Practical instruction passenger car

Preparing and operation of the vehicle

Here, the parts about preparing and operating the car will be discussed.

• Getting in and out of the car
• Seat, headrest and seatbelt
• Steering wheel and steering wheel position
• Mirrors
• Pedals
• Parking brake
• Shifting mechanism
• Turning the car on and off
• Operation of lights and devices
• Steering

Traffic participation

Here, traffic participation, environmentally friendly driving and hazard perception will be discussed.

• Traffic participation
• Environmentally friendly driving
• Hazard perception

Driving off

Different variants of driving off will be explained, such as a stop outside of traffic, from a parking position and after a stop in traffic. Some examples are: driving off, straight and winding road sections, junctions, turning off, getting in lane, exiting, overtaking, lateral movement, behaviour around and on special road sections and special manoeuvres.

• Observing behaviour
• Giving way
• Driving speed
• Signals

Driving on the road

You have to keep a couple of factors in mind when driving. For example: the road structure, place on the road, beaconing, road markings, signaling and road surfacing. Furthermore, we will discuss other conditions such as, traffic volume, weather conditions, present buildings and field of view.

• Place on the road
• Keeping distance
• Driving speed
• Traffic lights, directions and signs
• Signals
• Slowing down, braking and stopping

Junctions

An important part in practice is the behaviour on and around junctions. Which junction you encounter, is mostly decided by the amount of roads coming together, the way these roads meet, the difference between the roads, such as main roads and side roads, the presence of a traffic island or a median, and the amount of lanes per driving direction.

• Observing behaviour
• Priority and giving way
• Place on the road and pre-sorting

Turning off

If you are going to participate in traffic, you will often have to turn off at junctions. Besides the 'preparational actions to responsibly turning off', drivers also need to keep in mind special obligations that count for junctions.

• Observing behaviour
• Priority and giving way
• Place on the road and pre-sorting
• Turning off to the left
• Turning off to the right
• Passing in front of each other
• Riding around each other

Getting in lane and exiting

Both getting in lane 'from the acceleration lane to the main carriageway' and exiting 'from the main carriageway to the deceleration lane' are special manoeuvres. Both the acceleration lane and deceleration lane are separated from the main carriage way by block marking. Drivers who want to get in lane on the main carriageway have to adapt the most.

• Acceleration lanes
• Deceleration lane on the right
• Deceleration lane on the left
• Combined acceleration and deceleration
• Motorway junction

Overtaking and passing

Overtaking or passing is an action which needs special attention. Overtaking is done by road users. Overtaking must happen on the left and may not cause any danger or hindrance to other road users. Obstacles, like parked cars, on the lane present containers, barriers or other objects which do not participate in traffic are not overtaken, but passed by.

• Overtaking and passing
• Observing behaviour
• Place on the road
• Driving speed

Oncoming and overtaking traffic

In 'oncoming and overtaking traffic' several situations will be discussed where oncoming traffic and left or right overtaking drivers will use the same lane. Both with oncoming traffic as with being overtaken it is important that there is enough space left on the road for the two side-by-side vehicles.

• Oncoming traffic
• Overtaking traffic

Changing lanes and lateral movement

The part changing lanes and lateral movement are components who have a direct connection to manoeuvres like: turning off, overtaking and getting in lane and exiting. Changing lanes or other lateral movements are actions which need special attention. They may not cause any danger or hinderance for other road users for example.

• Observing behaviour
• Place on the road

Special road sections

There will be some explanations to special road sections, which differ from other road sections by means of function or layout, such as: entrance constructions, exit constructions, erfs, mini roundabouts, level crossings, tram and bus stops and pedestrian crossings.

• Exit construction
• Entrance construction
• Erf
• Level crossing
• Pedestrian crossing
• Tram and bus stops
• Roundabout quarter round
• Roundabout half round
• Roundabout threequarters round
• Roundabout fully round

Special manoeuvres

With special manoeuvres, drivers have to give way to other traffic, including pedestrians. The following manoeuvres are classified as a special manoeuvres: preparation and checking the vehicle actions, U-turning, parking, getting in and out of the car, reversing and driving on a slope.

• Slope test
• Reversing in a straight line
• Reversing in a bend
• Parallel parking
• Point U-turning
• U-turning with a half turn