Reactions to Hazards.

Does anyone have any tips to avoid this penalty, or descriptions of situations where they picked up marks on this one?

Alanstrainor

It's always a hard one to understand. But it's, generally speaking, being aware of your surroundings and reacting appropriately. For example when going down a street with a line of parked cars on your left and as you're approaching there is someone with a door open, slowing down and making sure there is room to pass would be reacting to a possible hazard. There are countless examples you can give regarding, pedestrians, cyclists, etc. It's a very broad fault. I hope this helps!

I picked up a mark on that example in a pre-test. I didn't get a failure to react to hazards fault on the real thing. Get In!;).

J_R

Hi,

See some examples from the RSA Notes on the Driving Fault Marking Guidelines - React Promptly and Properly to Hazards

goofygirl

i got FOUR faults in this category in my first test heehee...i'll know for next time!

daveharnett

Moonbaby wrote: »

Does anyone have any tips to avoid this penalty, or descriptions of situations where they picked up marks on this one?

It's all about anticipating the unexpected. Pass parked cars a full door length away from them when possible, slow right down when passing children/schools/ice cream vans/animals/road works. The instructor wants to see that you are aware of potential dangers, and that you can take appropriate precautions.

Gregor Samsa

Moonbaby wrote: »

Does anyone have any tips to avoid this penalty, or descriptions of situations where they picked up marks on this one?

On my test, I turned a corner to find a 10 year old boy running down the centre of the road ahead of me (going in the same direction as me), weaving from side to side of the narrow road. Tester exclaimed "What the F is that idiot doing?". I said nothing, held well back, went nice and slow, and after about 200 metres of the traffic on the opposite side of the road dodging him and blasting their horns, he decided to cross onto the footpath and went on his way.

I didn't pick up any faults for it, but it just goes to show that you can encounter anything on the test, and you have to be prepared to act accordingly.

Wishbone Ash

It is usually very simple things which seem to go over the heads of many motorists. The possibilities are possibly endless but here are a few examples.

- if you seen a pedestrian approaching a pedestrian crossing , expect the lights to go to amber.

- if a truck driver travelling in front of you slows down and activates his hazard lights, it's usually an (unofficial) indication that he needs to reverse into an exit that he has just passed. Stay well back and allow plenty of room.

- if traffic lights in the distance are green for some time, assume that they could change any second.

- if you encounter a parked vehicle causing an obstruction, move out and take up your position in good time. It improves your visibility and shows oncoming traffic that you are there and they may move over to their left to make it easier for you to pass.

- always assume that a football will be followed by a child.

- if a bus in front of you is picking up passengers, don't drive right up to the rear of it and wait but move out early and wait or and pass if possible.

- always exercise caution when passing a bus. Passengers may alight and cross in front of it.

- many pedestrian parents, when crossing between parked vehicles, have a tendency to push their child's buggy out into the road while they get a view of traffic. I don't think they realise they are doing it but it is very dangerous.

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Many posters in this Forum complain that they were penalised for their reaction to hazards which they claim didn't exist. They seem to forget that the hazards probably did exist but they didn't notice them or react to them.

Sangre

Even something as simple as moving your foot from above the accelerator to above the brake will show you are aware you may need to slow down.

Thanks folks, I feel better about that one now.

I8poop4U

Don't forget the speed ramps. I got 4 marks for reaction to hazards on my test and it was because i went over them to fast.

Zapp Brannigan

How fast is too fast for speed bumps? 30 km/h?

Wishbone Ash

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

How fast is too fast for speed bumps? 30 km/h?

That would depend on the height of the ramp and the suspension of the car. A high end luxury car will soak up the effect of the ramp much better than a 'sportier' car with lowered and stiffened suspension.

Alanstrainor

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

How fast is too fast for speed bumps? 30 km/h?

All the bumps are different, but i'd say 20km/h would be a safe bet. You can't really go too slow over a speed bump, well, within reason. Just take them as they come.

prodigal_son

Just react to things that havent happend but could happen, Some good suggestions above.

Like slowing down when you see kids around parked cars, chances are no one will walk out, but the instructor wants to know that you have seen the children, identified them as a potential hazard and acted accordingly.

as for speed bumps, it depends on the car, and the speed bump, some of them can be like hitting a kerb, you have to slow down a lot for them ones, some are quite ok for 3rd gear driving. This is a reason for visiting the area, as often you can get 4 speed bumps in a row that look the same, first two are fine for 30kmh, the 3rd one for some reason is like hitting a kerb, and the last one is fine.

