Safe Driving and Hazard Perception
Look far, look often
Hazard perception is mostly about where your eyes go. Aim 12–15 seconds ahead in urban traffic and further on the highway, and sweep your mirrors every 5–8 seconds. Keep at least a two-second gap in ideal dry conditions and double it in rain, dust or darkness.
Reading the scene
Scan for clues rather than surprises: brake lights two cars ahead, a ball rolling into the road, headlights emerging from a side road, a driver's head turning, pedestrians waiting at a crossing, a cyclist wobbling. In Abu Dhabi also expect sand, dust storms, sudden lane changes and heavy vehicles with large blind spots. When a hazard is developing, ease off and cover the brake; do not rely on the horn to solve the problem.
The trap
Hazard questions usually offer a confident answer (sound the horn and continue, flash headlights and proceed) and a defensive one (slow down, widen the gap, prepare to stop). The defensive answer is nearly always correct. The same logic applies to tailgaters: increase the gap ahead and let them pass; never brake-check.
Worked example
At 100 km/h you cover about 28 metres each second, so a two-second gap is roughly 56 metres and a four-second gap over 100 metres. Count "one thousand and one, one thousand and two" from the moment the vehicle ahead passes a fixed object such as a lamp post.