Unit 3 - Drive in an orderly traffic system

These are driving techniques you use in a traffic system where everyone is obeying the rules.

Eventually you can use these techniques almost without thinking.

To drive in an orderly traffic system you do these things:

1. Use driving procedures.

2. Pick routes through the road system.

3. Pass through the road and traffic system.

4. Travel with traffic and respond to it.

5. Drive efficiently in the traffic system.

6. Adjust your driving for poor visibility

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Driving procedures are drills or routines that help drivers deal with things that they do regularly.  Competent drivers have these as habits - which means that they can do them almost without thinking.

3.1.1. Before you move the vehicle more than one vehicle’s width to the side: check in the mirrors, use the signals and look in the rear blind spot.

Do this in situations like changing lanes, entering slip lanes or turning lanes when you come up to intersections, lanes ending and merging, entering and leaving traffic flow, U-turns, entering and leaving freeways, or responding to emergency vehicles.

• When leaving a parked position, the indicator should be on for 3 seconds or 3 flashes before moving off.
• Your indicators should start at least 30 metres before starting the manoeuvre; and stay on until you have finished it.  You must turn them off  within three flashes after completing the manoeuvre.
• Check the rear blind spot just before you start to move sideways.

3.1.2. Before entering any zone where something could cause you to slow or stop: check in the mirrors, adjust your speed, and select the best gear.

Do this especially at places like intersections, roundabouts and crossings (pedestrian crossings, pelican crossings, railway crossings).  Other places where you should do it are where you find pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles and road works.

• Use the mirrors together with the brakes.  This means you check the mirrors just before you brake.
   

3.1.3. Before turning the vehicle at an intersection: check in the mirrors, use the signals, adjust speed, and change gears.
 

Do this anywhere that roads meet: intersections, roundabouts and turning into driveways.

• Indicators should be on for a minimum of 30 metres before you start the manoeuvre.  You must turn off the signals within three flashes after completing the manoeuvre.
   

3.1.4. Before you enter a curve: check in the mirrors, brake as needed, change gears as needed.

Do this at curves in city and country areas.

• Use the mirrors together with the brakes. This means you check the mirrors just before you brake.
   

3.1.5. Before you overtake: check in the mirrors, use the signals, adjust your speed and change gears as needed.
 

Overtaking here means overtaking on the right-hand side on a two-way section of road.

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3.2.1. Plan a route for the journey.

This is planning a general route to where you want to go: in the suburbs, between suburbs, and between towns or cities.  This kind of navigating does not necessarily involve using maps.  You may already know where to go, or someone may be directing you.

3.2.2. Use information signs, and  features of the landscape, to find the way.

You may need to do this during a journey, especially if you are not familiar with driving in the area.· You must be able to spot signs (and know what they mean) while you are moving in traffic.

3.2.3. Use road signs and road markings to help you get to where you are going.

You must be able to pick the correct lanes for particular manoeuvres so that you will get to your destination.

3.2.4. After making mistakes in navigating, adjust the route safely.

Experienced drivers can still make mistakes finding their way.  This can be a problem, especially in one-way traffic systems.

• You should be able safely to ‘get back on track’.

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To successfully move through the road and traffic system you must apply road rules, carry out your driving procedures, navigate, take in information and quickly decide what to do about it.  Experienced drivers can do all these things together.  Through lots of experience they have developed a range of mental programs that help them cope with a wide variety of situations.  It is not possible to list these here.

This element describes what you have to do in three general situations; these three are then broken up further according to how much ‘thinking’ an experienced driver would need to do to deal with each.

3.3.1. In every driving situation always follow road traffic laws.

You must do this in all driving situations whether they are mentioned in this document or not.

3.3.2. Drive through a built-up area with not much traffic, dealing with situations in good time.

This is a ‘quiet’ situation where:

* you need to decide about road user movements from only one direction at a time

* you do not  need to be good at accurately selecting gaps to safely deal with situations

* most of the traffic travelling in your direction is moving at a similar speed to you.

‘In good time’ means:

· you can carry out your manoeuvres smoothly and steadily

· you do not have to act suddenly because you have made a late decision

· you do what other road users expect

.You do not have to drive through a quiet suburb to find this situation.  Multi-lane intersections controlled by traffic lights, for example, would provide these conditions very early in the morning when there is little traffic about.

Locations include all those that you would normally find in a built-up area.

3.3.3. Drive through a built-up area with plenty of other road users, dealing with situations in good time.

This is a ‘busy’ environment where:

* you need to decide about road user movements from several directions at a time;

* you must be good at accurately picking gaps in the traffic to deal safely with situations;

* the traffic going in your direction is moving at various speeds compared to you.

‘In good time’ means:

· you can take the right action and complete manoeuvres smoothly and steadily;

· you do not have to act suddenly because of late planning or late decisions; and· you do what other road users expect.

What makes this situation different from the ‘quiet’ one is not just the number of other road users; it is the amount of information you have to deal with, and the complicated decisions you have to make.  A road that is normally ‘quiet’ may sometimes require you to deal with a lot of different things at once.

Locations include all those that you would normally find in a built-up area.
 

