Road Safety, Hazard Awareness and Defensive Driving
Hazard awareness
Defensive driving means anticipating hazards before they become emergencies. Scan far ahead, check mirrors regularly, and keep an escape route in mind. Watch for children near schools, pedestrians stepping out, cyclists, animals, and vehicles emerging from side roads. In poor visibility, reduce speed so you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear.
The system of car control
Use the IPSGA routine: Information (observe and assess), Position (correct road position), Speed (adjust to the hazard), Gear (select appropriate gear), Acceleration (only once safe). Apply it to bends, junctions, and any developing hazard.
Common hazards
- Junctions: vehicles emerging without looking.
- Bends: limited forward view; adjust speed before the bend, not in it.
- Overtaking: requires clear view and safe gap; abort if in doubt.
- Fatigue and distraction: mobile phones, tiredness, and passengers reduce attention.
Traps in questions
Questions often reward the cautious answer: slowing down, increasing following distance, and being prepared to stop. Beware answers that suggest sounding the horn aggressively or accelerating to "get past" a hazard. Also watch for the trap of assuming other drivers will obey the rules; defensive driving assumes they may not.
Rule of thumb
"If you cannot stop within the distance you can see, you are going too fast."
Worked example
Approaching a blind bend on a narrow road, you ease off the accelerator, select a lower gear, and position to maximise your view, ready to stop if a vehicle appears. You do not accelerate through the bend hoping the road is clear.