Teenagers and young adults can also walk or run into the road without warning, and can be less perceptive to danger than older adults.
#Uk driving hazard perception test drivers#
If they’re playing a game, and they’re playing with friends, this could mean multiple children could run into the road, rather than just one.Īnd it’s not only small children who can be a hazard to drivers and themselves on the roads.
#Uk driving hazard perception test driver#
Children’s concentration on their own safety can be lacking, so it’s up to you as a driver to make up for that with your own alertness and quick thinking. Never assume a child is aware of any vehicles around them, and that they could step or cycle into your path at any time.
Separate from the hazard posed by schools, children present a hazard of their own whenever they are close to the road. This means you’ll need to drive slowly past them, and if you reach a crossing where pedestrians are on the crossing or a crossing officer is displaying a ‘stop’ sign you must stop. As soon as you enter these areas you will need to be alert and ready to take action. Schools are where particular care must be taken, due to the high number of children who may be walking, cycling, running across the road or playing. Once you’ve stopped, it’s up to them to check there’s no traffic coming from the other direction and not up to you to tell them when to cross, just in case it’s not yet safe. What you should never do is wave to pedestrians to indicate that they should cross.
You’ll also need to stop and wait if they step onto the crossing, and do this a little earlier if the road conditions are bad, for example, because of water or ice. To avoid this hazard, you need to be constantly on the lookout for people who might be about to use a crossing as you approach, and slow down in anticipation if you see any. Anyone approaching a crossing, including individual pedestrians or school crossing officers, is a hazard you need to be aware of. The same applies if a traffic control signals to stop to allow pedestrians to cross. This is a very common hazard in your hazard perception test because it involves something which is frequently found on all the country’s roads – crossings. Here are the most common types of potential or developing hazards you’re likely to encounter in your hazard perception test. Your theory test will ask you distinguish between the two. A developing hazard is something which is underway already and will require you to do one of these things. A potential hazard is one in which you need to be aware of what might happen, but it hasn’t started to happen yet, so it’s unclear whether you’ll need to change speed or direction or to stop. With that in mind, you can easily tell the difference between a potential or a developing hazard. Hazards are anything that mean you need to change speed or direction, or stop completely.
Your vehicle is capable of causing a lot more damage to people and property than a car, if you were to slip up on spotting and avoiding the common hazards of the road. There are 13 common types of road hazard you should be prepared to spot in the blink of an eye, and it’s not as hard as it seems once you know what they are and start to put your driving instinct into practise. It’s these types of hazards you’ll be expected to identify during your hazard perception theory test, and to demonstrate during your practical test, so the earlier you become aware of them and try to memorise them the better your chances of passing and becoming a great driver. Hazard Perception – The 13 Potential Hazards To Look Out Forĭriving around in an HGV gives you even more responsibility than that of a car driver.