About driving

Key driving skills

Receiving signals

There are a variety of other signals that other road users will use to communicate to you. You must know what these signals are and what to do when you see them.

Flashing lights and sirens

If an emergency vehicle (such as an ambulance, fire engine or police car) is coming towards you or behind you, and is using sirens and/or flashing red, blue, or blue and red lights, you must pull over and, if necessary, stop and allow it to pass.

If a police car is following you with its siren on and/or flashing blue, or blue and red lights, you must pull over and stop as soon as possible.

If asked to, you must give the following to a police officer:

• your name, address and date of birth
• your driver licence
• the name of the vehicle's owner.

Doctors, nurses or midwives on urgent business may use a roof-mounted green flashing light. If you see these, you must pull over and allow the vehicle to pass.

When service vehicles, such as tow trucks and road maintenance vehicles, use flashing yellow lights, they are warning you to be careful around them. When you see these lights, slow down and be prepared to stop, if necessary.

Oversize vehicles may use flashing yellow lights and pilot vehicles may use flashing yellow and purple lights. These mean you must pull over and, if necessary, stop, and let all the vehicles pass. For more information about oversize vehicles, see Vehicle-mounted signs.

Red flashing signals outside a fire station or airport mean you must stop and remain stopped until the lights stop flashing.

Police officer directing traffic

When a police officer is directing traffic, you must stop or go where the officer directs you. A police officer's directions overrule:

• traffic signals
• road signs
• the give way rules.

If a police officer is controlling an intersection, be careful to get into the correct lane. If you don't, you may have to go the wrong way.

Show the officer where you want to go by using your indicators.