Hazard Perception and Defensive Driving
Hazard perception is about scanning, anticipation and space. Look far ahead, use mirrors regularly, and maintain a safety cushion so you can stop if the vehicle in front brakes suddenly. Defensive driving assumes other road users may err: children may run out, cyclists may swerve, and drivers may pull out without looking. Blind spots must be checked by a shoulder glance before lane changes, and dooring (opening a door into a cyclist's path) is a classic hazard.
Key concepts: visual lead time (look 12–15 seconds ahead in town, more on open roads), escape routes, and the two-second rule for following distance, doubled in rain and tripled on ice. Hazard questions often test vulnerable road users - pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, children, the elderly - and night driving, where speed must allow stopping within the illuminated distance.
Traps: assuming a green light means safe to proceed without checking; ignoring a pedestrian waiting at a crossing; and underestimating the risk of a parked row of cars where a child could emerge.
Worked example: in a residential street with parked cars, reduce speed to about 30 km/h or less so that a child stepping out 10 m ahead can be stopped in time. At 30 km/h, reaction plus braking is roughly 13–14 m on dry road - barely enough - so slower is safer.