Road Safety
The human factors
Most crashes are caused by driver behaviour, not vehicle failure: speeding, alcohol, fatigue, distraction and failure to wear seatbelts. Road safety questions test whether you understand why rules exist.
Seatbelts and restraints
Seatbelts must be worn by the driver and all passengers. Children need appropriate restraints - a child on an adult lap or unrestrained in the front is a serious hazard. A seatbelt keeps you inside the car and stops you striking the interior or other occupants.
Speed and stopping distance
Stopping distance = thinking distance + braking distance. Thinking distance grows with speed and fatigue; braking distance grows with the square of speed and with wet or gravel surfaces. Doubling speed roughly quadruples braking distance. In rain, on gravel, or at night, reduce speed and increase the gap.
Alcohol, drugs and fatigue
Alcohol slows reactions, impairs judgement and creates false confidence. Even small amounts are dangerous. Fatigue is as dangerous as alcohol; the only cure is to stop and rest, not to open a window or turn up the radio.
Vulnerable road users
Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, children and the elderly are most at risk. Give them room, expect unpredictable movement, and slow near schools, markets and bus stops.
Traps
- Candidates underestimate how much braking distance grows when speed doubles.
- "Opening a window" is offered as a fatigue cure - it is not.
- A seatbelt question may test rear-seat passengers, who are also required to belt up.
Rule of thumb
"Speed plus surface equals stopping distance: double the speed, quadruple the braking."
Worked example: Travelling at 60 km/h instead of 30 km/h, your braking distance is roughly four times longer, so you need far more road to stop - slow down early.