The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel

Theory Test news buletin

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 21:01:00 +0000

Revision for the driving theory test has just evolved to the next level with the arrival of the pioneering 'Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel'. OUT NOW and available to buy here at the official www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel website, also available ...directly from the publishers at http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=1740 Book Signing tomorrow, sat 9/6/12 at Waterstones in the Oracle Reading for those in the area between 11 - 3pm. Please come, would love to see you there. Blog postings will resume normal service shortly, many thanks for following.

Motorways part 6 - Undertakers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 09:11:00 +0000

Whilst we are waiting for the tow truck this might be a good opportunity to recap the three situations where it is ok to pass on the left. I have mentioned all three in different posts as the situations arose but now let’s bring them together. (1) Remember the one way street? This is the first scenario where you may pass on the inside of another vehicle (but just to be clear, I am not suggesting you mount the pavement to pass, no, for this undertake to be legal the one way street must have two lanes and the other vehicle must be in the right hand lane of the two). (2) The second scenario where you may pass on the left is when the other vehicle is positioned toward the centre of the lane and waiting to turn right, again, overtaking on the left here must not involve the pavement in any way. If the gap between car and curb is insufficient then you must wait for the car to turn. The last scenario where you can pass on the left is the one I mentioned shortly after we entered the motorway. (3) When all traffic on a multi lane highway has slowed to a relative crawl all lanes must flow without deference to each other. It is a curious irony of motorways that when traffic does grind to a walking pace for whatever reason, often it is lane one that will become the quickest lane to be in. In this scenario it is perfectly acceptable to pass slower moving traffic in the right hand lanes to keep the traffic moving.

That is our three scenarios then, and just in time as I can see the tow truck coming. What does it say on the side of it? can you see? Ahhh, this tow truck is from a branch of the ‘Flea Pits’. That’s interesting, in ‘The Demon Road’ the Flea-Pits have a lot of branches and are a well known MOT & service company. I understand they began as a family company and when I had the opportunity to speak to the head of the family I asked him why he had chosen to call his garages the ‘Flea-Pits’. His answer staggered me and I guarentee it is going to take you by surprise too when you get your copy of the theory test novel from www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel and learn the reason yourself. http://twitter.comtheorytestnovel

Motorways part 5 - The hard shoulder and the emergency phone

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:16:00 +0000

The temperature gauge is rising, it looks like we might have a problem with the vehicle. Hopefully we can reach a slip road or services where we can leave the motorway and get the fault fixed. It is important to do vehicle checks before a long journey as constant speeds increase the risk of a breakdown(remember this). Ahh, to bad, the engine is overheating, there is an emergency refuse area ahead so I am going to pull us over. The hard shoulder on motorways is there for emergencies and breakdowns only(remember), unless an ATM specifies otherwise (we will get to that later) right now we must put on our hazard warning lights to let other drivers know we are broken down and a potential hazard, (after-all, we don’t want a sleepy coach driver or truck driver who has exceeded his/her legal nine hours a day driving allowance from drifting onto the hard shoulder and side swiping us) For this reason also it is important to leave the vehicle (through the passenger side) and await the breakdown recovery truck from the embankment.

Now we are pulled over and at a safe distance from the vehicle with the hazard lights on I need to ask if you are a member of an emergency breakdown recovery service? Ah, Ok, not a problem. Now we have a choice of how to proceed, most people these days will have a mobile phone with them making the emergency breakdown phones less important than they used to be, however, mobiles do tend to run out of battery life just at the worst time. Motorway emergency phones have other advantages, they can tell the police (In some area’s emergency phones are now linked to the highways agency, remember this) your exact location. If you definitely wanted to use your mobile then you would need to take note of the number on the nearest marker post to identify your location (remember this). In this instance, as you are not yet a member of a breakdown recovery service, I will walk to the nearest emergency phone and call through our position, the operator can then take care of a call out truck for us. Wait here while I follow the arrows on the marker posts to the nearest phone...

Ok, that’s taken care of, a local recovery service should be here within half an hour, did you see how i used the emergency phone by the way? When using emergency phones on the motorway always stand facing the direction of the oncoming traffic so that should one of those aforementioned sleepy drivers (or a driver distracted by talking on his mobile) drift onto the hard shoulder we you will see it coming and get out of its way before it takes you out. Do you remember how many times using a mobile whilst driving increases the risk of collision..? Phones 4 U. I would hate to live on only in somebody else’s guilty conscience, how about you? www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Motorways part 4 - (Jubilee special) the crown jewels of the motorway

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 11:15:00 +0000

You have probably noticed the cats eyes (or road studs) embedded in the road between the centre white lines, and how they light up when caught by headlights. These studs are there to guide your way in sub light conditions such as heavy rain or fog but in multi-lane environments such as motorways, studs have different duties. Just because this is a jubilee weekend lets think of these studs as the queens foot soldiers. It is convenient then that HRM has five different regiments of foot guards and there are five different stud colours in use on UK motorways. Each colour of stud has its own position on the motorway so that should you find yourself in heavy fog, for instance, and you lose track of your position on the motorway then you can use the colour coding of these studs to reorient yourself and establish your position(Assuming that you can remember the position of each colour) You must hand it to the DFT for this level of consideration in keeping you safe.

So then, we are currently in lane one on the motorway but it's daylight so the studs are less visible, hang on a mo while I usher in a fog bank and some black clouds (you can do that when you’re a writer you know) Ok that’s more like it, now we can switch on the lights and see the coloured studs reflecting back at us. On our left you can now see(1) Red studs lining the hard shoulder. In keeping with our theme of the five regiments of foot soldiers let’s consider these red studs to be the Welch guards (given the red dragon of the Welch flag). When any exit or entry slip road joins the motorway there is a temporary changing of the guard as the Red, Welch guard, studs turn to (2) Green studs which I will assign as the Irish guards for their green flag. This change from red to green studs occurs only for the length of merging between the slip road and the motorway. I am having a bit of fun with the regiment theme here but just to be clear, it is not intended as a memory technique so it might help you here to relate these two colours to traffic lights, when the lights/studs are green you can exit/enter the motorway, when the lights/studs are red you will find only hard shoulder and no exit point.

