Hazard perception handbook - RTA

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Selecting safe gaps is a key part of developing hazard perception skills.
kEy POINTS SUMMARy: SELECTING SAfE GAPS
A gap is safe where you can turn, overtake, change lanes or cross an intersection:
• Without impacting on the crash avoidance space of others.
• Without other road users having to slow down or change lanes.
If a gap is not large enough, don’t go – wait till it is safe.
GUIdELINES fOR SAfE GAP SELECTION
Safe gaps vary with the road conditions, the speed of the traffic and the weather
conditions. It is difficult to provide hard and fast rules, but this section will give you
some guidelines to help you select safe gaps in traffic.These guidelines will cover:
• Safe gaps when turning left and right.
• U-turning.
• Safe gaps when crossing intersections.
• Safe gaps when overtaking.
Any guidelines in this section will need to be practised by you in real traffic. They
will be of little assistance to you without practice. you will need to adapt the
guidelines to your own driving circumstances.
you need to try the practice exercises that appear at the end of each section.
Hazard perception handbook