Hazard perception and defensive driving
This domain tests whether you spot a hazard early and choose a defensive action, not whether you can recite definitions. Hazard clips and scenario questions reward scanning, speed choice, gap management and a planned escape route.
Core habits
- Look far ahead and use mirrors frequently; keep the whole scene, not just the car in front.
- Use at least a two-second following gap in dry conditions and more in rain, darkness or heavy traffic.
- Scan for children, cyclists, pedestrians between parked cars, delivery vehicles, bus stops, junctions, blind crests and curves.
- Cover the brake when a hazard may develop; reduce speed before the hazard, not after it.
- Signal early, check mirrors and blind spots before changing lane or position.
- Have an escape route: space to the side, a clear lane or a safe stopping point.
Worked example
In a residential street, a ball rolls from between parked cars. You release the accelerator, cover the brake, reduce speed and prepare to stop, because a child may follow. You do not swerve into the opposite lane without checking for oncoming traffic. Reasoning: the ball is an early cue; the child is the likely hidden hazard; controlled braking preserves steering and leaves an escape route.
Traps
Watching only the vehicle ahead; assuming an indicator means the driver will turn; tailgating to prevent a gap; braking hard without checking mirrors; treating a green light as proof the junction is clear.