driver-qualification-handbook-english

5Low alcohol hours – Periods of time during the week when alcohol-relatedcrashes least occur – mostly daylight hours, on weekdays and portions ofSaturday and Sundays. Less than 10 per cent of fatal crashes are alcohol relatedduring these hours.Microsleeps – Brief, unintended periods of loss of attention associated withevents such as blank stare, head snapping, prolonged eye closure, etc, whichmay occur when a person is fatigued but trying to stay awake to perform amonotonous task like driving a car or watching a computer screen.Multi-Laned road – A road with more than one lane in each direction. Theseroads sometimes have a median strip dividing traffic travelling in each direction.P1 Licence – provisional licence - Stage 1. This is the first provisional licenceissued to new solo drivers in NSW after 1 July 2000. It must be held for aminimum of 12 months before one becomes eligible to progress to Stage 2. P1drivers must display a red P plate (red P on a white background).P2 Licence – provisional licence - Stage 2. This is the second licence issuedto new solo drivers in NSW after 1 July 2000. It is issued for 30 months todrivers who have held a P1 licence for at least 12 months and have passedthe Hazard Perception test (HPT). A P2 licence must be held for a minimumof 24 months. P2 drivers must display a green P plate (green P on a whitebackground). A P2 licence has fewer restrictions than a P1 licence.Road rage – A range of anti-social or aggressive behaviour by drivers.Safe gap – a gap in traffic that enables you to turn, overtake or cross anintersection without being involved in a collision or endangering other roadusers. This means that no other road users should need to take evasive actionto avoid your vehicle.Scanning – constantly moving your eyes and/or your head when driving so thatyou can detect hazards that may arise ahead, to the sides and behind yourvehicle. Scanning means taking in the whole scene 360 degrees around your car.Setting up the brake – where your right foot is off the accelerator and lightlyactivating the brake.Sleep debt – The difference between the hours of sleep a person needs and theactual hours of sleep they get.Space cushion – A ‘buffer zone’ around your vehicle (to the front, sides and rear)between you and other vehicles and road users that gives you time to spot andreact to hazards that may arise.Driver qualification handbook 109