approximately 124 metres. |
What dangers could
arise if you need to brake suddenly?
It could result in the vehicle behind
crashing into the back of your vehicle.
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Which of these doesn't affect braking
distance:
1. the power of your engine
2. the weight and speed of your vehicle
3. the road conditions and tyres of your vehicle.
The answer is 1, the power of your engine
doesn't affect braking distance. |
If two vehicles, moving at 50 mph,
have a head-on collision, what is the combined speed at the
time of collision.
The combined speed is 100 mph.
(Note: this is also known as the relative speed of the collision;
of course it is also called an absolute disaster, as the consequences
of a head-on collision are horrendous. No matter how many reinforcing
bars or airbags the car has, there will be usually be no survivors
in a head-on collision at 50 mph. The forces at impact are so
great, the bonnet of one car will penetrate the other car as
far as the rear seats. Drive carefully, and don't speed.). |
One method of judging what is a safe
distance to maintain between your vehicle, and the vehicle ahead
is to:
Ensure that there is a 2 second gap at
the very least, between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead passing
any given point along the route.
(ie you would arrive at any given point 2 seconds after the
driver ahead) |
If your vehicle is carrying a load
(eg passengers), what effect will there be on the cars ability
to brake?
It will increase the distance needed to
stop or brake the vehicle. |
If two vehicles moving at 40 mph
have a head-on collision, what is the combined speed at impact?
The combined speed is 80 mph. |
If two vehicles moving at 60 mph have
a head-on collision, what is the combined speed at impact?
The combined speed is 120 mph. |
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Towing a loaded trailer has what
effect on your vehicle's stopping ability?
It will significantly increase your
vehicle's stopping distance.
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