Being aware of potential hazards
Having the maximum time possible to react to hazards is important and can be the difference between an awkward situation or even an accident and continuing safe driving.
This requires you not to be paranoid or nervous of every situation that occurs as a driver as it is important to drive up confidence as a road user, but rather to be vigilant and be aware of 'what if' and 'what will happen now' and so forth is important.
There are a huge range of different hazards that you might encounter, and sometimes these are not what you would expect. You may be used to people not signalling correctly at roundabouts, but what when someone actually their hazard lights flashing? Or how about when an animal suddenly enters the road in front of you. And then there are emergency vehicles to deal with - many people panic when they hear the sirens coming up behind them and in the rush to pull over they don't even look at the road around them and can either hit another vehicle, cause an accident or perhaps hit a pedestrian.
Lanes and road markings can also lead to confusion and hazards; there are hotspots where many cars seem to be in the wrong lane and therefore swerve and cut across. If you know that there is a turning ahead then be aware of cars in the outer lane cutting in front of you in order to take the turning if they are still in the wrong lane. And protected lanes can also cause problems and confusion, with taxi or bus lanes for instance on occasion being frequented by other road users too, so always be careful in any situation where there are vehicles changing lanes around you.
Related Articles...
What causes accidents: tailgating
Driving too close to a vehicle is dangerous for the very simple reason that you have too little time to react should something unexpected happen. And when you consider how many road journeys there...
What different cats eyes mean
There are market studs, which are usually referred to as multi-coloured studs or even more usually as cats eyes, along certain areas of motorways and optionally on other parts of motorways...
Why new drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident
It is a well known statistic that new drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents, and indeed insurance companies definitely know this as you'll see by comparing premiums as a new driver...
The Advanced Driving Test
There are advantages to continuing to study driving by means of a course like the advanced driving test, because it will help to give you the chance to develop your skills even further than you had...
Professional driving instructors
When you learn to drive, you have the choice who teaches you. The majority of people decide to learn through a professional driving instructor and often through a major school of...
What to do in an accident situation
If you do have an accident, then you must stop. Whilst you may read about people driving away from the scene of an accident, you should always stop and face up to any responsibilities involving...
Working out what a road sign means
There are many signs that you will see day in day out as a driver and are obvious to understand. For instance signs that tell you the maximum speed limit on the road you're on. For some reason,...
Driving and Eyesight Requirements
If you require glasses in order to meet the requirements for driving legally, then you must ensure that you wear them whilst you drive (or corrective lenses).
There are some conditions that...
What happens after the practical test
At the end of the test, you may have had your driving instructor in the back but taking no part in the test. If not, you can call them over before you receive the feedback and result to your...
Selecting low gears when driving
When you are driving, you will just learn to change gears without really thinking about what you are doing and when. But generally you will change up gears the faster you are going, and this is...
Back to home page of driving theory test questions
