Driving - Safety

What is this section about?

About taking care of your car to maintain safety for yourself, people in the car, other road users and the environment.

What parts of your car should be working efficiently in order for you to use the car?

• Lights

• Brakes

• Steering Wheel

• Exhaust system : System that filters out harmful gases and guides them away from the interior of the car

• Seat belts

• Horn

• Speedometer: Part of the car that tells you how fast its been moving

• Wipers and Washers: Washers spray water on the windscreen and wipers takes it away and spreads it

How should you check the following

• Windscreen

• Battery

• Oil and Coolant levels

• Brake fluid

• Tyre Pressure

• Tyre condition

• Windscreen - Shouldn’t have chips or cracks

• Battery - If you need to maintain it any way - you should top it up with distilled water

• Oil and Coolant levels:

• Brake fluid - Ensure the fluid isn’t low or air will enter and the brakes wont work

• Tyre Pressure - Check once a week

• Tyre condition

How can you tell if the your tyre pressure isn’t what it should be?

• Steering wheel feels heavy

• Fuel consumption increases

• Stopping distance increases (distance between noticing a hazard and stopping)

How can you tell if the your tyre condition isn’t what it should be?

• What can it be caused by?

• Vibrating steering wheels from the front tyres being unbalanced

  • Uneven wear on your tyres - Faults in the braking system

What is tread?

Pattern on a tyre that makes your tyres more equipped to grip the roads you’re driving on and the ability to perform in different road conditions

What is the amount of tread your car should have?

1.6mm

How can you check your shock absorbers on a car?

Press down hard on each tyre and there should be one and only one rebound bounce when you let go

What seatbelt or restraint should (?) wear?

(a) A child aged 12 or over/ children over 1.35m

(b) Children from 3 to 12

(c) Children under 3

(a) Must wear a seat belt unless exempt

(b) A suitable child restraint (car seats or booster seats?) if not available then an adult seatbelt

(c) A seatbelt

What should you do when getting into a car before you drive to do with the functions in the car?

• Adjust the seat

  • To where you can see and reach all things comfortably

• Adjust where your head will rest - prevents neck injuries

• Choose the right shoes

• Adjust the mirrors so you can see all around

What is ADAS?

Advanced driver assistance systems

• Group of technological features designed to improve road safety

  • Like anti lock braking systems, high beam assist (automatically switches between high (see straight ahead) and low beams (see mostly on the floor) in your headlights) and cruise control

What are dipped headlights and when should you use them

• Dipped headlights: Lights on a car that shine lower rather than straight ahead in order not to dazzle/glare other drivers

• In moments of poor visibility: Heavy rain and fog (not thick)

What should you use when there is thick fog?

• Fog lights

• You have to turn them off when the fog clears though

What are some things that can make your car less enticing to break into?

• Steering wheel lock

• Removing your car keys and locking the car

• Parking in a well lit area

• Locking valuables out of sight

• Taking registration items out of the car (those items make it easier to sell the car for whoever has it)

Where are you prohibited from parking?

On zigzagged lines

What other places are drivers advised against parking?

• Dropped or lowered spaces on a kerb: Where people with mobility scooters or wheelchairs go through

• In front somebodies house

• Bus parking

• Opposite/10ft from a junction

• Near the top part of a hill where it would be hard to see coming down

When will a car have to pass an emissions test?

When its 3 years old or more (part of MOT)

When and why would you not be able to use your car horn?

Between 11 30 and 7pm to try not to make excessive noise in built up areas (places with lots of buildings/population/lit up)

How and why can you avoid congestion?

• Makes driving less stressful

• Sustainable

• Plan your route around it

• Avoid driving at busy times

• Always leave in good time and give plenty of time for the journey

What are red routes?

Places where the roads are marked with red lines on the side of the road, on those roads you can’t stop, this is to help traffic flow smoothly