Driver Behaviour, Hazard Perception and Defensive Driving
Seeing the problem before it happens
Hazard perception questions ask what you would do now, not what you should have done. The skill is scanning far ahead, keeping space, and predicting what other road users are about to do.
Following distance. Use the two-second rule in dry conditions and at least double it in rain or on slippery roads. At 120 km/h on a motorway, two seconds is roughly 67 m - far more than most candidates estimate.
Scanning. Look well beyond the car in front, check mirrors every few seconds, and use the mirror–signal–manoeuvre routine before any change of direction. Check blind spots physically, not just in the mirrors.
Vulnerable road users. Children near parked cars, cyclists at junctions, and pedestrians stepping off a bus are classic hazards. Assume a child may run out and a cyclist may swerve around a drain.
Anticipation cues. Brake lights two cars ahead, a ball rolling into the road, a driver's head turning, or a gap in a parked line all signal a developing hazard.
Fatigue and distraction. Tiredness impairs judgement before you notice it. Take a break at least every two hours on long journeys. Mobile phone use, even hands-free, divides attention.
Traps:
- A hazard that appears only at the last moment is not the answer - the developing hazard is the one to identify.
- "Sound your horn" is rarely the best response; slowing and creating space usually is.
- In fog, use dipped headlights, not main beam, which reflects back.
Rule of thumb: if you cannot stop within the distance you can see to be clear, you are going too fast.
Worked example: a parked van blocks your view of a pavement. You ease off, move slightly away from the van, and cover the brake - ready for a pedestrian emerging.