Safe Driving, Hazard Perception and Defensive Driving
Seeing before you act
Defensive driving is a loop: scan – predict – decide – act. Look 12–15 seconds ahead, sweep the mirrors every 5–8 seconds, and check the blind spot before any lane change. Keep a two-second gap to the vehicle in front in good conditions, and at least four seconds in rain, at night or when following a large vehicle that blocks your view. On faster roads add more distance for speed.
Choose a speed that lets you stop within the distance you can see to be clear - the posted limit is a maximum, not a target. In rain, sandstorms or fog, slow down and use dipped headlights; blowing dust can cut visibility to metres within seconds.
Overtake only when you can see far enough to complete the manoeuvre and return safely; never overtake at junctions, crossings, bends or over solid lines.
Watch for the hazards question writers favour: a ball rolling into the road (a child may follow), brake lights two cars ahead, a parked car with a person inside, a truck swinging wide before a turn, pedestrians hidden between vehicles, and animals at dawn and dusk.
Fatigue and phones are the big killers; micro-sleeps are common on long desert routes, so plan a break at least every two hours.
Rule of thumb: if you cannot stop within the distance you can see, you are driving too fast for the conditions, whatever the sign says.