LDS Manager

Far too often we continually see provisional drivers driving vehicles with their red or green P plates tucked in behind and obscured by the number plates or inside of the vehicle and barely visible.  If this is something you do as a learner or provisional driver, and you come under notice of police, you may be in of the NSW Road Rules and earn yourself 2 demerit points and a substantial fine.  The other major concern is that it may create issues from a safety perspective. Worth it?  Not at all!

All learner and provisional drivers must clearly display their L and P plates on the front and rear of the outside of the vehicle – the letters must not be hidden.  If you are driving in another state, All NSW learner, P1 and P2 drivers must obey the same licence conditions and restrictions (as listed below) that apply to them in NSW when they drive in other states or territories in Australia.  Instead of drawing unnecessary attention to yourself, display your L or P plates with pride.

Always ensure that you display L plates (black on a yellow background) and P plates (red or green P on a white background), in such a manner as to be clearly visible on the front and rear of the vehicle, and on the outside. The letter P on the plate must be clearly displayed and not obscured in any way whatsoever. If you’re towing a trailer, a P plate must be on the rear of the trailer.  To prevent your L or P plates from falling from the vehicle, be sure to invest in some decent L and P plate holders.

If you would like to receive a FREE pair of L and P plate holders, click here now and we will send them out. Is there a catch?  Just pay for the small shipping fee of $7.95.

A hazard is anything that can interfere with your driving ability and that can cause harm or lead to an accident.  Hazard Perception Skills are a key necessity in helping to stay safe on our roads.  Being able to recognise and respond to hazards, is a skill within itself.  Developing enhanced hazard recognition and anticipating potentially hazardous situations, makes for a safer driver.  This can include pedestrians crossing the road, broken-down vehicles, roadworks, people entering and exiting cars and other cars stopping ahead of you or entering from side roads.  Understanding appropriate responses to hazards, such as speed and positioning, is crucial.

Safe drivers know how to identify and respond to hazards. They know how to spot them sooner rather than later in order to take the required actions that will avoid potential crashes.  There three (3) main areas that safer drivers should aim to ensure;

1. Maintaining a (3) three second gap and keeping a safe distance from other vehicles,
2. Selecting safe gaps and,
3. Identifying hazards.

By maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles, you have more time to identify and respond to hazards.  By selecting safe gaps when crossing traffic, turning or changing lanes this will enable you to do all of those things without being involved in a crash.  When selecting a safe gap, you must do so without impacting on the crash avoidance space of other road users.  Identifying hazards sooner rather later, behind and to the sides, is a skill that all drivers must use to avoid crashes.  Developing these key hazard perception skills and other useful safe driving skills will assist in staying safer on our roads.

New and complacent drivers sometimes do things that can increase their risk of being involved in a crash or other incident.  These can include;

• Travelling too closely behind other vehicles.
• Driving too fast for the conditions.
• Not looking far enough ahead when driving.
• Choosing unsafe gaps that are too small when making turns, crossing intersections or
overtaking.

Research shows that one of the most important skills to have when driving or riding, is good hazard perception.  Research also shows that rear-end crashes are the most common crash types.  This is why it is so important to keep a safe following distance.  The distance that it will take you to stop your car depends on the speed at which you are travelling. The faster you go, the longer the stopping distance.  Remember, use the three (3) second gap rule to keep a safe distance – you will need at least four (4) seconds when driving in adverse conditions.

Did you know that the average reaction time to a hazard is about 1.5 seconds? This is the time it takes from when the driver identifies a hazard to the point of taking action (Setting up, buffering etc.). Depending on the speed of the vehicle, will depend on the distance it travels during those 1.5 seconds.  Responding when hazards can enter your Crash Avoidance Space (CAS) is important.  Any time that a hazard can enter your CAS, you must always ensure that you ‘set up’ so that your reaction time is reduced.

“Setting Up” simply means that your right foot is off the accelerator and light pressure is applied to the brake pedal. This simple action enables you to protect your CAS and minimise the risk of a crash.  “Setting Up” is used in any situation where a hazard may enter the path of the vehicle. Remember, hazards can include cyclists, animals, pedestrians, and other vehicles that have the capability of entering you CAS.

Effective scanning skills and gathering as much information as possible, is always a good way to recognise and respond to hazards.  While pedestrians can appear in many various locations, you must always be vigilant particularly around
shopping centres, bus stops, intersections and schools.  You always need to continually scan the road and the footpath. Effective scanning means looking between parked cars for pedestrians, particularly children as they can be hidden.  Checking for white reverse lights, brake lights and indicators are all signs of potential hazards.

To be able to identify and respond to pedestrian hazards, ensure that you slow down in areas where you are likely to encounter pedestrians such as shopping centres, bus stops, intersections and schools.  The same goes for cyclists.  Ensure that you give all cyclists plenty of room when approaching or passing them (eg when making a left or right turn).  Remember, there are laws for safely passing cyclists.

