Roadcraft

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Roadcraft can refer to the system of car or motorcycle control outlined in the books Roadcraft: The Police Driver's Handbook ,Motorcycle Roadcraft: The Police Rider's Handbook or to the books themselves.

[edit] Overview

Diagram showing the five phases of the System of Car / Motorcycle Control, as explained in Roadcraft

Roadcraft is the UK's police handbook that outlines a system of car and motorcycle control breaking into five phases:

Information (receiving of information from the outside world by observation, and giving of information by use of signals such as direction indicators, headlamp flashes, and horn);
Position (positioning on the road for visibility);
Speed (appropriate speed for the hazard being approached, always being able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear on your side of the road);
Gear (single gear change to the correct gear for the chosen speed);
Acceleration (accelerating clear of the hazard).

The Information phase is, arguably, the most important phase, and surrounds (and drives) the other four phases; it needs to be constantly assessed throughout the process.

Whilst the books were originally put together at the Metropolitan Police Driving School at Hendon, and intended for police drivers and riders, they have been available for sale to the general public since the mid-1950s. Civilian advanced driving organisations such as the Institute of Advanced Motorists and RoSPA base their teachings and examinations on Roadcraft.