Safe driving, hazard perception and behaviour in traffic
Safe driving questions describe scenes in words and ask what you should have anticipated. The tested skill is calibrated risk: speed, distance, attention and a reserve of space to recover.
Braking distance and following
- Reaction distance at 50 km/h is about 14 m; braking distance is roughly (v/10)² = 25 m; total about 39 m on dry asphalt.
- Wet roughly doubles it; ice can multiply it several times over.
- Two-second rule when dry, four in rain, six on snow or ice. For a 20 t bus add margin rather than subtract it.
Seeing and being seen
- Mirrors, blind spots, the A-pillar and the area immediately in front of the bus.
- At night use dipped beams; in fog slow to the distance you can actually see.
- Approaching a stop, expect someone to step out in front of a standing bus.
Fatigue and attention
- The circadian dips around 03:00–05:00 and 13:00–15:00 are when microsleeps occur.
- Monotony on a dálnice is a hazard: ventilate the cab, take breaks, stop when drowsy - coffee is not a substitute for sleep.
- Zero alcohol tolerance in the Czech Republic, residual alcohol included; medicines and drugs count too.
Hazard perception in a bus
- Children near schools, cyclists in the nearside mirror before a right turn, passengers still moving as you brake.
- Leaving a stop in a town: other drivers must let a bus in public transport pull out, but you still check the mirror and give way to anyone already alongside.
- Do not escalate aggression; keep an escape route and let the other driver go.
Worked example
An oncoming bus has stopped at a zebra and its body blocks your view of the pavement. Reasoning: a pedestrian is probably crossing in front of it. You slow down, do not overtake the standing vehicle, and are ready to stop for someone emerging from behind it - the classic second-crossing hazard.
Traps
- Quoting the two-second rule for a wet road.
- Assuming the other driver has seen you.
- "I had priority" as an excuse for not braking.
- Using the horn instead of reducing speed.