Welcome to our Cheat Sheet* - an easily-checkable list of all the various figures you need to know

for your Learners Licence. These figures and numbers can be found throughout South African
learners books, but nowhere in the books are they compiled together in one place. We wanted to
help out prospective learners study for the K53 Learners Test by making this list for them; it places
all the figures they need to know in one place, so they dont have to hunt them down in learners
books, making studying for the Learners Licence Test more accessible.
Learners can use this sheet to study for our free online K53 mock test. The page is also printable if
learners prefer to study physical materials.
The Cheat Sheet covers the Rules of the Road section of the Learners Test: there are around 30
questions on Rules of the Road in South Africas Learners Licence Test, and learners need 77%
(23/30) or higher in order to pass.
If you are using any other materials to study for the Learners, make sure that they are K53compliant.

General:

Children up to 14 years old must sit in the back.

You must maintain a 2 second space behind the vehicle in front of you, more if the road is
wet. 3seconds for heavy vehicles.

Headlights must be on when visibility is 150m or less.

Bright lights - must be able to see pedestrians 100m ahead, but must not strike road more
than 45mahead.

Parking lights - only used outside of a demarcated parking bay or in a dark area 12m or more
from a street light.

Triangles must be displayed at least 45m behind stationary vehicle.

Permitted content of alcohol in blood: less than 0.05g per 100ml. Less than 0.02g per 100ml
for professional drivers.

Tyre tread must be at least 1mm deep.

Tyres must not have any breaks or cuts longer than 25mm or 10% of tyre width.

Motorcycles of 50cc or less thread pattern must be visible on at least 80% or tyres width.

Hooter must be audible for 90m.

Convoys must not travel from 18H00 on evening before any weekend or on
the 25th and 26th of December until 06H00 the following day.

People herding animals must carry a warning 150m ahead and behind the herd following &
must carry red light between sunset and sunrise, and a 300mm2 red flag during the day.

No Parking:

Where outer edge of nearside wheel is more than 450mm into the road way, except where a
road sign permits you to.

On the road or within 1m of the edge of a road in a non-urban area.

Next to or within 1.5m of a fire hydrant.

Within 5m of an intersection in an urban area.

In an urban area on a two-way road which is less than 5.5m wide.

Within 9m of a pedestrian crossing.

No Stopping:

On or closer than 6m to a tunnel, bridge, subway or narrowed point on the road.

Closer than 9m to a pedestrian crossing except to let a pedestrian cross.

Being overtaken:

You may drive on the left shoulder of a single lane road during the day to let vehicles
overtake you, but do so only if it is safe, and people and vehicles 150m ahead are visible,
and it is not a multi-lane road or freeway.

Special Vehicles 230kg or less, adapted for disabled people, are not allowed on freeways.

Conveying goods & Passengers:

Must not exceed half the height of the vehicle if carried on the roof (except for bicycles).

Including vehicle must not exceed 4.3m in height.

Including vehicle must not be more than 2.5m wide.

Must not project more than 300mm in front of vehicles.

Must not project more than 1.8m at the back of the vehicle.

Safety Markings:

Loads that project more than 150mm to the side, or more than 300mm to the rear must be
marked with a 300mm2 red flag at each corner during the day.

If the load is less than 600mm wide, one red flag during the day or one red reflector at night
is sufficient.

Passengers:

Passengers may be carried on the back of an open truck or van if they are seated and the
sides are350mm above the seating surface, or standing if the sides are 900mm high.

2 children up to the age of 6 are counted as 1 adult, and 3 children between the age of 6 and
13 are counted as 2 adults.

Each adult requires 380mm of seat length.

Speed limits:

Vehicles less than 9000kg: Urban 60km/h. Rural 100km/h. Freeways 120km/h.

Commercials over 9000kg: Urban 60km/h. Rural 80km/h. Freeways 80km/h.

Buses and Minibuses conveying passengers: Urban 60km/h. Rural 100km/h.

Freeways 100km/h.

Towing:

The two vehicles must not be more than 3.5m apart.

If distance between two vehicles is 1.8m or more, the tow rope must be made clearly visible
with a red flag tied to it.

Max speed: 30 km/h unless a solid bar is used or the towed vehicle is a semi-trailer.

A tractor towing a semi-trailer with passengers may exceed 30km/h.

Motorcycles:

Passengers: no more than 2 people may ride on a motorcycle at the same time.

Packages:

Nothing may project more than 600mm beyond the front axle, 900mm behind the rear
axle, 450mmon either side of the wheels, or 300mm beyond the wheel of a motorcycle
sidecar.

*Please note that we do not intend for you to use this reference to cheat on your Learner's Test. It is meant as a Quick Reference Sheet for revision only.
We do not encourage cheating and explicitly encourage you to study for your Learner's.