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Hazard perception in stage one
Find out what hazard perception skills you need to know in stage one.
In this topic
What makes a hazard
Hazard perception and driving
The three parts of hazard perception
Your experience and hazard perception
Examples of hazards your learner may not consider the impact of
How your learner will get better at hazard perception
Your learner's hazard perception test
What makes a hazard
A hazard can be anything in your learner’s driving environment that could present a danger or risk when they drive.
Hazard perception and driving
To be a safe driver, your learner needs be able to see, anticipate and respond to hazards and risky situations effectively.
We call this hazard perception.
Hazard perception is one of the most important skills when your learner drives, but will take them a long time to develop.
Well-developed hazard perception helps your learner assess the level of risk a hazard poses to them, take action and reduce their risk of crashing.
Good hazard perception ability is related to reduced crash risk.
The three parts of hazard perception
Hazard perception is made up of three parts that your learner can use together to build their safe driving behaviours.
Review the three parts of hazard perception with your learner.
The three parts of hazard perception are: see, think, do.
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See
Identify any possible risks or dangers.
Your learner needs to visually scan well ahead, to the sides, behind and around their vehicle to see what’s happening or what’s changing.
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Think
Assess the level of risk and predict what may happen.
Your learner needs to think about what the hazard means to their driving. This could mean thinking about what’s the worst thing that could happen and what options they have to respond.
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Do
Respond to the hazard to avoid or deal with it.
Your learner needs to slow down in response to the hazard to so they have enough time to process their next move and the best way to respond.
They should create a safe space between their vehicle and the hazard, or if they’re unable to move away, then make a decision that keeps them safe.
Your experience and hazard perception
As an experienced driver, the way you see, anticipate and respond to hazards is highly developed and at times may seem automatic.
Sometimes your learner will see a hazard but may not consider how it could impact them.
Examples of hazards your learner may not consider the impact of
How to develop good hazard perception
It can take your learner years to develop good hazard perception skills.
As they gain experience in a range of situations and environments, they’ll get better at recognising and responding to potential hazards.
The best way for your learner to get better at hazard perception is to get lots of on-road driving experience.
Your learner's hazard perception test
It's important for your learner to practise their hazard perception skills as this will prepare them for the hazard perception test they will need to complete before their driving test.
Good hazard perception is about knowing how how to see, think about and respond to hazards safely.
The hazard perception test will assess whether they have achieved the minimum competency in hazard perception to proceed to the next stage of their licence.