Seeing Hazards
Seeing Hazards tests hazard perception: how early you notice conditions that could require a speed or lane change. The exam asks about scanning distance, mirror use, intersections, parked vehicles, work zones, weather, and other drivers' behavior. A hazard is not only a stopped car; it is anything that may force you to act.
Core rules
- Look 12–15 seconds ahead in urban areas and farther on open highway. Scan near, middle, and far ranges.
- Check mirrors regularly and before lane changes, turns, and stops. Know what is beside and behind you.
- At intersections, check left-right-left and watch for stale green lights, turn signals, and vehicles that may run the light.
- Watch parked cars for doors opening, pedestrians stepping out, and vehicles pulling away.
- In work zones, look for narrowed lanes, workers, equipment, and sudden stops. Slow before the taper.
- In rain, fog, or snow, reduce speed and increase scanning; visibility and traction are both reduced.
- Do not stare at a hazard. Identify it, plan an escape path, and keep scanning.
Worked example
A driver approaches an intersection with a green light that has been green for a long time-a stale green. Instead of accelerating, the driver covers the brake and checks cross traffic. A delivery van runs the red light from the left. Because the driver had already predicted the possibility and reduced speed slightly, there is time to stop. The stale green was the clue; the escape path was the space to the right.
Traps
- Watching only the vehicle directly ahead.
- Trusting a turn signal or green light as a guarantee.
- Staring at a hazard instead of scanning for alternatives.
- Missing pedestrians and bicycles near parked cars.