Unit 4: Drive safely and efficiently
What you must be able to do and understand to drive safely and responsibly in traffic.
This unit focuses on minimising risk when driving, defensive and eco-safe driving techniques, and the interaction between road users.
The aim of this unit is to help you understand how your own behaviour and attitude, and that of other drivers, affects your ability to drive safely and responsibly. It gives you some tools to help you to work with other drivers. The final learning outcome focuses on how to deal with incidents that may occur when driving.
In this unit you may feel that you are covering some things again. This is partly true, but this is part of learning to drive. You can now bring together the skills and knowledge that you have built up in the first three units. You should see it as the stepping stone to being able to drive independently and safely to a consistent standard.
The 3 learning outcomes in this unit are:
This learning outcome covers:
Signalling
What you need to be able to do
You need to be able to:
- give timely, clear and correct signals according to The Highway Code
- position your vehicle to support your signalled intentions
- use horn and lights correctly to communicate with other road users
- avoid showing aggressive or negative behaviour toward other road users
What you need to know and understand
You need to know and understand:
- the correct use of all signals according to The Highway Code and when they need to be given
- the importance of cancelling signals so that they do not mislead other road users
- how to link the use of signals to the application of a safe and systematic routine such as ‘mirrors, signal, manoeuvre’
- how positioning of the vehicle can support or contradict the signals you are giving. The rules on using the horn and headlights as a warning
- the rules on the use of hazard warning lights
- how negative behaviour (such as road rage) toward other road users, by you or your passengers, can lead to further negative behaviour by other road users
- how to manage your own behaviour while driving to:
- avoid aggressive or negative behaviour toward other road users
- minimise aggressive or negative behaviour toward you
- that showing courtesy and restraint can have a positive effect on others.
Awareness
What you need to be able to do
You need to be able to:
- actively scan the road-space all around, both close-up and into the distance
- make sure that you are aware of all other road users (including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists) and have time to plan what you are going to do
- show awareness of other road users, anticipate what they are likely to do and give them time and space to manoeuvre
- allow for other road users who may not react:
- as quickly as you expect
- in the way that you expect
- allow for others’ mistakes
- monitor and manage your own reaction to other road users
- identify and respond correctly to vulnerable road users
- respond correctly to emergency vehicles
What you need to know and understand
You need to know and understand:
- how awareness and anticipation of other road users, and planning your actions, can contribute to a safe and efficient driving environment
- the importance of giving other road users the time and space they need in varying road and traffic conditions, for example when overtaking
- that being patient and considerate generally results in everybody getting where they want to more quickly and safely
- the particular needs of road users whose ability to manoeuvre is limited in some way, such as by disability or age or lack of experience
- the particular need to make allowances for those:
- accompanied by young children
- riding or leading animals that might behave unpredictably
- how to respond when emergency vehicles are on call and how to assist their safe progress, whether they are approaching from behind, ahead or from side roads
Making progress
What you need to be able to do
You need to be able to:
- make progress on the road by:
- driving at a suitable speed for the road and conditions
- overtaking when:
- necessary
- legal
- safe
- allow others to make progress
What you need to know and understand
You need to know and understand:
- how to select a suitable speed for the road and conditions
- how to make progress and how failing to do so can lead to negative behaviour in other road users
- what to consider when deciding whether to overtake
- where you may and may not overtake
- that if you decide not to overtake a slower moving vehicle you should leave a gap so that others can overtake you if they wish to
This learning outcome covers:
Defensive driving
What you need to be able to do
You need to be able to:
- drive defensively, which means that you:
- judge speed and distance correctly and effectively
- create and maintain a safe ‘driving space’ around your vehicle
- do not encroach unnecessarily on other road users’ space can stop safely within the distance you can see to be clear
- always use a safe and systematic routine when driving, including effective scanning
- look for clues for potential hazards and anticipate situations that might turn into a hazard prioritise hazards and potential hazards effectively
- ensure that your vehicle is in an appropriate position on the road, in the right gear and travelling at the right speed so that you can respond appropriately to any hazard
- maintain your attention to the driving task when faced with distractions
- be aware of your own physical and mental fitness and assess whether it is affecting your fitness to drive
- where you identify weakness in your ability to drive safely and responsibly, take steps to improve that ability.
