Chapter 6: Driving Behaviour and Road Courtesy — theory test questions and answers

Answer C: People 18 and over are assumed to be mature enough to drive safely and responsibly. At 18 people are assumed to be sufficiently mature to drive safely and responsibly, although the book notes this is often far from reality.

Answer D: They lack experience of the traffic environment and many are insufficiently mature. Novice drivers have insufficient experience to understand the traffic environment and many are insufficiently mature; they also find it harder to rectify mistakes.

Answer A: The ego stage. Infants display egoism, thinking mainly of themselves — the ego stage. Many drivers have never got past it.

Answer C: The child understands that society needs rules and tries to abide by them. As the child grows, egoism gives way to accepting that society needs a set of rules; the child tries to abide by them — the rule stage.

Answer A: The community stage. The highest level is the community stage: respect for others, tolerance and awareness that human abilities are limited — the spirit, not just the letter, of the law.

Answer D: It makes accidents more frequent and often more severe. Immaturity boosts accident statistics: an immature driver may see the car as an instrument of power that enhances his personality.

Answer B: They can make young people feel invulnerable so they disregard real risks. Fantasy heroes always win; once young people believe themselves invulnerable they tend to disregard the very real risks in traffic.

Answer D: Is not irritated by them and adapts to them. A safe driver is not irritated by others’ mistakes; he adapts to them, remembering that other road users can make mistakes too.

Answer D: Wanting to test what the car can “do”, such as taking a bend at eighty. In the experimental phase young people test how far they can go, which on the road becomes testing whether the car can take a sharp bend at eighty or be pulled out of a skid.

Answer A: He is playing a part he cannot handle, on the public highway instead of a racetrack. Confusing make-believe with reality is deficient reality-adaptation; he plays a role he cannot handle, and on the Corniche instead of a racetrack.

Answer A: Aggression makes you a bad driver: it impairs judgement and causes unconsidered decisions. Poor self-control and aggression impair your ability to assess traffic, lead to unconsidered decisions and create conflict with other drivers.

Answer B: The ability to remain alert and concentrated over a long period. A good driver remains alert and concentrated over long periods; daydreaming lets attention wander from the task of driving.

Answer D: As better-than-average drivers. Young males rated themselves better than average, while young females thought themselves mediocre or below average; the accident statistics show the men overestimate.

Answer D: More extensively and systematically, scanning right- and left-hand bends differently. Experienced drivers scan more extensively and systematically and recognise more potential hazards; novices treat all bends alike and see traffic as static.

Answer A: Off to the right of their vehicle. Inexperienced drivers tend to look off to the right of the vehicle, take longer to react, drive faster and less smoothly.

Answer D: They are mostly courteous and considerate and seldom involved in single-vehicle accidents. Elderly drivers are usually courteous, critical of their own performance, and seldom involved in single-vehicle accidents; they should adapt to their physical abilities and avoid night and heavy traffic if possible.

Answer B: Driving at night and in heavy traffic. Elderly drivers must adapt driving to their physical abilities and, if possible, avoid driving at night and in heavy traffic.

Answer B: One that acts first and thinks later — dangerous in traffic. Impulsiveness — acting first and thinking later — is typical of children and merely dangerous in traffic; it may cause loss of control.

Answer B: They never admit mistakes, so they never change their behaviour or learn from experience. Drivers who blame others feel no need to admit they were wrong, so they never modify their behaviour and cannot learn from experience.

Answer A: Repression. Repression is pushing unpleasant thoughts aside; it reduces awareness of danger and increases risk-taking, so the accident rate rises.

Answer B: Reaction formation. Reaction formation is doing the opposite of how you feel: insecurity shows as aggressive rudeness; it has caused many accidents.

Answer D: A feeling of superiority and the notion that other road users should make way. Prestige-driven self-assertion is based on a feeling of superiority over other drivers and the notion that others should make way.

Answer C: Do not take up the challenge; “an eye for an eye” only increases the chance of an accident. No matter who is right, taking up the challenge merely increases your likelihood of causing an accident.

Answer A: It breaches the Traffic Law, causes accidents and shows an inconsiderate personality. Jumping the queue breaches the Traffic Law, is a potential cause of accidents and a bad example; do not do it — it saves only seconds.

Answer C: Probability conditioning. Probability conditioning adapts habits to how often you expect an event; it invades the subconscious and breeds dangerous habits — when a car does come you have no chance.

Answer A: Forgetting what the instructor taught in favour of the bad habits seen around you. Once lessons stop, there is a strong risk of ignoring what you learned in favour of the bad driving styles seen on the road; nobody can force you to adopt bad habits.

