Road Safety and Defensive Riding
Road Safety and Defensive Riding
This domain tests risk perception and the riding habits that prevent crashes: following distance, lane position, visibility and judgement around other road users. Defensive riding means assuming other drivers may not see you and leaving room to react.
Core rules
- Keep at least a two-second gap in dry conditions; increase to three or more in rain, dust or poor visibility.
- Ride where you can be seen: avoid sitting in a car's blind spot and avoid riding directly beside large vehicles.
- Cover the brakes when approaching junctions, pedestrians or parked cars.
- Never ride after alcohol or drugs, and stop when tired; fatigue slows reaction time.
- Adjust speed and position for sand, gravel, oil, wet paint and broken road edges.
Worked example
After a light rain following a dry, dusty week, the road surface is slippery. You are following a car with a one-second gap. The correct action is to slow down and increase the gap to at least three seconds. The reasoning: rain lifts oil and dust into a film that reduces tyre grip, and the car may brake suddenly. A one-second gap leaves no time to stop or steer around a hazard.
Traps that cost marks
- Fixating on the vehicle in front instead of scanning further ahead.
- Braking hard on sand or wet paint and losing the front wheel.
- Assuming a driver who looks in the mirror has actually seen you.
- Riding too close to parked cars where doors may open.