THINGS TO REMEMBER BEFORE THE THEORY AND DRIVING TESTS

Introduction:

This booklet contains tips and rules to remember before the theory and driving test. It is
recommended that the entire booklet is read through before the theory test.

Speed Limits:

Built up areas:

Within 50 km/hr
Outside 80 km/hr
Motorway 130 km/hr
Motor traffic way 80 km/hr

Speed must be lowered at/ when:

• Unclear visibility at cross roads

• Unclear visibility at bend
• Unclear visibility at pedestrian crossing
• Unclear visibility near hill
• Meeting a small road
• Railway crossing
• Running, playing and cycling children
• If you less grip on the road
• If you have low visibility

Speed limits for different vehicles

Bus 80 km/hr (80 km/hr in motorway)

Truck 70 km/hr (80 km/hr in motorway)
Car with trailer 70 km/hr (80 km/hr in motorway)
Tractor 30 km/hr

Alcohol

Maximum allowed promille (per thousand) in the blood...

If you are not involved in a traffic accident = 0.50
If you are involved in a traffic accident = 0.00

The steering wheel should never be given to a person who you know or should know is under the
influence of alcohol.
Medication is as dangerous as alcohol and if mixed it is even worse.
Road conditions
You must be specially aware of the following situations that can or will affect driving. But
remember the one closer to you first. For example if there are children on the road then forget the
cross road further ahead

Course of the road:

Places with reduced orientation or where you have less space.

Use of the road:

If you see or are warned on other use of the road, as well as shopping streets and parking roads.

Surroundings of the road:

When something on the wayside makes driving on the road harder/dangerous.

Equipment of the road:

When you need to take extra care on others in the traffic especially pedestrians and cyclists

Type of road:
The road’s own rules and regulations

Below is a list of things that may be asked about in the theory tests concerning the road conditions:

Should you be especially aware?

Course of the road: Answer YES ….

- Up a hill
- At a bend / curve
- At cross roads
- At railway crossings
- At roundabouts
- At narrowing roads
- Pedestrian crossing

Use of the road: Answer YES ….

- School/institution
- Shopping streets
- Sports centre
- Roads with parked cars (busy roads )
- Warning signs about children
- Bus stops (many people)

Surrounding of the road: Answer YES ….

- Trees casting shadows and slippery roads
- Trees shedding leaves on the road
- Lakes / sea that make the road wet
- Mud on the roads from for example tractors
- Shopping streets / residential roads
Equipment of the road: Answer YES if there isn’t
- footpath
- cycle path
- road markings
Answer YES if you come to
- pedestrian crossing
- foot bridge

Type of the road: Answer YES

- Motorway
- Motor traffic way
- Main roads
- Roads where speed is to be lessened
- Near play / residential areas
- Walking street

Overtaking

Always from the left – unless the car in front is turning left (remember to check the cycle path on
the right side of the road)

Overtaking forbidden:
• Before or at railway crossing
• Before or at pedestrian crossing. Exception: if there is 100% unblocked visibility over the
entire crossing + 1 metre on either side.
• On the way up a hill Exception: if there are 2 lanes and double solid lines that may not be
crossed).
• At bends (that have unclear visibility) - Exception: if there are 2 lanes and double solid
lines that may not be crossed. You can overtake in at a light regulated crossing if there is
more than one lane in the same direction.
• Before or at crossroads: Exceptions: Side roads have absolute duty and there is complete
visibility as well as at light regulated crossing if there is more than one lane in the same
direction.

Stopping and Parking

Stopping

Every voluntary stopping of vehicle for less than 3 minutes with or without the driver. Stopping
also includes dropping off or picking up and loading and unloading of goods irrespective of the
amount of goods.

Parking
Every voluntary stopping of vehicle for more than 3 minutes with or without the driver.
General
When you park or stop you may not cause danger or inconvenience for others and stopping and
parking should as a rule be done on the right side of the road in the same direction as the traffic.

Stopping and parking is not

- a puncture
- stopping at a red light
- other involuntary stops

You may not park at the following places:

- Closer than 30 m from both sides of a railway crossing
- Outside a gate or driveway
- Beside another vehicle (double parking)

You may not stop (and park) at the following places:

- Hill - Immediately before or on a hill

- Turn of road – Immediately before or in an visibly unclear turn of road
- Before pedestrian crossing – not closer than 5 m before the crossing but may right after.
- Cycle path - not closer than 5m from the cycle path’s ending.
- Solid lines –there should be minimum 3 m from your car out to the solid line or 5 m distance
to the beginning of the solid line
- At cross roads not closer than 10m both before and after.
- At railway crossing – You may not stop closer than 5m before / after (30m before/after for
parking. You may stop on the tracks in harbour areas and distance to the tracks should be
2m for parking).
- ‘Whole’ yellow painted curb line (stopping allowed at stripped yellow lines).
- In viaduct or tunnel (under bridge)
- On slow lane in motorways
- On cycle paths (neither completely or partly )
- Taxi waiting places
- At bus stops (you should be at least 12m from the sign)
- On the opposite side of the road – unless the road is one way and is less busy

Road duties

Absolute duty means that you must give way to traffic crossing from both the left and the
right. It does mean that you must stop the vehicle unless there is a full STOP.

You have absolute duty if there are shark teeth or sign board for absolute duty as well as a full
STOP.

You also have absolute duty if you drive over a foot path, cycle path or out from
ground/property, parking place , petrol pump and rural road.
 Right hand give way duty means that you must give way traffic on the right but at the same
time check that the vehicle from your left is giving way to you.
Right hand give way duty applies if no one has absolute duty that is there are no markings at the
cross roads.

General
You have not observed your duties if you have caused inconvenience. That is when you come in
from the side road you must increase your speed so that the other car does not catch up.

