There’s no avoiding it – if you plan to drive, you’ll need to be familiar with the 140-odd pages of the Highway Code.
So, when you’re faced with the daunting task of trying to remember it, where do you start?
Below are five simple tips to help get you going.
1. Use your brain
A lot of it is common sense, or simply written versions of things that should be fairly obvious when you’re on the road.
For example, one rule mentions how motorway driving can make you sleepy. Others say don’t block lanes of traffic, drive the wrong way down busy streets or jump red lights.
You’d be surprised at how many rules you know before you even open the book.
2. Divide and conquer
The Highway Code is for ‘all road users’, so it has to cover everything from cars to bikes and horses. Happily, it’s divided into sections, with each section subdivided into smaller parts.
This makes it easy to dip in and out of. Perhaps set yourself the task of looking at a particular section on a particular day or rules with numbers falling in a particular range. Make a timetable and chip away at the contents gradually.
3. The red bits
If you have a quick flick through, you’ll see ‘MUST’ and ‘MUST NOT’ pop up in bold red a fair bit. These refer to the law, or laws, mentioned after that rule.
Obviously, if you don’t stick to them, you could find yourself in a spot of bother. While the whole book is important, if you’re just starting to remember your Highway Code, you could do worse than picking these out.
4. Practice, practice, practice
Testing yourself, or getting others to test you, is wise.
This isn’t to say someone has to jump out at you demanding a recital of rule 55, but if you’ve looked at a section, give yourself a little test and see what you remember.
Apps and websites can help. You could always ask someone else to give you a pop quiz, or use the good old ‘look-cover-write-check’ method.
Mix things up, too. Why not test a relative and see what they can remember? Bonus points if you can do it (or even correct them) without consulting the book!
5. Seek some professional help
The team here at Wimbledon Driving School are here to help. Your instructor is there to give you guidance on all parts of driving, including the rules of the road. So if you’re having difficulty getting your head around a particular rule, or how it works in the real world, get in touch!