Hazard perception handbook - RTA

THE UNExPECTEd
By now you will have realised that the road system is not perfect and that not all
road users obey the road rules all of the time. Some road users do not do what you
expect them to do.
Imagine the woman in the following picture did not look before crossing the road
and so risked being struck by a car.
Perhaps she expected that no cars would be coming on a quiet suburban
street. drivers need to be on the look out for this sort of behaviour.
A driver with good hazard perception skills would have noticed the woman, taken
action, and prevented a crash.
ExPECTING THE UNExPECTEd
Suggesting that you expect the unexpected when driving is easy to say, but harder to
do. Unfortunately, there are no magic formulas or techniques for predicting when
unexpected hazards will pop up when driving.
The best way to deal with the unexpected is to apply the hazard perception skills
covered in this handbook The following are the key skills:
• Scan well ahead of your car – keep your eyes moving.
• Look for indicators on other vehicles.
• Observe the head and eye movements of other drivers (eg are they looking at
you or at something else).
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