Safe driving, hazard perception and defensive driving (Sikkerhetsbevissthet)
Safe driving, hazard perception and defensive driving (Sikkerhetsbevissthet)
This domain tests whether you see risk early and choose a safe plan before a situation becomes an emergency.
Core approach
- Scan far ahead, then near, then mirrors. Look for clues: brake lights, a ball rolling out, a child at a bus stop, a cyclist wobbling, a car edging out of a side road.
- Keep a following distance of at least 3 seconds for a bus at speed; increase to 4–5 seconds in rain, snow, darkness or with passengers standing. At 80 km/h, 3 seconds is about 67 m.
- Assume other road users have not seen you. The bus's size can hide pedestrians and cyclists, and its blind spots are large.
- Plan an escape route: space to the side, a lower speed, a safe stopping point. Cover the brake when a hazard is developing.
- Manage your own fitness: fatigue, distraction and time pressure are hazards. Use the tachograph and breaks to stay alert.
Worked example
You approach a school bus stop. A child stands on the pavement but looks toward the road. Defensive plan: reduce speed early, cover the brake, move slightly away if safe, and be ready to stop. Do not sound the horn as a first response; it may startle the child into the road. If the child steps out, you already have speed and space to stop.
Traps
Watching only the vehicle in front; assuming a pedestrian will wait; using the horn instead of slowing; and treating the speed limit as a target. Avoid target fixation on a hazard - look for the space beside it.