Motorists must stay wider of bicycle riders by giving a minimum of:

• 1m when passing a bicycle rider in a 60km/h or less speed zone
  or
• 1.5m where the speed limit is over 60km/h.

To help you acquire hazard perception skills, there are five interactive practice modules available, to help you practice many of the skills you need to pass the Hazard Perception Test (HPT) and become a safer driver.  Practice the HPT online.

It’s completely normal for learner drivers to be nervous on the day of their driving test.  Like any test, the pressure to perform can be nerve racking?  If your friends and family know when you are going for your P’s test, this can certainly add to the nerves.  The other contributing factor when sitting your driving test, is the fact that knowing you will have the RMS testing officer sitting beside you watching your every move.

Like any assessment, preparation is key. Practice! Practice! Practice!  Like anything you do.  The more you do, the better you get.  One way to help settle your nerves is to be well-prepared.  Be confident but not cocky.  There’s a big difference.  We always strongly advise everyone to Read the Guide to the Driving Test book.  Although the driving test is the practical component, it will assist with everything that you need to know about the test and how to prepare for it.

The are a couple of big myths that we continually hear from our students.  One is that the RMS Testing officers are too hard at particular RMS Service Centres.  The other popular myth is that the driving test route is too difficult at specific areas.  It’s like this, no matter where you drive or who the testing officer is, if you are competent with your hazard perception, driving and decision making skills, then you will have a better chance of passing the driving test.

There are however, other important requirements that learner drivers must be aware about to pass and get their P’s.  This is why we advise learner drivers to invest in the services of a professional driving school so you are taught the correct procedures to drive and everything you need to know about to successfully prepare for your driving test.

The Driving Test

Considering you’ve had your Learner licence for at least 12 months, logged a minimum of 120 hours driving (including 20 hours of night driving) and turned 17 years of age, then you’re ready to go for your P1 licence.

For more info about the driving test go to Getting your P1 licence.

Common Driving Test Mistakes

We find that when people fail the driving test, it’s because of important minor errors that ultimately turn out to be major ones that cost people their test.  Simple things like observation checks (commonly known as head checks) – failing to check mirrors and blind spots.  Signal errors – either not indicating long enough or just forgetting to indicate when required to do so.

So, let’s take a closer look at common mistakes people make during their driving test.

Blind spots – Failing to Head Check

Any time you move, merge, change lanes, turn or complete a manoeuvre, you must perform a head check. Checking  your blind spots is paramount and is an essential observation skill.  If you continually fail to perform a head check during your driving test, you will not pass.  Item 19. FREQUENTLY NOT PERFORMING OBSERVATION CHECKS – Guide to the Driving Test outlines that you will incur this fail item if you repeatedly miss observation checks when required.  We conduct head checks to ensure there are no vehicles, pedestrians or any possible hazards that may result in a crash or the safety of any person.  Even when you are completing a manoeuvre, you must turn your head at least 90° or chin to shoulder and check your blind spot.  You must conduct a head check before you:

• Move to the kerb ready to complete a manoeuvre.
• Leave the kerb to re-join the line of traffic.
• Diverge, merge, change lanes
• Leave the kerb to re-join the line of traffic.
• Turning at intersections
• Crossing lanes within a roundabout and when exiting.
• Completing a 3 Point Turn.
• If conducting a reverse parallel park, you must do a head check during reversing as the front of your vehicle will swing into the lane or depending on the road, you may encroach over the centre of the roadway.

Did you know that you that when moving off at a green light at traffic lights you must turn your head and check it is safe to proceed?  If you have been stopped at a red light, once the red changes to green, you must physically turn your head and check the intersection to ensure that there are no “red light runners” from any direction. The same actions apply when moving off at railway level crossings.

Read fail item 19. FREQUENTLY NOT PERFORMING OBSERVATION CHECKS – Guide to the Driving Test for more information.

Signalling – Failing to Indicate

Did you know that you must signal for at least five (5) seconds for leaving the kerb or parked position?  Drivers must understand that if you when you signal, do so at the correct time.  If you were too signal to soon or too late, this can confuse other road users.  Leaving your indicator on can also result in a problem.  Remember, a lot of people assume and therefore may act accordingly like driving out in your path if you have signalled your intent to soon.

If you repeatedly fail to signal when legally required to so, you will not pass your test.  You must signal:

To give sufficient warning to other road users of your intentions when turning left or right.

• For at least five seconds before leaving the kerb.
• For at least five seconds before leaving a parking space.
• When changing lanes, diverging or pulling over to the kerb.
• When exiting a roundabout.

Read fail item 12. FREQUENTLY NOT SIGNALLING INTENTION – Guide to the Driving Test for more information.

