Hazard perception and defensive riding
Domain 5 tests whether you spot danger before it becomes an emergency. Questions describe ordinary Danish roads - side roads, driveways, queues, cyclists, gravel at junctions - and ask for the earliest sensible response rather than the most dramatic one.
Scanning routine
- Look about 12 seconds ahead; around town that means the next junction, not the number plate in front of you.
- Mirror checks every five to eight seconds, and a shoulder "lifesaver" check before any change of lane or position.
- Scan for clues: brake lights two cars ahead, a gap in a queue, wheels turning in a side road, a driver's head turning.
Classic A1 crash patterns
- A car turns left across your path, often because the driver looked but did not register a narrow motorcycle.
- A car pulls out of a side road or driveway into your lane.
- A car changes lane without indicating, or a door opens into your path.
- You enter a bend too fast and run wide into the oncoming lane.
Surface hazards
Gravel and sand at rural junctions, wet leaves in autumn, painted markings and manhole covers in rain, tram rails in the cities, diesel spill at filling stations, ice in shaded patches. Cross these as upright and as close to a right angle as you can, without braking or steering on them.
Positioning for visibility
Approaching a junction where a car may pull out, do not hug the kerb. Ride where you can be seen and where you have an escape route to the left or right.
Worked example
An oncoming car is indicating left as you approach. Do not assume it will wait, and do not assume the indicator is meant for you. Roll off the throttle, cover both brakes, move to the right of your lane, and plan to pass behind the car rather than in front of it. If it does turn, you already have speed to lose and space to use.
Traps
Trusting an indicator. Riding the kerb line for "safety". Staring at the hazard instead of the escape route. Assuming that a driver who looked at you actually saw you.