Answer B: Superficial learning. Believing that rules plus car handling make a driver reflects superficial learning; if you want to be a good driver it is not enough.

Answer B: Directly experiencing, discussing and analysing many traffic situations with your teacher. In-depth learning comes from experiencing, discussing and analysing traffic situations with your teacher; only then is knowledge permanently retained.

Answer D: Practising new skills over and over, beyond mastery, until they become automatic. Overlearning means practising skills beyond the point of mastery until driving becomes second nature.

Answer B: As a beginner who still needs a great deal of practical experience. Even after excellent training and passing the test, regard yourself as a beginner who needs much practical experience before being reasonably safe.

Answer C: Smoking and phoning distract; keep hands on the wheel, eyes on the road, mind on traffic. Emotional problems, phoning, smoking and changing CDs all distract; doing two things at once is very risky, especially for inexperienced drivers.

Answer C: When the demands of the situation exceed the ability of the driver. Stress arises when demands exceed the driver’s ability; it converts mental energy into anxiety and irrational reactions.

Answer A: No, a certain degree of mental stress can markedly improve performance. Excessive stress should be avoided, but a certain degree of mental stress can markedly improve performance; tolerance builds with experience.

Answer D: Group pressure. Group pressure pushes a person to modify behaviour to fit the wishes of others; the driver values passengers’ opinions over his own judgement.

Answer B: Yes, a group with sound values may persuade a driver going astray to mend his ways. Group pressure is not always negative; a group with sound values, expressed firmly and respectfully, can steer a driver back.

Answer D: Take a short nap. Fresh air or exercise help only briefly; the most effective way to counteract sleepiness is a short nap. Plan regular rest stops, especially at night.

Answer D: A feeling of disconnection and slowness of thought. Fatigue creeps up in stages: first disconnection and slow thought, then slower reactions, then yawning, then an irresistible urge to sleep.

Answer A: The combination of physical exertion and monotony. Tiredness usually comes from physical exertion plus monotony; a busy noisy road also tires eyes and ears. Do not drive too long without a break.

Answer C: Check whether they affect driving; even cough and fever medicines can cause drowsiness. Read the packet or ask your doctor or pharmacist; even cough and fever medicines can make you drowsy, and even a cold can make driving unsafe.

Answer B: 12–15 hours. Only about 2 cl of 40% spirit is eliminated per hour, so after 25 cl it takes 12–15 hours; you may still be unfit the next morning.

Answer C: Loses their licence and is fined and/or sent to prison. Any driver found with a blood-alcohol content loses their licence and is fined and/or imprisoned; if you drink, do not drive.

Answer A: Peripheral vision. Drivers claim a few drinks do not affect eyesight because central vision seems fine, but peripheral vision gradually deteriorates unnoticed.

Answer C: It is an offence; the effects are unpredictable and can be even worse than alcohol. Driving under the influence of illegal drugs is an offence; effects are unpredictable and may be more serious than alcohol, causing fatal accidents.

Answer C: Only with a hands-free set (still not advisable). Federal Law forbids using a mobile while driving unless hands-free; hands-free is less risky but still not advisable, and dialling is very dangerous.

Answer C: Don’t answer; wait until you can stop safely and then call back. Do not answer a call while driving; stop safely first and call back. Never read, and certainly never type, a text while driving.

Answer A: A passenger sees the traffic and goes quiet; a caller is confused when you stop talking. Passengers adjust to the traffic situation and keep quiet when you deal with a problem; a phone caller cannot see it and gets confused.

Answer C: Seated and well secured in special child seats, never moving around the vehicle. Never let children move around the vehicle; they should be seated and secured in the special seats made for them; if possible have someone responsible for them.

Answer A: Stop and make the adjustment safely. Never set up or make complicated adjustments to equipment while driving; stop and do it safely.

Answer B: No overtaking. Disregarding a No Overtaking sign is one of the offences penalised by sanctions, alongside speeding, red lights, defective brakes and not wearing a seat belt.

Answer B: No stopping. Stopping in a No Stopping area is a penalised offence, as is parking at a bus stop or in a space reserved for disabled persons.

Answer D: A bus stop. Parking on a marked bus stop or in a space reserved for disabled persons is a penalised offence.

Answer C: Having defective foot brakes. Penalised offences include speeding, red lights, defective foot brakes, defective exhaust, no seat belt, crossing a prohibitory line, ignoring No Overtaking, and illegal stopping or parking.