Quite a few times ive gone over speed bumps only to hit 1 that made me think "jesus, that one was a bit harsh" while all the others were fine.

annabel

Hi , I know on my last test I did not react to the speed ramps properly and i Picked three faulyts up on this . I am duue to do my test again . I did pretest the other day and my instructer said they expect you to cover break in reaction to hazards and also to slow down in advance of roundabouts etc . hope this of some help
annabel

darling.x

I had a driving lesson today. I was driving along a relatively quite road at about 50 km. I was approaching a line of parked cars on my left. Although the way was clear, and conditions were good, I thought this would have be a hazard to some degree because people could come out from nowhere or from behind parked cars to cross the road. So i slowed down a bit. My instructor was telling me that because the way was clear and conditions were good i should have maintained my speed. I'm confused. I don't like driving and i much prefer taxis to get around in. But i need a car.

bryanmurr

darling.x wrote: »

I had a driving lesson today. I was driving along a relatively quite road at about 50 km. I was approaching a line of parked cars on my left. Although the way was clear, and conditions were good, I thought this would have be a hazard to some degree because people could come out from nowhere or from behind parked cars to cross the road. So i slowed down a bit. My instructor was telling me that because the way was clear and conditions were good i should have maintained my speed. I'm confused. I don't like driving and i much prefer taxis to get around in. But i need a car.

if you had no oncoming traffic you should have just moved away from the hazard slightly. give a doors width where possible

bonkey

darling.x wrote: »

I had a driving lesson today. I was driving along a relatively quite road at about 50 km. I was approaching a line of parked cars on my left. Although the way was clear, and conditions were good, I thought this would have be a hazard to some degree because people could come out from nowhere or from behind parked cars to cross the road. So i slowed down a bit. My instructor was telling me that because the way was clear and conditions were good i should have maintained my speed. I'm confused. I don't like driving and i much prefer taxis to get around in. But i need a car.

Everything is "to some degree" a hazard. The trick is to figure out what the appropriate response is.

The situation you describe, for example, has a far lower risk of something unexpected happening than (say) a line of cars parked near a school, around the time that kids get out to go home, in the rain, at twilight.

Sure...someone could always appear out of nowhere, but with a clear road, good visibility, and having allowed sufficient space to not get hit by an opening car-door, you should have time/space to swerve and/or brake if someone does step out from some blindspot. (Aside - assuming an average reaction time of 1 second, do you know what your stopping distance should be at 50 km/h, in the dry?)


Also...ask yourself this...why did you only slow down a bit, rather than reducing your speed to a crawl, with your foot over the brake, only moving to the accelerator when you needed to prevent yourself coming to a stop? The answer is (or should be) because you didn't see it as being hazardous enough to merit such extreme behaviour. So you recognised that there was an increased risk, but also put a limit on just how increased that was. Your instructor basically pointed out that you put the limit too high...that there wasn't enough risk to merit losing speed.

Ultimately, this is also what youre instructor was referring to, and what the whole "reaction to hazards" thing is about.....learning to judge how hazardous something really is, and reacting appropriately. Your instructor told you that in this case you were overly cautious.

There's no magic formula. Musjudging the appropriate reaction is a perfectly normal thing to do when learning. What is important is that you learn the correct lessons from it....that you got this one case wrong, not that you have no idea how to ever judge hazards.

Given what you are saying about not liking driving and prefering other transport, its possible that you're generally going to be overly cautious. If so, then it is just something you're going to have to get past through practice.However, I'm stopping of short of saying this is what is happening, because if it were, then your instructor should be fairly constantly telling you that you're being too cautious...and not in isolated cases like the above.

prodigal_son

darling.x wrote: »

I had a driving lesson today. I was driving along a relatively quite road at about 50 km. I was approaching a line of parked cars on my left. Although the way was clear, and conditions were good, I thought this would have be a hazard to some degree because people could come out from nowhere or from behind parked cars to cross the road. So i slowed down a bit. My instructor was telling me that because the way was clear and conditions were good i should have maintained my speed. I'm confused. I don't like driving and i much prefer taxis to get around in. But i need a car.

Like bonkey said above, excellent advice, i just wanted to add, that other times you might be given the opposite advice in a similar but different situation, Different areas can be treated differently, and your instructor knows the area. He might see someone in the driver seat of a car moving, and it looks like they are about to get out, etc..

If the way is clear, generally you just pull out to allow room for potential hazards. If there had of been traffic, he might have expected you to slow right down, or even come to a complete stop to allow the oncoming traffic past.

Youll pick it all up, it doesn't require much thinking, just attention.

Noskoda

A 'Hazard' is defined as "ANYTHING that is likely to cause you to slow down, stop, or change direction [turn your wheel]. If you think carefully about this it means almost anything - i.e ramps, roundabouts, pedestrians, traffic lights, bends, crossings, junctions, schools, hospitals etc. etc. etc.

The wording on the examiners marking sheet for this section states "react promptly and properly to hazards".

I often use the following illustration to prepare pupils to deal with hazards. When I was a boy my father often used to say to me - "Don't get yourself into a hole, and then have to dig your way out of the hole, KEEP OUT OF THE HOLE IN THE FIRST PLACE"

In other words, do not keep driving close to any hazard / problem. Slow down early, give yourself plenty of room and time, and if safe, get round the hazard - or stop, before it becomes a problem.

It's not merely seeing a problem / hazard ahead, it is acting on what you see.

WUSBDesign

Try the Five Habits:
- look well ahead
- move your eyes
- spot the problem
- keep space
- be seen