On our right the stud colour turns (3) white/clear, lets assign these studs to the Coldstream guards. The purpose and position of these white studs is to be the lane diveders in-between the three lanes. On the far right of the motorway where lane three meets the central reservation are the (4) Amber studs which I will assign to the Scots guards for no better reason than the Scots are famed for the production of amber liquid whisky. (Well let’s face it, their flag was not coming to my rescue on this one) There is one more stud colour, or combination, that comes into play on a motorway and you can expect to see it at road works. These studs are a combination of (5) Red and Amber. Remember the traffic light sequence where Red turned to Red/Amber before turning to Green? This is an intermediate colour between stop and go which is perhaps most fitting for use at road works as they are instructing you to be vigilant and prepared. By a process of elimination we have only one regiment left so we will assign the roadwork studs to the Grenadier guards.

And there you have, laid out before you, the crown jewels of the motorway. You may well be still wondering how you will remember the positioning for each of these five differently coloured studs, and in the spirit of The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel I have devised a very simple yet incredibly effective memory technique for just this purpose, I highly recommend you purchase your copy from www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel to find out what it is, you won't be disappointed. http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Motorways part 3 - The speedy and the sleepy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 06:34:00 +0000

The lack of a stimulating environment on a motorway can often make you drowsy, this can be exacerbated by other factors such as the monotonous background noise of wheels on tarmac. You are advised to keep your windows closed to minimise this noise, but ironically when you DO get drowsy it is advised you open your windows to let in some fresh air. What to do when you feel drowsy on the motorway is a popular question and you will be invited to choose more than one answer, (1) opening windows is a quick fix only until you can (2) leave the motorway by the next exit and find somewhere safe to park up and rest for a while (20 mins approx). Hopefully that next exit leads to a service area where you can (3) get some bad coffee or (4) walk around for a while. While you are at those services be sure not to indulge in a heavy meal as this will also make you drowsy all over again. Ever see your dad and granddad falling asleep after Christmas dinner? Mine too. The science bit, when you have a big meal, (granted, you may not have Christmas dinner every time you stop at a motorway services but how about a full English? A Kentucky?) your body needs to commit much of its resources to digesting all those complex carbs (which is why you will feel drowsy whilst it performs this task) That won’t be in the test.

Leaving the motorway at the next exit is always advised when you are feeling drowsy, it is also the answer to another popular question of how to take a call from your mobile while driving. Don’t by the way. If you really need to respond to a call then find a safe place to park before answering that itch. On a motorway this will mean leaving at the next exit, a safe place to pull over is NOT the hard shoulder this area is reserved for breakdowns. Talking of mobile phones a statistic to keep in mind is that you are 4 times more likely to crash if you choose to answer the call whilst driving. Think of the advert phones 4 you as a way of remembering this as it is in the DSA’s question bank.

We will be leaving the motorway in about two or three posts from now but if our journey along the motorway was a longer one then travelling at a constant speed will normally improve journey time (remember this). Speeding and trying to get ahead of the game is often false economy as our road network gets ever more congested. When you find yourself with such a person tailgating you (driving too close to your rear bumper) they are often doing this to try and bully you into going faster or moving out of their way. This person will be carrying stress and you remember what I said about transferring stress in the previous post? I want you to become a more professional driver than that tailgater by not enter into a conflict. (Assuming you cannot reasonably return to lane one) the only thing you need to do in this situation is extend your own safety gap from the car in front. The reason being if the car ahead brakes suddenly you can now brake a little more gradually in the extra space you have given yourself, thus preventing your tailgater from colliding with you. www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Motorways part 2 - Lane disciple and the golden rule

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 May 2012 07:30:00 +0000

What is the golden rule of the motorway then? How annoying is it by the way when writers answer a question you didn't even ask by first posing the question? Very. Good job there is none of that poor writing style going on here. The golden rule is simply this: keep left unless overtaking. The current speed limit for cars on UK motorways is 70mph and the speed limit for HGV’s & cars towing caravans is 60mph, and unless you aim to be an ultra cautious driver this means you will be overtaking frequently. The golden rule also extends to moving out to lane two where a slip road joins the motorway and there is a vehicle on the approach. Incidentally, if you’re wondering how you will remember all these different speed limits then GREAT NEWS there is a really effective and simple little rhyme in ‘The (yep it’s another plug) Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel’ it gives you the speed limit for every type of vehicle on every type of road. Did I mention that before already? If so well all I can say is, the rhyme is so good it’s worth repeating.

It is often a complaint of car drivers that one HGV using lane two to overtake another HGV in lane one can cause a bottleneck and arrest the free flowing movement of motorway traffic, but, at least in this scenario lane three is still available because HGV’s (and towed caravans) are forbidden from using lane three (Remember this) so other (non restricted) motorway traffic can use this lane to get past. While the right hand lane is NOT for HGV’s and (towed caravans) the left hand lane is for ALL vehicles.

In previous posts I have mentioned two scenarios where it is permissible to overtake on the inside (undertaking) there is one more scenario where this is also allowed (but this isn’t it). It is unprofessional and poor lane discipline to use lane one to undertake somebody else hogging lane two (two wrongs don’t make a right. Right?) However, I didn’t bring this point up without reason, if we end up in slow moving traffic on a motorway then passing on the left becomes allowable (and actually, in such scenarios where all three lanes are crawling lane one often becomes the fastest moving lane). I will be recapping the three scenarios where passing on the left is allowable in an upcoming post (that’ll be something to look forward to then)... www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Motorways Part 1 - the prohibited and the sliproad

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 May 2012 07:17:00 +0000

Have you noticed the biggest drawback to driving through towns? It can take an eternity to get anywhere but we have a destination to reach and I’m sure you’re keen to get there so you can pass your test. I propose we cut this town loose and hit the motorway for a while. Problem is... being a learner driver you aren’t allowed to drive on the motorway so I humbly suggest you let me take the wheel until we reach our exit. Great, there’s a motorway sign now, let’s do this.

