WHAT SKILLS DO I NEED TO LEARN?
THE FUNDAMENTALS
INTERSECTIONS AND GIVING WAY
When you’re driving up to an intersection make sure you don’t speed up if you see another car, instead, you can do it safely by checking for a safe and legal pathway, checking your mirrors, signalling for three seconds if turning and use brakes and gear changes if necessary. You can accelerate up to traffic speed when it is safe enough and you have crossed into the road that you want to be on. Remember to follow give way rules if they apply.
If there is a sign such as a give way or stop sign at your lane of the intersection you must obey it as it means other drivers have right of way. At a stop sign you must come to a complete stop and wait until you have given way to all other vehicles. If there is another vehicle at a stop sign too then use give way rules. When there is a give way sign you must slow down and prepare to stop to give way to all vehicles except those at a stop sign. If there is another vehicle coming towards you at a give way sign then use give way rules.
You’ll need to give way to trains if you’re near train tracks too. The signal will usually start sounding with lights flashing and a barrier arm going down to show you that a train is coming, but this might not always be the case. Sometimes these signals might not work so it’s important to make sure you look both ways before you cross from one side to another and never stop and wait on the railway crossing itself in case a train comes by.
One-way bridges are another part of the roads that you’ll need to give way and be cautious of vehicles. A sign on your side of the bridge that has a red circle with arrows mean you have to give way to other vehicles. A blue rectangle sign means that other vehicles need to give way to you.
ROUNDABOUTS
When driving around a roundabout, you should check both the interior and exterior mirrors to ensure it is safe to go around, you should also check your mirrors when exiting the roundabout to check if the way is clear and to safely exit. Before entering a roundabout slow down your vehicle, stop or give way if it is required. While you are stopped or slowed, check the roundabout and exits for hazards to avoid before you encounter them.
When there is one available, select an appropriate gap in the roundabout traffic so you can merge safely. Keep your vehicle in the right position as you go around the roundabout and indicate left for three seconds before leaving the roundabout. This is usually just as you pass the exit before the one you want to take. Then you can accelerate to match the speed for the road you just exited onto and you have made it through the roundabout!
MERGING
Sometimes roads might merge together when broken lanes stop, so it’s important to make sure vehicles on the road merge safely with plenty of space to avoid crashes. The easiest way to remember how to merge is “merge like a zip”. This means letting a vehicle in one lane go first, then a vehicle in the other lane goes next, just like how a zipper moves together when zipping something up!
Another way you will have to merge is through merge lanes. These help your vehicle to merge into the traffic flow when turning onto a road. When you’re at a merge lane you should indicate for three seconds, safely move into a gap and be prepared to adjust your following distance and speed as needed.
You will also need to merge when you use an on-ramp or an off-ramp to leave or enter a motorway. On-ramps are similar to merge lanes where you change the speed to match the traffic. You should use the whole on-ramp to do this rather than speeding up at the end. Matching the traffic speed by accelerating or decelerating on on-ramps and off-ramps is super important as it’s a big safety hazard and it could annoy other drivers on the road if you’re not at the right speed. Signal right for three seconds and pick a safe gap to merge into when leaving the on-ramp or off-ramp. Then you can adjust your speed and following distance once you’re joined up with the other vehicles on the road to the speed limit.
When you want to use an off-ramp on a motorway you need to watch for exit signs. Then you signal left for three seconds and move into the left-hand lane as soon as it is safe to do so. You should keep up with the speed of the traffic until you are on the off-ramp and can adjust your speed to fit the road you exited onto.
Important: Do not enter or leave a motorway at a sharp angle. You want to keep yourself and other drivers on the motorway safe!
mIRROR CHECKS
There are three mirrors to check in your vehicle. These are your rear-view, right-wing and left-wing mirrors. You will need to check your mirrors every time you indicate, change lanes or make a turn. It is recommended that you also check your mirrors every five seconds to eight seconds so you have a good idea of hazards and the road around you, just not checking up on how you look and your makeup; you should be sitting in the passenger seat or stopped safely to do that!
You should also check your rear-view mirror if you’re waiting in a queue to ensure the vehicles behind you are slowing down and stopping. While it is very important to check your mirrors frequently, you also need to make sure your mirrors are in the right place so you get the best possible view of the road around you. You should be able to see the very edge of your car but also the maximum amount of lane possible from your mirrors. Your mounted mirror should be positioned where you can see as much behind you as you can. This positioning reduces the size of your blind spots so you can spot other hazards much easier.
HAND POSITION ON WHEEL
When you are driving a vehicle, it is important to have your hands in the right position on the wheel. As a guide you should use the ‘quarter to three’ position. This positioning allows your hands and arms to be out of the way if your airbags need to be used in a crash so you don’t break them. Pretend the wheel is an analogue clock by putting your right hand where two should be on a clock and your left at the 45-minute mark. Be careful to never only use one hand or to cross your hands over while driving as this could end with you losing control of the vehicle, or not being able to avoid hazards that may come your way while on the road.
PARKING
Learning to park safely will be a super important part of your driving, so it’s important to nail the perfect park! You’ll have to indicate for at least three seconds to go into and turn out of a park, just like you would on a driveway or another road. If you are parking on the side of the road you should park parallel so your car lines up with the road and as close to the left side of the road as you can.
When you’re parallel and as far left as possible to the road you want to park on you should turn the front wheels to the kerb. If your car is a manual, leave the car in reverse gear and if it’s an automatic put the vehicle into park. Then you apply the handbrake and you’ve safely parked your vehicle!
Try to get out of your vehicle from the side that doesn’t have traffic and look out for any pedestrians, cyclists or other vehicles before you open your door for your safety and to keep others safe too. At night you should only park your vehicle on the side of the road if it can be seen by other drivers, so park near street lights to avoid someone crashing into your parked vehicle.
Tip: turn your mirrors in and when parallel parking so you can see how close you are to the curb.
DEMERIT POINTS
You get demerit points for infringing or committing offences which can breach your license conditions. These should be avoided as, if you get too many, your license can be taken away from you! Demerit points last for two years from the date that you committed the offence and are given by police officers.
If you get 100 demerit points during any two-year period, your license will be suspended for three months and you won’t be able to drive at all. After this period, you’ll have to get your license back by going to a licensing agent. This could be VTNZ, AA or NZTA. If you’ve been suspended for 12 months or more then you’ll have to pass the test(s) and pay the fees again to regain your previous license. If you drive when you’re suspended or disqualified you may be forbidden to drive, fined or even jailed.
There are many different areas you can accumulate demerit points, you can get them from speeding, your phone, failing to follow your license requirements like displaying your L plates or not following rules about vehicles, alcohol, commercial driving, helmets, pedestrian crossings/zones, railways and not following road rules. To view the full list of offences and how many demerit points each offence is worth see here.
OTHER TIPS
When you want to overtake a vehicle, only do it when it’s safe to do so and plenty of room to pass to the other side. You can only pass on the left in a few scenarios, like when you are in a separate lane e.g., a turning lane or when a vehicle is turning right or stopped e.g., in a queue. You’ll need to be able to see 100 metres of road in front of you after you overtake, so don’t overtake unless you can do this. Don’t go over the speed limit to overtake as the speed limit is the maximum speed you can go in good environmental and road conditions.
Speed limits take effect as soon as you get to the signpost so if you’re driving fast and the next speed limit is lower, you need to be able to get to or below that lower limit before your reach the sign. If you are going to a higher speed, you speed up to or below the new limit after you reach the sign.
