Not wishing to nag or anything, but you need to know The Three:
The Highway Code (And yes, even the stuff for pedestrians, motorcyclists, horse riders and flippin' llama farmers - t'will make you better able to anticipate their actions on the road. So there.) (View)
Know Your Traffic Signs (Download)
Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency First Aid (View)
The first two are pretty darn obvious requirements, but the last, the First Aid section, often trips folk up; the DVSA don't big-up this bit, but you can get two or three questions on accident first aid in your Theory Test, and if you're not clear about how to deal ... it can make the difference between pass and fail.
Once you have your full licence, however careful and observant you may be, you'll probably encounter an accident where others haven't been as wise. In real life emergencies, your instinct and innate commonsense will guide you, 'cos you often don't have time to think, but knowing a little basic first aid can make your help save lives.
The Case Study
Towards the end of the multiple choice section of the Theory Test, you'll be given a description of a journey. You read it through, and then you'll be asked some questions about how you'd handle this journey; planning and safety; hazards you've encountered; road signs you've had to respond to, and so forth. The questions will be multiple choice, as before.
You don't have to memorise the case study, as it remains on the left of your screen as you answer the questions, so you can refer back. However, all questions are purely text - you will have no illustrations to choose from if you're asked, for instance, about the usual shape and colour for a minimum speed limit sign in a non-motorway situation. Try it ...
1. Red Triangle, black text on a white background?
2. Diamond, black text on a white background?
3. Round, white text on a blue background?
4. Rectangle, white text on a green background?
The answer, of course, is 3. Round, white text on a blue background.
The other answers are also real signs:
1. Red Triangle, black text on a white background. Whichever way up, a warning sign. Close-ish, but ... wrang.
2. Diamond, black text on a white background. A speed direction for trams, ye bam. Back to the book!
4. Rectangle, white text on a green background. Direction sign on a national, A route. Not used for speed rules.
Tricky, eh, without the pictures?
Time on the road will avoid you making the less obvious mistakes on this sort of stuff, and do bear in mind that you are aiming for a full driving licence here ... it'll be handy to know about things you may not encounter driving in Ayrshire, which is kinda quiet, traffic wise. Scooting down to Carlisle, or a trip o'er to Glasgow will expose you to all sorts of convoluted traffic signs and directions - best to have it somewhere in the memory bank, eh?
The On Fire for Driving Team