Because traffic flow is much faster on a motorway hazards will develop faster giving you less time to react and an error here could easily be fatal. It is for this reason learners are not allowed to drive on a motorway until hazard perception and concentration levels have had time to develop. It is not just learner drivers that may not take to the motorway but also different forms of slower-moving vehicle that would inhibit free-flow and become hazards in themselves. They are thus: (1) Cyclists (2) 50cc Motorbikes (3) Tractors (4) Pedestrians (5) Horses with riders. Of course, if you should ever come across one of the above then please give them a wide birth so they aren’t spooked or knocked over in your back-draught (Unless it is the tractor of course)

A word on Slip-road etiquette now, although I don't use this word in the traditional sense of 'after you old boy, no no, after you, I insist', you should try hard to eliminate, or prevent, competative driving from entering your modus oparandi. Take this slip road we are approaching now for instance, it begins with two lanes then merges into one as it takes us to the motorway. At the point of merging allow your fellow motorists to integrate equally, closing the gap so a driver in the other lane cannot merge ahead of you is a pointless and selfish act which transfers your own stress or bad attitude onto that of the other driver whom may then pass on the discourtious act to another driver and so on. It is also an undisciplined act which you will see many of in 'The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel'. My aim in writing this book was not only to embed the theory test knowledge in your memory, but to share with you insights into the minds of what your fellow drivers.

OK, the purpose of the slip road then is to give us a run up to the motorway allowing us enough space to build up our speed to match that of the motorway traffic so we can integrate without forcing anyone to slow down. On this point it should be noted that it will be your responsibility to merge appropriately and not the responsibility of those already on the motorway to get out of your way. With the exeption of some HGV vehicles, however, (whom may not be able to get out of your way) most drivers will have seen your approach in advance and switched to lane two in order to let you merge smoothly. www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Hand Signals

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 26 May 2012 12:14:00 +0000

I remember making a remark back at the beginning that some aspects of the journey planning were perhaps the most archaic part of the theory test with the advent of the satnav (although it is always worth knowing your options). I would like to take the opportunity now to revise that statement and promote hand signals as the most archaic aspect of the theory test. Believe it or not, at one time cars did not have indicators hence the need for hand signals. They still have their place in certain situations, consider a car that wants to turn right across your path but the sun is very bright and masking the signal, the driver could reinforce his intentions with a right turn hand signal (the same as you would make if riding a cycle) If, whilst your arm was out of the window, you began moving it in a circular clockwise motion you would be telling everyone you intended turning, or moving, left. A more universally recognised hand signal (no, not that) is the slowing down gesture, keep your arm out there and start it up and down as though you are patting a dog from a distance (it’s a friendly dog, don’t be so nervous)

Those are the three hand gestures you could still be tested on, but there are another three gestures you should be familiar with (again no, not them) these signals are what you might see used by a police officer directing traffic at, say, a junction where the traffic lights had stopped working. The accompanying image (exclusive to the demon road) illustrates one of them, for a memorable way of learning the other two you should proceed poste-haste to www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel and order your copy of ‘The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel’. What a tease, sorry... I’m not really sorry... please come back, I can do better and there’s really so far still to travel. http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Parking restrictions

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:04:00 +0000

We agree then that there will be, not now and not ever, any parking on the (1) yellow zigzags of a school zone? Great you're a superstar, but what about the (2) white zigzag markings seen on either side of pedestrian crossings? They look the same as the school hatch markings, if a little less severe, they mean the same too. Parking is prohibited for the same reasons, i.e a parked car will block the sightlines of a pedestrian to your approach and visa-versa your sightlines to any pedestrian waiting to cross. Don’t think the restrictions end there, we are only just beginning. In no particular order, stay away from parking on: (3) a hill brow, (a natural blindspot occurs at a hillbrow and your parked car is forcing another driver to move into the oncoming lane to pass your car) (4) across a property entrance (5) Where the curb has been lowered (for disabled access) (6) at or near a bus stop (7) at a level crossing (8) within 10 metres of a junction (blocked sightlines again) (9) In a disabled space without an appropriate badge (10) a doctors bay (11) a residents bay (12) disabled bay (13) Had enough? How about: red routes (14) double yellow lines (15) single yellow lines during restricted times (16) in an urban clearway (17) wherever you can see a traffic warden who has missed his lunch, ouch. Enough yet?

These represent the main bulk of parking restrictions (until your local council can dream up some more that is) and I realise you were expecting some blinding memory techniques to remember this stuff, The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel uses a variety of different techniques to embed different aspects of the theory test, some are visual, some are exaggerated, some are bizarre, some are contextual, some come in the form of rhymes and some come wrapped with a frilly bow, parking restrictions are used in a contextual sense. I guess then that you will have to buy the book, as replicating the scene here would take it out of its context and as a result, it would lose its power. But if I haven’t peeked your interest in making a purchase yet then wow, you’re a tough audience. www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Although I can’t make parking restrictions memorable to you within the confines of this post, If you come back again I will put some flesh on the bones of some of those restrictions above. www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

The irony of School Zones

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:25:00 +0000

Oh dear! we are stuck behind another bus, how did that happen? There is something a bit different about this one though, do you notice the sign displayed in its back window? That tells us this is a school bus, so it could be making frequent stops in places that aren’t regular bus stops. In this instance it is also leading us toward a school zone. Most school zones are 20mph zones these days so be prepared to slow down.

