Intro -- Copyright Page -- Acknowledgements -- Foreword -- Contents -- Preface to the new edition -- About Roadcraft -- Chapter 1 Becoming a better driver -- Becoming a better driver -- What makes a good driver? -- Competences for police drivers -- Your vulnerability as a driver -- What are the commonest causes of collisions? -- Who is most likely to be involved in a collision? -- Critical learning from experience -- Develop awareness of your personal vulnerability -- Human factor risks for police drivers -- Distraction due to multi-tasking -- Driving stress -- Operational stressors -- Time pressure and the purpose of your journey -- 'Noble cause' risk-taking -- 'Red mist' -- How we learn -- Training, practice and feedback -- Overconfidence after training -- Self-assessment will help you continually improve -- Be honest -- Check your understanding -- Chapter 2 The system of car control -- The need for a system of car control -- Integrating a range of competences -- What is the system of car control? -- How the system works -- The importance of information -- Mirrors and signals -- The system of car control -- Information -- Position -- Speed -- Gear -- Acceleration -- Use the system flexibly -- Applying the system to a left-hand turn -- Applying the system to a right-hand turn -- Applying the system to a roundabout -- Re-applying the system to leave the roundabout -- Applying the system to a potential hazard -- Overlapping braking and gear changing in specific circumstances -- Brake/gear overlap - an example -- Incorrect use of brake/gear overlap -- Check your understanding -- Chapter 3 Information, observation and anticipation -- Processing complex information -- Improving your information processing -- Tips to improve information processing -- Why observation and anticipation are essential for better driving -- What is a hazard? -- Planning.

Anticipate hazards -- Prioritise hazards -- Decide what to do -- Improving your observation -- Scanning the environment -- Looking but not seeing -- Peripheral vision -- Zones of visibility -- Your choice of speed -- Keep your distance -- Human factors that affect observation and anticipation -- Alertness -- Tiredness -- Other physiological factors -- Check your understanding -- Chapter 4 Anticipating hazards in the driving environment -- Night driving -- You -- Your vehicle -- Your lights -- Following other vehicles at night -- Information from other vehicles' lights -- Dazzle -- Reflective studs and markings -- Cat's eyes -- Other ways to improve observation at night -- Weather conditions -- Using lights in bad weather -- Using auxiliary controls and instruments in bad weather -- Observing when visibility is low -- Micro climates -- Road surface -- Road surface irregularities -- The road surface in winter -- Driving through water -- Road signs and markings -- Local road knowledge -- Making observation links -- Check your understanding -- Chapter 5 Acceleration, using gears, braking and steering -- Developing competence at controlling your vehicle -- The tyre grip trade-off -- Vehicle balance and tyre grip -- Technology to help keep control of the vehicle -- Using the accelerator -- Retarders -- Acceleration and vehicle balance -- Acceleration and balance on different types of vehicle -- Developing your competence at using the accelerator -- Acceleration sense -- Using the accelerator on bends -- Key points -- Fuel/power source affects acceleration and engine braking -- Using the gears -- Moving off from stationary -- Accurate use of the gears -- Key points -- Automatic transmission -- Automatic transmission modes -- Using the features of automatic systems -- Developing your competence at using automatic systems -- Road conditions.

