Driver behaviour, hazard perception and defensive driving
What the exam tests
This domain assesses whether you can anticipate danger rather than merely react to it. The exam presents everyday situations: parked cars, children, cyclists, rain, night driving and distraction. The best answers show observation, space management and a planned response.
Core rules
- Use a systematic scan: look far ahead, check mirrors, check blind spots and keep an escape route. The mirror–signal–manoeuvre sequence should be routine, but observation must continue during the manoeuvre.
- Distraction is a major hazard. Hand-held phone use is illegal, and even a hands-free conversation reduces attention. Setting navigation, eating or arguing with passengers takes attention away from the road.
- Vulnerable road users need extra space. Give cyclists room when overtaking, expect pedestrians to emerge from between parked cars, and slow near schools, bus stops and residential areas. Children and older pedestrians may misjudge speed and distance.
- In rain, reduce speed and increase the gap. Wet leaves, painted lines and metal covers reduce grip. In fog, use dipped headlights and fog lights only when visibility is seriously reduced; do not use rear fog lights in clear conditions.
- At night, drive at a speed that lets you stop within the distance lit by your headlights. Avoid staring at oncoming headlights; look toward the left edge of your lane.
Worked example
You see a school bus stopped ahead with its hazard lights on. Children are standing near the kerb. The correct response is to slow down early, cover the brake, expect a child to run out from in front of the bus, and be prepared to stop. Overtaking the bus is unsafe because visibility is blocked. The reasoning is that the bus creates a visual screen and children are unpredictable; speed reduction buys both reaction time and stopping distance.
Traps
Do not assume that having the right of way prevents a collision. Do not tailgate to discourage another driver from entering your lane. Do not rely on a single mirror check before changing lanes. Do not use hazard warning lights to excuse illegal parking or to thank other drivers. Defensive driving means treating other people’s mistakes as likely, not impossible.