When the school run is at its peak there will be lots of vehicles parked on the road outside the school creating lots of hazardous blind spots where children could run out unseen until too late unless you're on the ball. Nearer to the school entrance you will please notice the angry looking yellow zigzags guarding the road. The purpose of these road markings is to forbid anyone from parking too close to the school entrance and blocking other drivers lines-of-sight at this critical juncture. Also visa-versa, blocking children’s lines-of-sight from oncoming cars. You wouldn’t believe what happens in The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel when a school run mum does exactly this and parks her 4x4 on the yellow hatch markings of a school entrance, you just have to buy it to see what happens...

This scenario happens too often and is one of life’s little ironies as parents create one of the very hazards they seek to protect their children against. These hatch markings are one of many parking restricted area's due to the hazard your parked vehicle would cause. Next time, a check list of all these restrictions (sponsored by the public transport system)

Pedestrian crossings like you never imagined them

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 May 2012 05:38:00 +0000

We have a Pelican pedestrian crossing coming up ahead. It looks very similar to the Puffin crossing we encountered a while back but with one significant difference. Do you remember the distinguishing characteristic of the Puffin? Yep, that ‘U’ in puffin makes it a Ruby crosser. There are essentially two types of crossings, the RUby and the flashing Amber, the PelicAn crossing we are coming up to here is of the latter variety, identifiable by the ‘A’ in its name. Clever right? But how does that translate into reality? (here's the science bit) whereas the PUffin ‘rUby’ crossing was controlled by infra-red which dictated when the lights would return to green, an amber crossing is controlled by a timer, thus, once the Pelicans lights have been at red for a specific amount of time they will begin to change back regardless of whether the pedestrian has reached the other side or not. This changing of the lights must, in no way, be interpreted as an invitation to take off if the crossing is not yet clear.

I trust by now that you have taken a look back at my ‘puffin pedestrian crossing’ post just to refresh your memory and will not need me to remind you that the infra-red of the ‘ruby’ crossing tracks the pedestrians progress and holds the lights at red until said pedestrian had finished crossing, only then allowing the red light to change back to green right? Great. Although the Pelican ‘Amber’ crossing appears to have a less caring attitude toward its clientele it will not simply and callously return the lights to green, instead it will go to an intermediate flashing amber signal which informs all parties concerned that it is ready to go green. It is this flashing amber signal that distinguishes it as an Amber crossing.

The following is a list of the five different types of crossing in use on UK roads today (1) PelicAn (2) PUffin (3) ZebrA (4) ToUcan (5) EqUestrian. Now you know one of ‘The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel’s’ patented memory techniques can you determine which of these crossings are infra-red controlled and which are timer controlled? The Toucan and the Equestrian crossings both have a ‘U’ and an ‘A’ in their names you say? Before that smug look takes complete ownership of your face let me tell you, this is not a problem for the demon road, in both cases the ‘U’ comes before the ‘A’ which makes them both rUby crossings. www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Driver reversing knowledge 'children' can't live without

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 May 2012 06:01:00 +0000

I think we have taken a wrong turn somewhere and need to find a place to turn around and go back. That sign on the left is telling us there is no U turning allowed on this road, another solution would be to find a side road we can reverse into and turn around. How convenient, here comes one now. Oops, don’t indicate yet, we are not going to turn into the side road, we are going to pass it and reverse into it so wait until we are just past before you indicate to pull over. Oh, I get it you were going to turn in first then reverse back out. Sure you want to do that? Want to pass your test? Course you do, that’s why you’re planning to order your copy of ‘The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel’ on June 1st right? Excellent. Only those of you who can answer the following question correctly, however, may lay their hands on this priceless book. Under what circumstances is it ok to reverse out into a main road? Hmmm? In theory test style please choose one of the following options, (1) Not ever (2) No how (3) Under no circumstances (4) Oh no you didn’t.

Ok, you pulled over, nicely done by the way. Now to reverse into the side road, if you wish (and I recommend it) you may remove your seat belt to perform a reversing manoeuvre. (Remember this) reversing is the only situation when you may take off your seat belt whilst in control of a car, it will allow you to twist around to look behind you prior to, and whilst reversing. If you are unsure about any lurking hazards you should also get out and have a look around, (remember this) or better still, you have a noisy passenger so why not put him to use and have him get out to look around instead.

Children are particularly vulnerable when you are reversing (remember this) you may not be able to see them unless you get out to look (cos they are like, small n stuff) Remember also to give way to any pedestrians waiting to cross. Give a final look over your shoulder now for any approaching cars before you reverse as the front of the car will swing out into the road (this is the most hazardous part of this procedure. Remember this) Ready? You will want to complete this manoeuvre as short a time as possible. Nicely done, we live to see another day, and another post. www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Bus lanes & Double yellows

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:58:00 +0000

The sign on the left there indicates that a (with-flow) bus lane coming up. With-flow lanes are dedicated bus lanes allowing buses to move freely with the main flow of traffic. That’s good news for the bus because he will not be held up by the traffic and good news for us too because we won’t get stuck each time it comes to a bus stop. If you can have a WITH flow bus lane then, as with all things in life, you can have an opposite which, in this case, is the CONTRA flow, as the name cleverly suggests, buses run contrary to the main flow of traffic.

Observe a bold white line on the road separating the bus lane from the main traffic lane like two naughty boys on the back seat of a car. Any solid line marked on the road must not be crossed whilst a broken line should only be crossed if unavoidable.

