Hazard Perception
What the exam tests
Hazard perception tests your ability to scan, identify, predict, decide, and execute. Questions describe a developing situation and ask what you should do first.
Core rules
- Scan far ahead, not just at the vehicle in front.
- Identify hazards: other vehicles, pedestrians, work zones, weather, and road debris.
- Predict what each hazard may do; assume the worst reasonable action.
- Decide early and execute smoothly.
- Always keep an escape route in mind.
Worked example
A work zone flagger is holding a SLOW sign while a truck ahead brakes. You should slow immediately and prepare to stop, not wait for the truck's brake lights. The reasoning is that the flagger's sign is the first hazard cue, and waiting for the vehicle ahead reduces your stopping margin.
Traps that cost marks
- Fixating on one hazard and missing a second one.
- Braking late because you were following too closely.
- Assuming other drivers see you.
- Ignoring a flagger or work-zone sign because traffic is moving.
Exam tip
Hazard perception questions reward the earliest safe response, not the most dramatic one.