Hazard perception and safe behaviour in traffic
Hazard perception questions present a short scenario and ask what you do next, and in what order. The correct answer is almost always the one that removes the greatest risk earliest - usually by reducing speed or giving space, not by sounding the horn or flashing lights.
The classic heavy-vehicle hazard
- The right-turn accident (højresvingsulykke) with a cyclist continuing straight on. The cyclist sits in the blind spot to the right front of the cab.
- Managing it: check the right mirror and the blind-spot mirror early, avoid overtaking a cyclist just before a right turn, hold back so the cyclist clears the junction, and turn slowly enough to stop if needed.
- The same logic applies to pedestrians at crossings and to cyclists passing on the left while you turn left.
Space, speed and visibility
- Following distance: at least two seconds in good conditions, and considerably more with a heavy combination, in rain, or when loaded. A 40-tonne outfit needs far more distance than the car in front will give you.
- Look far ahead and plan: read the road for junctions, bus stops, parked cars and driveways, and adjust speed before the hazard, not at it.
- In fog, rain or low sun, reduce speed so you can stop within the distance you can see; use dipped headlights.
Fatigue, distraction and communication
- Fatigue is a recognised cause of heavy-vehicle collisions; the legal break is a minimum, not a target.
- Signal early and clearly, and be predictable - other road users misjudge the length and speed of a combination.
Worked example - the right turn in town. You approach a signalised junction intending to turn right; a cyclist is riding straight ahead on your right. Reasoning: if you accelerate to turn across the cyclist's path, the cyclist enters the blind spot. Correct action: reduce speed, stay behind the cyclist, use the mirrors and blind-spot mirror, and complete the turn only once the cyclist has passed the junction - even if that means waiting through part of the green phase.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing the horn or headlight flash instead of a speed or space adjustment.
- Assuming a mirror check is enough - mirrors leave a genuine blind spot on the right front.
- Overtaking a cyclist immediately before turning right.
- Tailgating because a gap looks large enough for a car but is not enough for a 40-tonne combination.