Safe Driving Principles and Defensive Driving
What this domain tests
Defensive driving is the habit of assuming other road users will make mistakes and leaving yourself room to react. The exam tests following distance, observation, overtaking judgement, and behaviour in rain, at night and in mixed traffic where motorcycles, cyclos, pedestrians and animals share the carriageway.
Core habits
- Use the mirror-signal-manoeuvre sequence for every change of direction or speed.
- Keep at least a two-second gap to the vehicle ahead; double it in rain or on gravel and increase it at night.
- Look 12-15 seconds ahead rather than at the bumper in front, and scan the mirrors every 5-8 seconds.
- Check blind spots by turning your head before changing lanes; mirrors leave gaps.
- Overtake on the left, only with a clear sight line and a broken line, never at a junction, crest, bend or crossing.
- Dip headlights for oncoming traffic and when following another vehicle.
Worked example
You are following a car at 60 km/h on a wet national road. That is about 16.7 metres per second, so a two-second gap is roughly 33 metres. In rain you need three seconds, about 50 metres, because wet brakes and reduced tyre grip lengthen stopping distance. If the car ahead passes a roadside pole, count one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three; if you reach the pole before three, you are too close.
Traps
- Treating right of way as a guarantee that the other driver will stop.
- Fixating on the car ahead and missing a braking motorcycle in the next lane.
- Overtaking into a gap that closes because the leading vehicle also pulls out.