Most used topics in the police’s theory test

The main rule to remember is to listen carefully to the text accompanying the picture .

Coming in from the curb – remember the check your position with respect to the cars from
behind when coming on to the road

“Foot on the brake” (ready to brake): Examples road crossings in residential areas, children
and youngsters on footpath, road works on the lane etc.

“I slow down to a minimum speed “(as low speed as possible)

Examples: Children playing on the road, elderly people / handicapped persons on the road.

“I brake” (activation of the brakes, lower speed)

“I stop” (Activation of brakes to stop) Examples: Inattentive pedestrians on the road, danger of
running over etc.

Reduced grip on road

You should be aware of reduced grip on the road if there is: snow, ice, water, mud, wet leaves
etc.
You should only be aware of the sign for slippery road if there is a under sign and the conditions
of the under sign are met at present.

Pedestrians
Take special care of: children, school patrols, the elderly and road workers. Hold back for
pedestrians in or on the way into pedestrian crossings. If the pedestrian crossing has a divider in the
middle of the road you must hold back when the pedestrian approaches the divider

Cyclists
If cyclists pass by on the road (without cycle paths) evaluate the cyclist’s intention in connection
with cross roads, bend etc.
Be aware that some cyclists may not be in a position to sign by hand while trying to control the
cycle (sway, lift hand only a little)

Placing
Always stay to the right on the road even if other cars may be on the middle of the road.
Left turn
Always hold back for on coming traffic, don’t start a turn that you are not sure of completing. When
there is more than one left turning lanes keep to the right one. The left left turning lane is used only
for overtaking or if you are going to take a left turn immediately after that.

Right turn
Move to the right side after checking for vehicles from behind in a way so that there is no space on
your right for 2 wheelers.
If you are holding back for example for a pedestrian while taking a right turn it should be in such a
way that the cyclists’ way is not blocked.

Overtaking
Take care of 4 things before over taking
1. There should not be another vehicle trying to overtake you.
2. The overtaking lane is free of on coming traffic or other obstructions.
3. You may not overtake if the car in front starts to overtake.
4. Ensure that there is place to come into the right lane again.

Yellow lines
Yellow lines always take priority over white lines. Remember that stop lines and pedestrian
crossings are still valid.

On the motorway / motor traffic way

You may not turn, reverse, stop or park. Emergency lanes are for emergency vehicles to pass
through as are the ‘holes’ in the middle part of the motorway. If the exit and entry lanes are
combined the rules for lane change are valid (broken lines all the way). With entry there may be
absolute duty, the vehicles on the motorway have a duty to help you in by changing to the left lane.

Traffic flow
You must remember to work towards a good traffic flow. If it is possible to pass trucks, tractors and
busses then do so. Do not do so if there are fast vehicles.

Car’s size /
Max 12m long, 4 m high and 2.55 m in breadth with or without weight. Goods must be marked if
they hang more than 1 m out of the front or back of the car. Goods must also be marked if they hang
more than 15cm over the side of the car.

Specially aware
Meaning: You should use most of your awareness on that now and that affects your continued
driving.

Technique in key words

Brakes
• Brakes may not press all the way to the bottom when stepping hard on them. The pedal
movement is otherwise dependent of the manufacturing.
 • Brake pedal may not sink down while being held down with a constant pressure.
• For vacuum (or power) system brakes the pedal should on being pressed a number of times
sink a little while held down and the motor then on started.
• Brake fluid should be between the minimum and max marks.

Steering wheel
• With newer cars there is normally no free play. This is checked by seeing whether the
wheels immediately follow the movement of the steering wheel (in cars with power
steering this is done after starting the engine).
• Power steering fluid should follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. This can be
checked by seeing whether the fluid is between the min and max marks or by checking
whether the control light for this is on.

Lights, reflectors and horn

• All lights and reflectors should be whole and clean and all lights should light.
• The dipped headlight should not dazzle (judged by the fact that edge of the light limit falls
1 cm per meter.
• Stop lights should be more powerful than the tail lights
• Indicator light should blink with a yellow light that is clearly visible in the sunlight.
• Hazard light should light all indicator lights at the same time.
• Number plate’s lights should be white and the rear number plate should be readable.
• Lights which are a part of a pair must have the same colour and light strength.
• Horn should have a clear constant tone.

Motor and exhaust system etc

• The motor should not make unnecessary noise and emit unnecessary smoke.
• There should not be leakages.
• Exhaust system should not have leaks and should be stuck fast
• Motor oil should be of the required amount seen by the max and min marks or by the
recommendation in the instruction book.
• Coolant should be filled to be required level based on the instruction books
recommendations.
•
Tyres and shock absorbers
• The tyre should have a depth of at least 1.6 mm in the main pattern on all wheels; this is
judged by the tread indicator.
• The silencer should work on all wheels judged by the fact that the car should not bounce
after a powerful release.
Other
• Sprinkler liquid should be filled to the required amount.

You get a clip if you:

• Cross the speed limit by more than 30%
• Drive too close to the car in front
• Drive illegally in the emergency lane
• Children under 15 in the car are not wearing seat belts
 • Break the rules for over taking and over taking forbidden
• Cross solid line while over taking
• Increase speed while you are being overtaken
• Overtake at a pedestrian crossing
• Drive in the wrong traffic direction
• Drive unsafely slalom and passing in close traffic
• Change driving direction and cause danger / unnecessary inconvenience for traffic
• Drive left on divider
• Race while driving
• Drive over railway crossing if the stop signal has been given
• Passengers between 8 and 15 are not wearing helmets on a motor cycle
• Break rules of road duty
• Drive through a red light

If you are a new driver you can only get 2 clips in a 3 years period , thereafter you lose your license.