What you need to know and understand
You need to know and understand:
- how to adjust your separation distance from other road users and create a safe driving space when on the move and when stationary
- that your safe driving space will vary in different road and traffic conditions, for example when driving:
- on wet roads
- in traffic queues
- in tunnels
- the importance of adjusting your vehicle’s speed to what you can see ahead
- the importance of the consistent application of safe and systematic routines
- the importance of active scanning and how anticipation can help to make sure that you are in a position to respond safely to a hazard
- techniques for scanning in a systematic way
- what affects, and how to maximise, your zone of vision
- how to look for and spot the clues that point to potential hazards
- how to position your vehicle and make sure that you are in the right gear and travelling at the right speed to be able to respond to any hazard that emerges
- how distractions (such as disruption from passengers or looking at a sat nav screen) can affect your ability to drive safely
- how to spot situations that could lead to a loss of attention or awareness in different driving situations
- how to maintain attention and awareness in different driving situations
- the importance of constantly reviewing your driving performance as:
- you gain experience
- your life circumstances change
Eco-safe driving
What you need to be able to do
You need to be able to:
- follow the principles of eco-safe driving, by:
- removing excess weight (including roof racks or storage) from your vehicle when not needed
- planning well ahead, as you make progress on the road, so that you can accelerate, decelerate and brake smoothly and progressively to minimise fuel consumption
- using the highest gear appropriate for the road and traffic conditions
- using cruise control, where and when appropriate
- making appropriate decisions about the use of ancillary equipment
- turning off the engine, when appropriate
What you need to know and understand
You need to know and understand:
- that you should not put eco-driving techniques above safe driving principles, although generally the two approaches are mutually supportive
- how carrying unnecessary equipment or luggage, such as roof top boxes, can increase fuel consumption
- how to plan (linked to the early identification of hazards to avoid harsh acceleration and braking)
- the importance of the smooth application of all controls, for example smooth acceleration, minimising unnecessary revving
- the environmental benefits of using the highest gear possible, recognising when to change down to avoid engine labour
- how to use cruise control, if fitted, to minimise fuel consumption
- how appropriate engine braking can benefit fuel consumption and reduce wear and tear
- the effects of using features such as air conditioning or heated windscreens on fuel consumption
- when it is of benefit to turn the engine off, for example at a level crossing traffic queue
- the operation of automatic engine cut-off systems, where fitted
This learning outcome covers:
Breakdowns
What you need to be able to do
If your vehicle breaks down, you need to be able to:
- stop your vehicle in a safe place to minimise future risk and switch off the engine
- where appropriate get out of your vehicle
- make sure any passengers, loads and animals are managed safely
- make sure, where practical and safe to do so, that you provide adequate warning to other road users to minimise risk
- get appropriate help
What you need to know and understand
If your vehicle breaks down when in motion, you need to know and understand:
- how to:
- control your vehicle
- bring it to a safe stop
- make sure that the engine is switched off
- where you have the option, the importance of selecting a safe place to stop and wait for help
- the risks associated with staying in your vehicle in some situations, such as on a dual carriageway or motorway
- the need to make sure that passengers, particularly young children, do not wander onto the road
- that you must leave animals in the vehicle unless there is a very good reason for taking them out, such as the risk of fire
- if you do take animals out of the vehicle you must keep them under control
- when and how to warn other road users, by use of hazard warning lights or a warning triangle
- how to contact appropriate help
Incidents
What you need to be able to do
If you are witness to, or involved in, an incident, you need to be able to:
- where appropriate, stop your vehicle in safe place to minimise future risk and switch off the engine
- provide warning to other road users, where practical and safe to do so
- get appropriate help
- complete legal requirements accurately and in good time
What you need to know and understand
You need to know and understand:
- what the law requires you to do when involved in an incident, such as stopping and giving your details
- what the law requires you to do when you are a witness to an incident
- that it may not always be appropriate to stop immediately when you are witness to an incident, especially if by stopping you may put yourself or other road users at risk. Where you have the option, the importance of selecting a safe place to stop
- when and how to warn other road users, by use of hazard warning lights or a warning triangle
- when it is appropriate to contact the police or emergency services and how to do so
- what documentation you are required to complete or information you are required to supply if witness to or involved in an incident