Driver Behaviour and Hazard Perception
Scanning and anticipation
Safe driving is mostly anticipation. Look far ahead, keep the eyes moving, and use mirrors regularly so you always know what is behind and beside you. Hazard perception questions reward the earliest plausible danger, not the most dramatic one: a ball rolling into the road predicts a child, a brake light two cars ahead predicts a chain reaction, a parked van hides a pedestrian who may step out.
Speed, space and conditions
Choose a speed that lets you stop within the distance you can see to be clear. In rain, gravel, leaves or ice, braking distances grow sharply and grip falls; reduce speed before the hazard, not during it. Aquaplaning removes steering and braking control - ease off the accelerator and avoid harsh inputs. Fatigue is a real impairment: the only remedy is to stop and rest, not to open a window.
Alcohol, drugs and distraction
Any alcohol impairs judgement; the legal limit is a ceiling, not a target. Mobile phone use while driving is prohibited except with a hands-free system, and even hands-free use divides attention. Aggressive driving, tailgating and weaving increase risk and are penalised.
Vulnerable road users
Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and children need extra space. Overtake cyclists widely, expect wobbles, and check mirrors before opening a car door.
Traps
Questions often present a hazard that is legal but risky - a pedestrian stepping out from between parked cars - and ask what you should have done, not who was right. Another trap is assuming a lower speed limit is automatically safe in fog or rain.
Rule of thumb
Use the two-second rule in good conditions and double it in rain; if you cannot stop within the visible distance, you are driving too fast.