Our road networks are a treasure trove of signs and road markings, some of the most common road markings you will come to know very well as you search for a place to park are the infamous single yellow and double yellow lines. With the volume of cars now on UK roads parking is often very competitive and is perhaps the single biggest argument in favour of alternate transport when going to town. Although, for the sake of the theory test, the biggest argument for leaving the moter at home is the environment. Where double yellow lines are in place you may not wait (at any time). If you are caught by a traffic warden in a double yellow zone then your best chance of escaping a fine is to quickly open your boot and start throwing things out in the hope the warden may thinks you are loading/unloading (which is acceptable). Alternately you could grab a passing pedestrian and ask them to step into your car, your warden may just buy into your story that you stopped to pickup/dropoff a passenger (also allowable) (Just make sure the passing pedestrian is not a child if you don't want to invite trouble much bigger than a mere parking ticket). In order to remember the rule with single yellow lines you can assume the exact same rules apply as with double yellows but with the following difference. You will usually see a yellow information plate stating the times when these 'no waiting' rules apply such as 8am - 6pm. Outside of these times the local council cordially invite you to wait to your hearts content. For a fantastic visual aid to help you remember these and other urban clearway signage you may (but only if you want to) check out 'The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel' at www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel

http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Juggling buses, tailgaters and other hazards

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Hazards and hazard identification are a constant theme of driving and of course, the theory test. You will become more and more familiar with the types of hazard the road will throw at you as we go. You may think that hazards are obvious (a child running into the road right?) but when you are driving and you have multiple hazards to concentrate on (the bus ahead, the idiot tailgater behind, the rain, the dog walker on the pavement etc) it can be difficult to decide or focus on what poses the biggest threat. Lets prioritise then, the dog is on a lead and under control, we can give them a bit of a wide birth anf move on. The tailgater is going nowhere for the moment, lets just extend our own safety gap from the bus in front (just in case it stops suddenly) that will give us more space to brake gently so the tailgater has more time to react and brake himself. (thats very considerate of you, although don't expect any appreciation from tailgater) thats fine, it’s yourself, your passenger and your vehicle you're really protecting here. The rain is reducing visibility so you can put your dipped headlights on, as you can see, everyone else is. That leaves the bus as our immediate hazard. Look ahead, there is a bus stop coming up and the bus will likely indicate to pull over. Now you are controlling your situation and with this forsight you will know to prepare and be ready to slow down and stop yourself.

There are about six people at the stop waiting to get on so we can assume the bus will be stopped for a minute or two, enough time to make it worth checking if we can overtake (if there was only one or two people at the bus stop then it might not be worth the effort) Get yourself into an overtaking position and watch for gaps in the oncoming traffic, Ok, time for a fresh assessment of the situation, don’t be pressured by the tailgater just focus on what you can and can’t see ahead for the moment. Can you see enough clear road beyond the bus? Are there any junctions just past the stop? The bus is creating one big blind spot here, there may be road users about to emerge from a hidden turning in front of it, but what of the passengers alighting from the bus itself? Some of them may well come around the front of the bus to cross the road. Oops, I have kept you talking for too long and the bus is signalling its intention to pull away again. You had better let him go (you can be sure he won’t wait for you to pass, it is also a highway code requirement that you let him go)

These assessments will normally take place in seconds as you continuously refresh your driving environment. What of the tailgater for instance? in such a situation and seeing you hesitating, he may have decided to overtake both you and the bus in one fell swoop. Let's not think about the potential outcome of that decision, you can only be responsible for your own conduct and safety (and by extention, the safety of those in your vicinity) www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Why you will fail the Driving Theory Test unless you read this

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 12 May 2012 14:28:00 +0000

The key to successfully passing any test comes in two parts, knowing the subject material and understanding it. Of course, once you are in the hot seat, no amount of knowledge you have crammed into that specially designated room in your brain will be of any use to you if the door slams closed and your mind goes blank. So what is the difference between two people who have studied equally for a subject but one gets higher grades? The environment perhaps? one may struggle to focus under artificial lighting, one may have a less disciplined mind and be susceptible to a wandering mind, one may have had less sleep and be feeling stressed while the other is fresh and relaxed. All these points are, themselves, a distraction from the second part of successfully passing a test, 'Understanding'. of our two candidates then, the one who is going to score higher is the one who has a superior understanding of the material.

Lets peal back another layer and ask why he has a better understanding. Could it be as simple as aptitude? We all know that some things just come easier to us than others, be it academic subjects, sports or emotional intelligence. In the end though, it doesn’t matter if the stress of an examination environment makes that door slam closed in your mind when you understand the subject matter, because once you have regained your composure you suddenly realise the walls were only ever made of paper and can be torn down.

With this in mind you may be wondering how you can possibly understand the highway code and the driving theory test questions being asked when you have no real experience of driving. This is where traditional theory test study literature fails its candidates and 60% of people end up failing at the first attempt. The other 40% either had a more natural aptitude for the subject or they studied harder (sorry). But for the rest of us, what are we going to do if our brains just prefer making daisy chains? Give up and spend our lives travelling on the tube or the bus? course not, one person recently passed after 35 attempts, they may have lacked the aptitude but they had something else in abundance, determination. For the rest of us there is a brand new weapon at your disposal, The Theory Test Novel. You ally yourself with one of the three main characters who’s temperament you most identify with, then you simply ride along and experience, vicariously, The Demon Road and all its pitfalls through their experiences as they compete to win the race. Along the way, specially constructed memory techniques will embed the highway-code in your brain, growing your own understanding without you realising it until those experiences become your own. Ask yourself one simple question, if you had to sit a test and the subject was based on your last holiday, would that not be the easiest pass mark you ever got? All you would have to do is draw on your memories (unless, of course, you spent your holiday in a state of drunkenness) Visit www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel and click the like button to pop the hood and find out more...
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Box Junctions

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:32:00 +0000

You’re feeling boxed in? I’m also feeling boxed in right now. I wouldn’t mind escaping all those angry drivers who are blasting their horns at us, too bad we are trapped and going nowhere fast.

(One minute previously)

I estimate we are about fifteen cars away from those red lights, question is will we all get through the lights next time they turn to green. Oops, check out your passenger (nearside) wing mirror, there’s one of those cyclists coming up on the inside. There he goes, all the way to the front of the queue and into the reserve cycle space. At the front of some junctions you will find a pair of advance white lines with a bicycle painted in-between them. This space is specifically reserved for bikes to give them space to move into once they have jumped the queue, but really, wouldn’t you prefer to have them where you can see them rather than they are sitting in your blind spot? Cars may not cross the first advance line when the lights are red (remember this).

