Hazard Perception and Defensive Driving
Defensive driving is about anticipating hazards before they become emergencies, and the exam tests your judgement of risk, following distance, speed choice and observation. Understand the two-second rule and how it extends in rain, ice, darkness or when following a large vehicle; know stopping distances and how they change with load, road surface and gradient. Learn to scan far ahead, use mirrors systematically, check blind spots before manoeuvring, and allow for the blind spots of other drivers - especially around lorries, where cyclists and pedestrians may be invisible.
Hazard perception questions present a developing scene and ask what you should do first or what the greatest risk is. The skill is prioritisation: identify the hazard that requires action soonest. Traps include fixating on an obvious but static hazard while missing a moving one, assuming another driver has seen you, and treating a hazard as 'not my problem' when it affects your path.
Know the specific risks for commercial vehicles: long stopping distances when loaded, reduced visibility in rain spray, the effect of crosswinds on high-sided vehicles, and the danger of overtaking in poor conditions. Understand vulnerable road users - pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and children - and give them extra space and time.
Worked example: You are following a bus that slows near a stop. The greatest hazard is not the bus itself but a pedestrian who may step out from in front of it. The correct response is to slow, increase the gap and be ready to stop, not to overtake.
Rule of thumb: when two hazards compete, act on the one that could force you to stop or swerve first - and always assume the vulnerable road user has not seen you.