Night rain, a dark pedestrian and a flooded dip
At 22:30 you are driving on an unlit coastal road in heavy tropical rain. The zone limit is 60 km/h and you are doing 55 km/h on dipped beam; visibility is poor and wipers are on fast. A scooter with a weak red tail light is about 25 m ahead. As you pass a bus shelter, a pedestrian in dark clothing steps out from the left and stands in your lane about 30 m ahead. At the same moment an oncoming car approaches with very bright headlights, dazzling you. Twenty metres beyond the pedestrian, a flooded dip covers the left half of your lane; you cannot see the depth, and the road edge on the left looks eroded. There is no room to stop safely on the right because of the oncoming car.
1. Rank the hazards and state your immediate action.
Read the worked answer
The pedestrian is the highest priority because a collision is immediate and likely to be fatal. Ease off the accelerator and brake progressively, keeping the wheel straight; do not swerve right into the oncoming car, and do not lock the brakes on the wet road. If the pedestrian remains in your lane and you cannot stop in time, use the horn and flash your lights, but keep braking. The scooter ahead is secondary; do not rear-end it while reacting. The flood is a later hazard. Once the pedestrian is clear, reduce speed further and reassess. Do not let the oncoming headlights draw your eyes to the right; look towards the left edge of your lane.
2. How should you deal with the flooded dip?
Read the worked answer
Stop before the flooded dip and assess. You cannot see the depth, and the eroded left edge may hide a collapse. If the water is moving, rising, or you cannot see the road surface, turn around or wait; do not drive into it. If it is shallow and the crown of the road is visible, cross slowly in first gear with steady throttle, keeping to the higher centre, and avoid stalling. Do not create a bow wave that could affect the scooter. After crossing, test the brakes gently while moving slowly, because wet brakes lose effectiveness. If the engine stalls or water enters, do not restart.
3. Is a 25 m gap behind the scooter adequate in this weather? What gap should you use?
Read the worked answer
A 25 m gap at 55 km/h is less than two seconds, far too short in heavy rain. A safe wet-weather gap is at least four seconds, which at 55 km/h is about 61 m. The scooter's weak tail light makes it harder to judge its speed, and spray reduces your view. Drop back to at least four seconds, use dipped beam, and be ready for the scooter to swerve around the flood or the pedestrian. Do not use high beam into the rain, as it reflects back and worsens visibility. The gap also gives you room to stop if the scooter falls.