Practice scenarios

An illustrated motorway seen from the driver's seat, with a lorry and cars ahead in three lanes. Traffic that was pulling away stops receding, then brake lights come on across the lanes and the gap to the car directly ahead closes rapidly.

You are driving at about 58 mph on a motorway. At just over two seconds the lorry well ahead in your lane stops getting further away. At five seconds brake lights come on across the lanes in front of you. From seven seconds the gap to the car directly ahead closes quickly, and by eight and a half seconds you are very close to slow-moving traffic.

An illustrated residential street seen from the driver's seat. A large white van is parked at the left kerb with cars in front of and behind it. As you approach, an orange ball rolls out from beside the van into the road, and a child in red follows it out into your path.

You are driving at about 12 mph down a residential street with cars parked along the left. After about two and a half seconds the van ahead on the left is close enough to see that you cannot see past it. At five and a half seconds an orange ball rolls out from beside the van into the carriageway. At seven and a half seconds a child in a red top runs out after it. By nine seconds the child is in the middle of your lane directly ahead.

An illustrated country lane with high hedges on both sides. A green tractor is ahead in your lane. It slows, moves towards the centre of the road and then swings right across your path into a field entrance.

You are driving at about 25 mph along a hedged country lane. At two and a half seconds a green tractor is visible ahead and you are closing on it quickly. At six seconds it slows further and moves towards the crown of the road. At nine and a half seconds it swings right across your lane into a field entrance, and by eleven seconds it is blocking the road.

An illustrated urban street with cars parked along the left. Brake lights come on at the red car ahead, then its driver's door swings open towards the middle of the road and a person steps out into your lane.

You are driving at about 16 mph past a row of parked cars. At two and a half seconds the brake lights of a red car ahead light up. At five seconds its driver's door begins to swing open into your lane. At seven seconds a person steps out from behind the door into the road. By nine seconds the open door and the person are directly in your path.

An illustrated damp urban street. A cyclist in a high-visibility top rides ahead on the left. A dark red car waits side-on at a side road on the left, then pulls out across the cyclist's path as you close on them both.

You are driving at about 16 mph on a damp road behind a cyclist. At three seconds a dark red car becomes visible waiting at a side road on the left. At just under six seconds it is clear the driver is looking away from you, up the road. At eight seconds the car starts to move into the junction mouth. By ten and a half seconds it is across the lane in front of the cyclist.

An illustrated urban street. A green car waits side-on at a side road on the left. It creeps forward while the driver looks away, then pulls out across your lane as you approach.

You are driving at about 20 mph along a straight urban road. At just under three seconds a green car is visible waiting at a side road on the left. At five seconds it creeps forward and the driver is clearly looking away from you. At seven seconds it moves out into the junction mouth. By nine and a half seconds it is across your lane.

An illustrated overcast urban street. A red bus is stopped at the kerb ahead, partly blocking your lane. A pedestrian in dark clothing walks out into the road from in front of the bus and crosses your path.

You are driving at about 16 mph towards a red bus stopped at the kerb ahead. At three seconds it is clear the bus hides the pavement in front of it. At just over six seconds a pedestrian steps out into the road from in front of the bus. They continue across, and by ten seconds they are in your lane.

An illustrated urban street. A green bus is stopped at the kerb ahead. Its indicator comes on, then it pulls out from the kerb into your lane and begins to accelerate away.

You are driving at about 18 mph towards a green bus stopped at the kerb. At two and a half seconds its doors are closing. At five and a half seconds its right indicator comes on. At six and a half seconds it starts to move out from the kerb, and by nine seconds it is well into your lane.