Ok, the lights have changing, Red... Red/Amber... Green, and off we go. As we get closer to the lights I will tell you the purpose of the box junction we are about to encounter. It is always defined by yellow criss-cross lines marked on the road and enclosed by a yellow border, you must not enter this marked area unless you can see enough road space on the opposite side to get clear (you wouldn’t believe what happens in ‘The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel’ when ‘Amber’, one of the characters, gets stuck in the box, you have to buy it at www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel and read it to believe it). The only exception to the box junction rule is when you intend turning right. We are not turning right but if we were then we could enter the box junction (even if the right hand turning was not clear) and wait while the traffic flowed on either side of us. Incidentally, waiting in the road to turn right is one of those three permitted times when other road users may pass you on the left, remember we already discussed one of them in the ‘One-way Road’ post? But anyway, I digress.

Ok, we have reached the junction now, the lights have been green for a while so let’s assume they are nearly ready to change. The traffic on the other side of the junction is stopping but the car driver in front has seen enough space on the other side of the box and is crossing, it might be worth our while waiting until he has crossed to see if there will be enough space for us to clear the box too. Ah, ok, you’ve decided to take a gamble, oh dear, the lights are beginning to change, Green... Amber... we will be ok if we can exit this box but it looks like bad news, the car in front has cleared the yellow border and stopped behind the car in front of him which leaves us stranded in the box. We are blocking the way for the cross wise traffic flow now and they are about to get very frustrated with us but fortunately for me I can bail out until the next post. There is nothing you can do now but wait for the cars in front to start moving again and accept the annoyance of your fellow road users with as much grace as you can. Don’t feel too bad, it’s a rookie mistake, we were all learners once, see ya soon...
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Traffic Lights, Junction

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:48:00 +0000

A quick post about traffic lights is in order as we leave the country behind for a while and re-enter the urban sprawl. Further ahead you will notice a main junction with traffic lights, they are currently on green. This particular set of lights will be a treasure trove of theory test information for us. First thing worth remembering is that it is a potential hazard, not only that but it attracts hazards. Anything can happen here and you must be very vigilant. Hazards can come in the form of cars jumping red lights from the intersecting road, hazards can also be cyclists passing down the inside of waiting traffic at red lights and motorcyclists weaving in-between lanes on your other side which makes it doubly important to be aware of the blind spot in your wing mirrors and look over your shoulder before performing a manoeuvre. These latter two road users are particularly vulnerable at junctions (remember this, it will be in the test) Hazards can also come from pedestrians looking for an opportunity to cross the road wherever traffic lights dwell.

Are those lights still at green? I would suggest that as they have been on green for a while they are probably due to change at any moment so be prepared to slow and stop. There, see? No sooner said than they change to amber and now red (that’s a colour you are going to see a lot during the course of your driving life). It’s also going to be the source of many temptations toward speeding up when you should be slowing (you’ll see!) at which point you are going to become somebody else’s hazard, let's hope they are also being vigilent.

I was once listening to a radio show running a quiz, one of their questions was ‘what colour traffic light comes next in the sequence following Red?’ Many listeners phoned in to answer the question, most gave the correct reply but the DJ insisted they were all wrong. Their answer was Amber follows Red in the sequence which is the correct response. So why then did the DJ insist they were all wrong? Answer, in the traffic light sequence Green will become Amber, Amber will become Red then (after a lot of waiting) Red will become a combination of Red/Amber and finally Red/Amber will become Green, thus completing one cycle or sequence. What the DJ should have asked was ‘what colour combination’ follows Red in the sequence (although this would, of course, have given the game away) but then this was local radio. Wow, that wasn't the most thrilling anecdote! no wonder I don't get invited to dinner parties, but the important point to remember is the light sequence. I see there is a box junction at this junction so we will cover what you need to know about that next time... www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel
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Factors that effect car braking part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:20:00 +0000

Factors that affect braking: Tyres are the car’s point of contact with the road, we have already covered (1) low tyre pressure, but what if you drive through a deep puddle, some flooding on the road or even a ford and the brake drums get (2) wet? This would directly affect your braking distance. Remember when it was raining heavily a few posts back and a certain person who was driving too fast for the conditions aquaplaned (cough-you-cough) causing a thin layer of water to become trapped between the tyre and the road? The same principal applies to wet brakes. Talking of aquaplaning leads me neatly to the next factor, if the roads are wet or icy or even melting after a long day baking in the sun these (3) environmental factors will also impact on your braking distance.

So that covers three factors affecting braking, two relating directly to the wheels and one below the wheels but what about above the wheels? more specifically in the engine compartment. There are a number of fluid levels to be maintained, (which we will discuss in an upcoming post) one of those fluids is (4) brake fluid which must be maintained at an adiquate level for optimal performance. Moving up the rank of brake accountability now from road to wheel to engine, we arrive at the driver and my main reason for bringing up this subject on a long downhill road, oops keep your eye on the road there.

Just as I suspected you would, you are allowing the vehicle to (5) coast down the hill in neutral. While this is very tempting on a long downhill it is also reducing your control over the car and by extension your braking because the car, without engine resistance, picks up speed a lot faster. As the vehicle rapidly picks up speed you are forced into using constant (6) excessive braking to compensate, leading to brake fade as the brakes overheat through friction. Before that happens lets ease back on the brake pedal and put the car into a low gear, this will engage the engine and give you back some control. A bit like engaging a parachute durin a freefall... www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Factors that effect car braking part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:11:00 +0000

We have a long downhill run ahead of us, this might be an opportune moment to cover some factors that affect braking. Lets kick off with (1) Under-inflated tyres, this not only effects your braking but also has a knock-on effect to your steering and fuel economy. Your tyres are your only point of contact with the road and they are low on pressure, step back for a moment and watch the front driver side wheel as we corner this next left bend in the road (it’s alright, I’ll steer the car) See the natural weight distribution of the car shifting to this wheel as we take the corner? the outside edge of the wheel is now taking the full burden of weight which is made worse by the low pressure. Wow, the steering feels really heavy because of it. Imagine the difference between heading a fully inflated football and one that is under-inflated. Got it? In fact lets run with this analogy and imagine all our wheels have been replaced with under-inflated footballs (or basketballs if you prefer) Because of the uneven weight distribution currently on our footballs the tread is now wearing faster on the outside of ball/tyre (remember we covered the legal tread depth back when we did the basic vehicle checks? Remember what it was? Sweet...mm) well there is also a legal requirement to maintain this minimum tread depth across the central three quarters of the tyre.

