Safe Riding and Hazard Perception
Safe riding is mostly about seeing and being seen. The core skills are observation, positioning, and anticipation. Scan far ahead, use mirrors frequently, and check blind spots with a shoulder check before every change of direction - mirrors alone leave gaps. Position yourself to maximise your view and your visibility: avoid riding in a car's blind spot, stay out of the centre of the lane near junctions where oil and debris collect, and hold a position that gives you an escape route.
Hazard perception questions test whether you spot developing risk early. Watch for cues: brake lights two cars ahead, a ball rolling into the road, a pedestrian hesitating at a crossing, parked cars with occupants, side roads with limited visibility, and wet patches or gravel on bends. The correct answer is almost always the earliest, most cautious response - ease off the throttle and cover the brakes rather than braking hard late. Following distance should increase in rain, at night, and behind large vehicles that block your view. The two-second rule is a minimum in good conditions; double it in the wet and more in ice.
Trap: questions often reward the first action in a sequence, not the most dramatic one. Releasing the throttle early beats an emergency stop. Rule of thumb: if you cannot see what is beyond a hazard, assume something is there and slow enough to stop in the distance you can see to be clear. Worked example: a bus is stopped ahead with its hazard lights on. Expect pedestrians crossing in front of it, reduce speed, and be ready to stop - do not simply overtake.