Slowing down and stopping -- Releasing the accelerator - engine braking -- Using the brakes -- Normal braking (tapered braking) -- Braking, tyre grip and balance -- The safe stopping distance rule -- Overall safe stopping distance -- The two-second rule -- Braking for corners and bends -- Braking as you approach a hazard -- Emergency braking -- Using the parking brake -- Steering -- Steering technique -- Seat position -- How to hold the steering wheel -- Pull-push -- Rotational steering -- Key points -- Check your understanding -- Chapter 6 Manoeuvring at low speeds -- Developing your competence at low-speed manoeuvring -- Using the system -- Observation -- Planning -- Steering -- Reversing in a confined space -- Manoeuvring with a guide -- Parking -- Check your understanding -- Chapter 7 Maintaining vehicle stability -- Controlling your vehicle's stability -- Attitudes to vehicle safety technology -- Avoiding skidding -- How does a skid happen? -- How to minimise the risk of skidding -- Recognising the cause of a skid -- Cause: driving too fast for the circumstances -- Cause: harsh acceleration -- Cause: excessive or sudden braking -- Cause: coarse steering -- Understeer and oversteer -- How active safety systems work -- Anti-lock braking systems -- Traction control systems -- Electronic stability programmes -- Key points -- Correcting a skid in a vehicle without active safety features -- Aquaplaning -- Check your understanding -- Chapter 8 Driver's signals -- Developing your competence at using signals -- The purpose of signals -- Key points -- Interpreting signals given by others -- The range of signals -- Using the indicators -- Cancelling indicator signals -- Using hazard warning lights -- Using brake lights -- Using the horn -- Flashing your headlights -- Arm signals -- Using courtesy signals -- Responding to other people's signals.

Check your understanding -- Chapter 9 Positioning -- Developing competence at positioning your vehicle -- Safety position on the approach to hazards -- Roadside hazards -- Improving the view into nearside road junctions -- Following position -- Position for turning -- Position at crossroads -- Position for stopping behind other vehicles -- Check your understanding -- Chapter 10 Cornering -- Developing your competence at cornering -- Using the system to corner safely -- Key principles for safe cornering -- Cornering forces -- Vehicle characteristics -- Roadworthiness -- Vehicle specification -- Understeer and oversteer -- Camber and superelevation -- Summary of factors affecting cornering -- The system of car control and the limit point -- How to use the limit point to help you corner -- The double apex bend -- How to use the system for cornering -- Information -- Position -- Speed -- Gear -- Acceleration -- Check your understanding -- Chapter 11 Overtaking -- Developing your competence at overtaking safely -- The hazards of overtaking -- Key safety points -- Stationary vehicles -- Moving vehicles -- How to overtake -- Where you are able to overtake immediately -- Information -- Where other hazards require you to follow before you can safely overtake -- Following position -- Overtaking position -- Overtaking -- Overtaking vehicles in a line of traffic -- Summary -- Special hazards you must consider before overtaking -- The range of hazards -- The vehicle in front -- Cyclists -- The vehicles behind -- Road layout and conditions -- The road surface -- Overtaking on a single carriageway -- Overtaking on bends -- Single carriageway roads marked with three lanes -- Overtaking on multi-lane carriageways -- Helping other road users to overtake -- Check your understanding -- Chapter 12 Driving on motorways and multi-lane carriageways.

Driving on multi-lane carriageways -- Human factors in motorway driving -- Joining the motorway -- Layout of the carriageway -- Use the system -- Overtaking -- Motorway junctions -- Using the hard shoulder -- Leaving the motorway -- Bad weather conditions on fast-moving roads -- Fog -- Rain -- Snow, sleet and ice -- High winds -- Bright sun -- Other hazards -- Debris -- Lane closures -- Additional hazards on fast-moving multi-lane carriageways -- Check your understanding -- Chapter 13 Emergency response -- What is an emergency response? -- Risk assessment -- Responding to an emergency -- Use of emergency warning equipment -- Speed limits -- Approaching traffic light-controlled junctions -- Approaching traffic light-controlled pedestrian crossings -- Contravening keep left/right signs -- Positioning to see and be seen -- Approaching and passing vehicles -- Interpreting other drivers' signals -- Stationary vehicles at or near an incident -- Responding on multi-lane roads -- Approaching roundabouts -- Passing on the nearside of other vehicles -- Vehicles responding in convoy -- Vulnerable road users -- Check your understanding -- Appendices -- Are you fit to drive? -- I AM SAFE checklist -- Is your vehicle fit to drive? -- Roadworthiness/pre-driving checklist -- POWDER checklist -- Inside the vehicle checklist -- Testing the brakes -- Goals for Driver Education -- Bibliography -- Index.