Stop signs – Failing to STOP

Did you know that when you approach a stop sign, you must stop completely before reaching the actual stop line, and as close as possible to the line?

This is another common mistake we find.  Students slowly proceeding through a stop sign and failing to stop.  Stop  means stop!  If you fail to stop at a stop sign, you will fail.  You must stop the whole vehicle behind the line.  Your final stopped position must be within one (1) metre of the stop line and with no part of your vehicle over the line. This is the same for traffic lights also.

Have you ever been stopped at an intersection but found it hard to see oncoming traffic due to parked cars or other obstructions?  If your vision is affected by any of these things, you may move forward into an intersection to gain a better view.  You can only do this after stopping at the stop line correctly.  You must be able to demonstrate caution without affecting other vehicles or pedestrians when moving forward.

Read the Guide to the Driving Test for more information.

Judgement & Decision Making – Failing to Give Way When Necessary

Being able to judge distance by selecting a safe gap can be tricky for some learner drivers and for that matter many experienced drivers.  When entering traffic, changing lanes or turning at intersections, drivers need to be able to competently make critical decisions.  We find that roundabouts are probably one of the most common places where people make bad decisions when deciding if to go or not.  Sometimes, the main reason for failing to give way to other vehicles, comes down to being hesitant and in-decisive.  This then allows for oncoming traffic to be closer to you making it unsafe to proceed.  Here are some examples of why you may fail your driving test:

• Not giving way to any vehicle that has priority over you at an intersection.
• Not giving way to pedestrians at marked crossings and intersections.
• Not giving way if required when entering a traffic stream, merging or lane changing.

It comes down to a combination of the three (3) things.  Judgement, decision making and experience.

Learner drivers particularly find it difficult to judge the speed of oncoming vehicles over distance.  It’s important for learner drivers throughout their learning experience, to focus on and practice entering traffic from intersections to provide them with greater confidence in being able to judge distance and speed, decide if it’s safe to proceed and act.  Remember, oncoming vehicles must be at least three (3) seconds away from your intersection to enable a safe gap.  

Read 2. FAILING TO GIVE WAY WHEN NECESSARY- Guide to the Driving Test for more information.

Speed Management – Exceeding the Speed Limit

Exceeding the speed limit during driving tests is a common mistake.  It can be challenging for learner drivers during their test due to a combination of nerves, inexperience and lack of concentration.  Many motorists are generally more concerned about getting caught by the police for speeding.  But let’s look at it form a safety perspective.  Speed can increase your chances of being involved in a crash as well as the severity of any injuries sustained.  That’s if you survive.

Did you know that even if you are a fit and alert driver, it takes about a second or twelve (12) metres of travel for you to identify a hazard, react and brake?  And at least another 20 metres to stop.  That’s if you are only travelling at 60km/h in good conditions.  If you’re travelling at higher speeds, the stopping distance distance is even greater.

You must manage your speed to ensure that it’s safe and legal.  Exceeding the speed limit is a breach of the Road Rules and a fail of your driving test.  As the driver of a vehicle it is your responsibility to manage your speed to suit traffic, weather and road conditions.  Speed Management also focuses on your Crash Avoidance Space (CAS).  You must maintain your space to the vehicle in front which is a minimum of three (3) seconds.

If the conditions are poor such as rain, you must increase this distance to a minimum of four (4) seconds.  Remember, you must maintain at least one to two car lengths from the vehicle in front when stopped in traffic.  This is simply to reduce the risk of crashing into the car in front of you were to be hit from behind.

Speed Management (Continued) – School Zones

For some reason, many learner drivers fail their driving tests because they exceed the speed limit in school zones during school times.  And because of school times, many learners try to avoid booking their driving tests during school times.  Why? It’s just like any other posted speed limit except the speed varies during specific times.  These days, many school zones have flashing red lights to remind people to slow down.  If you are concentrating, which you should be because you are operating a motor vehicle, then school zones shouldn’t be a problem.

If you exceed the speed limit any time during your driving test, you will fail.  These times include:

• The 40 kilometre per hour posted speed limit at school zones during the hours
  of operation which are outlined on the sign.
• The 40 kilometre per hour limit when passing a bus with flashing lights.
• The learner driver speed limit – 90km/h.
• Speed limits at road works.

Read 5. EXCEEDING THE SPEED LIMIT – Guide to the Driving Test for more information.

Action Requiring Testing Officer Intervention

If at any time during your driving test, the RMS Testing Officer has to intervene, you will fail.  You are about to gain your P’s and be on your own so you should be able to make confident decisions and drive without assistance.  If the testing officer has to provide you with any verbal or physical assistance, you will fail the driving test.  If the Testing Officer has to utilise  the dual controls in an instructor’s vehicle, you will also fail.

Read 6. ACTION REQUIRING TESTING OFFICER INTERVENTION – Guide to the Driving Test for more information.