Seeing Hazards
What this domain tests
Seeing Hazards tests whether you scan far enough ahead, recognize developing risks, and keep an escape route. The exam asks about stale green lights, parked cars, work zones, blind spots, and communicating with other drivers.
Core rules
- Scan 12–15 seconds ahead in urban areas and farther on open highway; check mirrors every 5–8 seconds.
- Look for clues: brake lights, swerving cars, brake dust, fresh skid marks, and road signs warning of curves or construction.
- Treat a stale green light as a warning: it has been green a long time and may change before you reach it.
- Maintain an escape route and avoid boxing yourself in beside trucks or concrete barriers.
- Communicate early with signals, brake lights, and lane position; do not assume other drivers see you.
Worked example
A green light has been green since you first saw it, and you are still 300 feet away. Instead of accelerating, cover the brake and check the mirrors. If the light changes, you have time to stop; if it stays green, you continue. The reasoning: a long-green light is more likely to turn red than a fresh one, and a heavy vehicle needs more stopping distance.
Traps
Watching only the vehicle directly ahead; ignoring overhead clearance signs; assuming a car will not change lanes; and fixating on one hazard instead of rescanning.