Overtaking & Road Markings

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