Now that we have identified heavy steering and uneven tread wear as two side-effects of low tyre pressure how does poor fuel economy enter the equation? Simple, lets go back to our football match analogy, the players look tired don't they? that's because they have been so busy running around after a ball that travels a shorter distance when kicked because it is low on pressure. As a result they are burning up their energy quicker and same goes for your car, it’s being made to work harder so it is naturally taking more fuel to compensate. More factors affecting braking next time, but in the meantime why not visit www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel and discover the undiscovered country of the Demon Road directly... http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Theory Test Novel: Bends, Country roads

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:45:00 +0000

The Demon road is long... with many a winding turn... he ain’t heavy... Oops sorry, just singing along with the Hollies there. Hey, don’t look at me like that, I didn’t choose the radio station, but maybe it chose us because there are a lot of bends in this country road and here comes another one right now. A right hand bend this time. Keep well to the left of the road as you approach it so you can expand your sightline of the road beyond the bend.
The types of hazards found in the towns can also be found in the country but with a difference. For example, in the town a slow driver may come in the guise of an elderly driver who's reactions have dulled, or a learner driver still uncertain of himself (which he will spend the next ten years making up for), the country cousin equivalent of a slow driver may be a tractor or a mounted horse (we will probably encounter all of these slow movers at some point in our journey). Blind bends also have their town/country cousins, we have already encountered blind junctions in the town and now here they are again but instead of manmade buildings blocking our view it is high hedgerows and trees.

Take note, there are very few pavements on a country road which means, as that sign on the right is warning, if there are any pedestrians around then they will be walking directly in the road which makes it especially important for us to use the full width of the road to get the best view possible around the bend.

Do you see that red glow coming into view? Looks like a whole group of pedestrians in the road with the lead person carrying a red light. This is what organised groups of walkers carry (remember this) Maybe they are going to the red light district... I made a little joke there but you're not laughing... lets move on... http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel

Theory Test Novel: Blue Light Vehicles

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 06 May 2012 06:27:00 +0000

Is that the same ambulance approaching us in the rear view mirror that collected the motorcycle rider? It’s lights are flashing and it’s moving fast, we better find a safe place to pull over and let it pass. Just be as cool as those flashing blues while you do so. While ambulances are uppermost in our minds lets discuss other blue light emergency vehicles. Not the most stimulating subject I grant, but you’re not here for stimulation are you? Oh right you are, stimulation for those parts of the mind that other driving theory test literature cannot reach, and that’s what I promised you with this blog and The Demon Road: Theory Test Novel. But as we drive along what is turning into a very scenic coastal road with views of the sea to our right, over the edge of sheer cliff drops, and rather stunning mountains off to our left, I am wondering how to tell you about all the different types of blue light vehicles in such a way that they, and this post are memorable enough for you not to forget...

Did you just see that? A Bomb just exploded on the coast road further up ahead, and now a huge crack several feet wide is opening up, look! The (1) ambulance is moving too fast to stop in time and now it has hit the fast widening crack. What a calamity, the ambulance driver has fallen out and tumbled over the cliff edge, down into the sea he falls but luckily a (2) Blue light coast guard vehicle is racing to the scene to pluck him out of the choppy sea. Perhaps not so fortunate for the poor injured motorcycle rider however, the back doors of the ambulance have burst open and the gurney he has been lying on is now freewheeling backwards out into the road. Looks like he is bleeding badly, blood is everywhere but maybe all is not lost. It looks like a blue light (3) blood transfusion unit is racing to the scene, now that’s what I call a service. Hot on its heels, a (4) police car and a (5) bomb disposal unit are racing each other to the site of the explosion. Watch out police car!... Ahhhh to late, the it has just skidded on all the blood in the road and disappeared into the crack which, alarmingly, is widening into a fissure and snaking its way up into the mountains.

Things are looking grim, the mountains are beginning to crumble as the earth opens up and the bad news for us is that a landslide is gathering pace which may well swallow us all. But what’s this? Incredibly, a blue light (5) Mountain rescue vehicle is racing up the mountainside (must have been a blue light convention happening nearby) anyway It is stopping directly in the path of the landslide. What a relief, it looks like the avalanche has been arrested, which is more arresting than the officers in that police car are going to be doing. But anyway, I think we better find a detour, now back to how I am going to tell you about all the different types of blue light vehicle in such a way that is memorable, you know what? I think, just on this one occasion, I am going to recommend you check out www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel because I am drawing a blank... http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel

Driving Theory Test Novel: Motorcycle, Dr ABC

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:57:00 +0000

Are we cool? Didn’t mean to snap at you in that last post, I was just a bit tense. It’s always a good idea to take a break and calm down after an incident. Looks like somebody else lost it up ahead too, look, there’s a motorcyclist laying in the road, is that the one that flew past us a few posts back? I thought we might be seeing him again.

