Safe Driving Behaviour and Hazard Awareness
Managing space, speed, and attention
Safe driving questions reward the systematic approach: scan far ahead, keep a crash-avoidance space around the vehicle, match speed to conditions, and manage distractions before moving off. The two-second gap in good conditions is the baseline following distance; in rain, at night, or when following a heavy vehicle, increase it. In poor visibility, drive to the conditions rather than the posted limit, because the limit is a maximum, not a target.
Fatigue, alcohol, and distraction
Fatigue is a major contributor to rural and long-distance crashes. Signs include yawning, drifting, and difficulty focusing; the only effective remedy is to stop and rest, not to wind down the window or turn up music. Alcohol and drugs impair judgement and reaction time, and random testing applies. Mobile phone use while driving is illegal unless in a permitted hands-free arrangement; even legal interactions should be minimised because cognitive distraction persists after the interaction ends.
Hazard perception traps
- A parked car may hide a pedestrian or an opening door; slow down and leave room.
- At crests and curves, your stopping distance may exceed your sight distance, so reduce speed before the hazard.
- Large vehicles have blind spots and wide turning paths; do not overtake a turning truck on the inside.
- In wet weather, allow extra distance and avoid sudden braking to reduce skidding risk.
- At night, dip headlights for oncoming traffic and use the road edge as a guide.
Worked rule of thumb
At 60 km/h in dry conditions, a two-second gap is the minimum. If it starts to rain, double the gap and reduce speed by roughly 10 km/h or more until you can stop within the distance you can see. If you cannot see far enough to stop, you are travelling too fast for the conditions, whatever the sign says.