Safe Driving Behaviour, Hazard Perception and Defensive Driving
This domain tests whether you can read a developing situation and reduce risk before it becomes an emergency. It carries the most weight in the practical test, because examiners mark the consequences of what you failed to anticipate.
Observation
- Check mirrors before signalling, before changing speed or direction, and before opening a door.
- Look well ahead - aim high and scan roughly twelve seconds up the road - and turn your head to check blind spots rather than relying on mirrors alone.
- Keep a space cushion on all four sides so you always have somewhere to go.
Following distance and stopping
The two-second rule in dry weather becomes at least four seconds in rain, on sand, or behind a vehicle you cannot see past. Total stopping distance is thinking distance plus braking distance; both grow with speed, and braking distance grows far faster. In the wet season (roughly July to October) expect standing water, worn wipers, poor visibility and aquaplaning - slow down and lengthen the gap.
Reading Gambian hazards
- Gelly-gelly minibuses and shared taxis stopping without warning.
- Pedestrians, children and vendors near markets, schools and bus stops.
- Motorcycle taxis ("Jakarta") filtering and riding on the shoulder.
- Cattle, goats, donkeys and hand carts on or beside the road.
- Potholes, loose sand, unlit vehicles and cyclists at night.
Cover the brake when a hazard is developing, plan an escape route, and never commit to a speed you cannot stop from in the distance you can see to be clear.
Night driving
Dip headlights for oncoming traffic and when following. Do not stare at oncoming lights; look toward the left edge of your lane. Drive so you can stop within the lit distance.
Distraction and emotion
Phone use, loud passengers, arguments and hurry all raise risk. If something demands your attention, stop somewhere safe first.
Worked example
A gelly-gelly ahead slows near a market without signalling. Reasoning: it is likely to stop or turn, passengers may step into the road from in front of it, and a car behind may try to overtake it. Ease off, cover the brake, open the gap, check your mirrors, and pass only when you can see the road ahead is clear.
Traps that cost marks
- Believing right-of-way makes you safe.
- Tailgating to stop others cutting in.
- Fixating on one hazard and missing the second.
- Overtaking a stationary bus or minibus without checking for pedestrians in front of it.