3.3.4. Drive through a country area with not much traffic, not much change in road conditions, dealing with situations in good time.
 

This is an environment where:

* you need to make decisions about other road users who are coming from only one direction at a time;

* you do not  need to be good at accurately picking gaps to deal safely with situations;

* most of the traffic going in your direction is moving at the same speed as you; and

* you will probably not have to make complex decisions about road blockages, the surface, the tightness of corners or the steepness of hills.

‘In good time’ means:

· you can take the right action and complete manoeuvres smoothly and steadily;

· you do not have to act suddenly because of late planning or late decisions; and

· you do what other road users expect.

The number of other road users and the type of roads are not as important as the amount of information you have to work with and the complexity of decisions you have to make.

Locations include all those that you would normally find in a country area.
 

3.3.5. Drive through a country area where there is a lot of other traffic and some variations in road conditions, dealing with situations in good time

This is an environment where:

* you need to decide about road user movements from several directions at a time;

* you must be good at accurately picking gaps in traffic so that you can safely deal with situations;

* the traffic going in your direction is not all travelling at your speed; and

* you will probably need to make complex decisions about road blockages, surfaces, the tightness of curves or the steepness of hills.

‘In good time’ means:

· you can take the right action and complete manoeuvres smoothly and steadily.

· You do not have to act suddenly because of late planning or late decisions.

· You do what other road users expect.

The important thing here is the amount of information you have to deal with and the complexity of the decisions you have to make, not the number of other road users.  A normally ‘quiet’ rural road may sometimes have a lot of activity on it, which means you will have to make complex decisions.

Locations include all those that you would normally find in a rural area.

3.3.6. Drive on special road systems, dealing with situations in good time.

Special road systems include:

* freeways;

* highways requiring long-distance driving; and

* remote driving on sealed and unsealed roads

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This element adds something extra to the previous element.  Each section shows driving tasks and events that are ‘special’ - either because they are non-routine or because they require you to judge things very accurately.

3.4.1. Complete driving manoeuvres in traffic legally and in good time. 

You need to do this especially when:

* entering  a traffic stream from a parked position, or from a driveway; 

* leaving a traffic stream to get into a parked position or a driveway;

* changing lanes;

* merging;

* entering or leaving multi-lane roads and freeways;

* overtaking; and

* doing U-turns.

3.4.2. Deal with special events legally and in good time.

Special events include:

* emergency vehicles;

* obstructions;

* roadwork's;

* big changes in the road surface;

* narrow bridges; and

* animals.

3.4.3. Respond to pedestrians legally and in good time

Pedestrians may be:

* between or near parked vehicles;

* on a footpath;

* on a median strip;

* on the road; and

* at crossings.

3.4.4. Respond to low-speed vehicles legally and in good time

Low-speed vehicles could include:

* cyclists;

* skateboarder's, roller blader's;

* mopeds;

* powered wheelchairs; and

* tractors or other plant machinery.

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Experienced drivers can ‘work in’ with other drivers and co-operate with them to keep the traffic flowing.  Their actions do not surprise other drivers or cause other drivers unnecessary trouble.

3.5.1. Drive so that other road users do not have to change the way they are driving to fit in with you.

Situations include:

• picking the gaps in the traffic on an intersecting road;
• moving into the traffic stream;
• merging;
• changing lanes; and
• overtaking.

An example situation could be; where a driver in front is stopped waiting to make a right turn and it is safe to overtake on the left or a delivery van is blocking the left lane and it is safe to change lanes to pass the vehicle.

3.5.3. Co-operate with other road users.

Example situations could include helping drivers merging, changing lanes, or vehicles entering traffic (especially when it is busy), helping others when they have ‘got it wrong’ (such as attempting a U-turn when there is not enough room), and waiting for pedestrian stragglers on crossings.

3.5.4. When a situation may cause you to change speed, ease off the accelerator early and smoothly and use the brakes.

This is smooth driving.  It also helps save fuel and cuts down wear on the brakes.

Situations could include: traffic lights in the distance turning red; hills and curves, and approaching slower-moving traffic.

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3.6.1. Adjust your speed so that you can stop inside the distance you can clearly see.

• At night, limit your speed so that the vehicle can stop inside the range you can see in the headlights.
• Reduce speed also in heavy rain, dust, mist, fog and smoke,  so that you can stop inside the distance you can see.

3.6.2. Use the headlights effectively.

• Dip the headlights within 200 m of approaching vehicles, or when driving less than 200 m behind another vehicle.  (Read Drive Safe Section 3.6.1).
• At night, use high and low beams to give you the best view, but avoid dazzling other road users.
• Dip the headlights at crests of hills, intersections and before corners to help you see if there are other road users coming.
• In poor light conditions during the day, turn on the lights to make it easier for others to see your vehicle.

3.6.3. Dealing with glare at night:

adjust your speed and position, flip the mirrors to the night position, and turn your eyes down to the side of the road away from the other vehicle’s lights.

3.6.4. Prepare the vehicle for night driving:

clean the windscreen, make sure the lights are working and correctly adjusted, and adjust the mirror for night.

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