Hazard perception and defensive riding
What this domain tests
Whether you see danger before it becomes a decision, and whether your position gives you a way out.
Scanning and space
- Look 12 seconds ahead - roughly a block in town, 300–400 m on the highway - and check mirrors every 5–8 seconds.
- Keep a space cushion: two seconds behind the vehicle ahead in good conditions, four in rain, dust, darkness or on sandy surfaces.
- Always hold an escape route. The centre of a lane is often oily; the edges carry sand and gravel.
Saudi-specific hazards
Camels and livestock on rural roads, especially at dawn and dusk; lorries with weak rear lighting or unsecured loads; sudden sand drifts along the downwind edge of the carriageway; dust storms and low sun glare; and dense, impatient traffic around prayer times. Ride where you can be seen - usually the driver's-side wheel track, never tucked into a lorry's blind spot.
The classic conflicts
A car waiting at a side road may pull out because a single headlight reads as slow and distant. Cover the brake and change position. Watch for doors opening on parked cars, U-turns across a continuous line, and overtaking vehicles that end up in your lane on two-lane roads.
Worked example
You are following a lorry that blocks your view of a side road on the left. Do not overtake on the approach - a car may be emerging unseen. Drop back to widen your sightline, then overtake only when the junction is behind you and the oncoming lane is clear for a long distance.
Traps
Treating 'I had right of way' as a safety strategy; staring at the hazard instead of the escape route; and riding in a lorry's mirror-only zone where the driver cannot see you at all.