We are the first arriving on the scene so we had better stop and take care of him, or her. Do you know what Dr ABC stands for? Yeah, I know, you’re not in the test centre yet. It stands for Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation. Before you get to the nitty gritty of checking the rider you need to assess the environment for Danger such as oncomng cars, he is laying in the road so he is in a vulnerable position. Your Response to the situation comes next and must be done without putting yourself at risk and exaserbating things. I recommend you put your hazard warning lights on at this point to warn other road users of the hazard, better call emergancy services as well as nobody else is around to do so. Ok, lets check this rider out. Ensure you don't move him unless it is essential, we don't know if he has suffered a neck injury, your first priority will be to check his breathing. In another situation you could you could put your cheek over his/her mouth to feel for breathing before checking his Airway to make sure it not blocked before moving on to getting breathing and circulation going again if needed. However, and for the same reasons you will not be moving him unless essential, i.e potential neck injury, you won't be removing his helmet. You could lift his visor and put your cheek over his mouth to feel for the breathing bit, but maybe there is another way to tell, check his visor out, you see it has fogged up? this indicates that he is breathing ok. His chest is also rising and falling so no need for cpr this time hey, relieved?
You must wait for the ambulance to arrive now and I will rejoin you after it has been. Hey, no point in both of us being here. Do you have a smart phone? Why not check out how Mr Green handles the same situation in The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel. You can find out more at www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel please like the page, many thanks.
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Theory Test Novel: Lorries, Roundabouts & Indicators

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:59:00 +0000

Looks like there is a hazard ahead, just as I predicted (aaahh, not really) when you know how to read the road and its multitude of signs the only real hazards are the less predictable human ones. But even these become easier to predict as your experience grows and you begin to recognise repeat patterns of behaviour in the body language of your fellow road users. Take this stationary hazard up ahead for instance (it’s a roundabout, didn’t you see the sign?) although the road is opening up into two lanes as we approach it the lorry in front of us is keeping to the left hand lane yet he has begun signalling to turn right. Well that’s a bit of a contradiction right? And you’re thinking that if he’s staying in the left hand lane then he probably intends going straight ahead at the roundabout, just like us, which gives you a small window of opportunity to take advantage of these two lanes and overtake him before we resume our single lane crawl behind him on the other side? If you were thinking that I wouldn’t blame you, once upon a time I would have been thinking the same, but then, I didn’t have an older and wiser me riding shotgun.
Let’s stay in this left hand lane behind him, I think, despite his lane positioning, his indicators are no mistake and that he fully intends taking the last exit off the roundabout which, if I am right, will solve our problem and leave the way clear for us to go straight ahead without the need for any risky overtaking. He’s slowing, Ok, hold back and see what he does... There, he IS going around to the right, but because he needs to manoeuvre a long vehicle he is using the full width of the roundabout to swing his trailer around which is why he kept to the left hand lane. Whenever in doubt about somebody elses intentions always hold back and wait to see what they do.

There’s one important thing to remember about using indicators as we come to the roundabout now, and this only applies when you intend going straight ahead, do not indicate until you are already going around, only then begin to indicate for your exit once you have passed the prior exit. That’s it, you got it, finally it looks like we have a clear run ahead of us...
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Theory Test Novel: Aquaplaning

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 May 2012 04:43:00 +0000

All this driving can get very monotonous when an overcast sky and heavy rainfall bleed the light and colour from the day. That constant pitter-patter of rain on the roof of the car is also beginning to anesthetise my senses, how about you? Your eyes are looking a bit glazed over there, hope the weather is responsible for that and not my voice.
Have you noticed how quiet it has suddenly become in here? I can almost hear a pin drop, do you mind if I just feel the steering wheel for a moment? As I thought, the steering has become as light as a feather. HEY! WATCH OUT. The monotony of the weather has put you in a trance and you have sped up without realising it, now we are aquaplaning.
You no longer have any control of the car and we are drifting toward the side of the road and a ditch, here’s what I need you to do, stay cool and gently decelerate, as we slow down your control over the car should return, let’s just hope it happens before we go into the ditch. What is happening is that the wheels have lost contact with the road and we are now driving on a thin layer of surface water between the tarmac and the wheels. This is known as aquaplaning and happened because you were driving far too fast for the wet conditions. Ahh, can you hear that? That is the sound of the wheels coming into contact with the road surface again which is sweet music to my ears right now. The last thing I want is for this road trip to end prematurely in a waterlogged ditch. Ok, Control is only just returning to the car so steer just as gently as when you eased off the accelerator, no sudden movements is the key to survival when you are aquaplaning.

We got off lightly there... oh, did you see what I just did there? Lightly? The steering was light as a feather? Lightly easing off on the accelerator? The whole theme of aqu.. You know what, never mind, just stay focused on the road. Might be a good idea to open a window, if you're still feeling drowsy, and let some fresh air in although speaking for myself, my adrenaline is right up, I think I need a break... www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel
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Overtaking & Road Markings

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:14:00 +0000

The roads of the UK are heavily populated and growing all the time which means getting stuck behind slower moving traffic is inevitable, not only in the towns and cities but in the country also. Where your level of skill will be defined now is not by a hair-raising overtake of this HGV in front of us but by your self control in awaiting the right time to overtake. Remember, this lorry is a long vehicle and will take longer to pass, so unless we have a clear and unobstructed view well beyond it then you must be patient for your opportunity. If in doubt don’t pull out. The national speed limit currently is 60mph on this two-way country road but If our slow pace feels frustrating then don’t blame the lorry driver, his driving speed is restricted by law to 40mph. Look out for The Demon Road: A Theory Test Novel released on June 1^st, it contains a clever little memory trick rhyme that reveals the speed limit for every type of vehicle (motorbike, car, van, HGV) on every type of road (one lane, two lanes, motorways) in just three short sentences. Not to blow my own trumpet but that’s amazing.

Hey check out the road markings, see that big white arrow painted in the road? That’s an instruction for over-takers to get back in lane. That tells me there must be a hazard coming up. There is another clue in the road markings that a hazard is up ahead in the road, the white lines in the middle of the road have changed from short lines with long gaps to long lines with short gaps, this occurs on the approach to any stationary hazard such as a junction or roundabout with any luck this HGV will go in another direction leaving us free to go on our way. Incidentally, given the heavy rain which is creating low visibility conditions, did you switch on your dipped headlights..? http://twitter.com/theorytestnovel www.facebook.com/TheoryTestNovel