Safe Driving, Hazard Perception and Defensive Driving
Domain 5, Safe Driving, Hazard Perception and Defensive Driving, tests observation, speed choice and space management in the conditions heavy drivers meet in Cameroon: mixed traffic, motorcycle taxis, pedestrians, rain, mud, unmarked roads and steep gradients. The exam rewards early hazard recognition and a planned response, not heroic braking.
Core rules
- Scan far ahead, check mirrors frequently and keep a space cushion around the truck. Use at least a three-second following gap in good conditions; double it in rain, at night or when loaded.
- Understand blind spots: directly in front, beside the cab, along both sides of a long trailer and behind. A motorcycle taxi may sit where neither mirror shows it. Signal early and check before every lane change.
- Choose a safe speed for the road, load, visibility and surface. On a descent, select a lower gear before the gradient and use engine braking; do not rely on continuous service braking, which can fade.
- Expect the unexpected at markets, school gates, bus stops and junctions: pedestrians may cross between vehicles, and overtaking cars may cut in. Cover the brake and prepare an escape route.
Worked example
A loaded tipper is descending a wet laterite slope. The driver is in top gear, using the footbrake, and the pedal feels low. The correct response is to stop safely as soon as possible, select a low gear, allow the engine and retarder to control speed, and inspect the brakes before continuing. Riding the brakes would overheat them and increase stopping distance. If the truck cannot hold in low gear, the driver must not continue down the slope.
Traps
- Tailgating a vehicle because the truck “cannot stop anyway”; a longer gap is exactly what a heavy vehicle needs.
- Overtaking on a blind crest or bend to avoid losing momentum.
- Assuming a motorcycle has seen the truck’s indicator.
- Using the horn as a substitute for slowing down.