Hazard Perception and Defensive Driving
What the exam tests
Hazard perception tests whether you spot developing danger early and choose a safe response. The exam rewards scanning, anticipation and a planned escape route, not fast reactions alone.
Core rules
- Look far ahead, around 12 to 15 seconds in urban driving, and use mirrors regularly. Scan pavements, side roads, driveways and gaps between parked cars.
- Cover the brake when a hazard may develop, but do not brake sharply without cause. Keep an escape route and avoid being boxed in.
- Anticipate the mistakes of others: a car may pull out, a cyclist may swerve, a child may chase a ball. Reduce speed before the hazard, not after it.
- In rain, fog or darkness, increase following distance and use lights correctly. Do not stare at oncoming headlights.
- At night, drive at a speed that lets you stop within the lit distance.
Worked example
A ball rolls into the road from between parked cars. The defensive response is to slow immediately and prepare to stop, because a child may follow. Reasoning: the ball is an early clue; covering the brake and creating space gives time if the child appears.
Traps
Fixating on the vehicle directly ahead; reacting late and braking hard; assuming a pedestrian has seen you; overtaking a stopped bus without checking for passengers; driving at the limit in fog.