Hazard Perception

Soldato
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Got theory test tomorrow and this thing still confuses me as to what they actually want. It took me 3 tries on my car licence and even then I think it was by chance I got enough to pass.


So....anyone know what is actually expected? I've tried looking it up and there are different explanations. One is click as soon as you see a potnetial hazard and then click again a second after. The other is click as soon as you see a potential hazard and then click again when it is a 'developing'/actual hazard.
 
I thought it was the latter and I passed doing just that, click potential hazard then click again if/when the hazard progresses.
 
You've left it a bit late to do revision...

There's a scoring window on each of the clips - some (AFAIK) are a couple of seconds long, some are longer - there are a few mock tests on the net, do some of these. The Camrider one is pretty good.

Basically, you should click when you first see the hazard and again when it develops, and probably again a second later. The scoring window starts when the hazard "develops" i.e. that bloke running along the pavement for the starts to run faster and crosses the road in front of you, making you brake. Or the cyclist in front looks over his shoulder, indicating he is about to pull out. Clicking when he's pulled out is a bit too late, which is why you need to click when you see the hazard.

Best to do some mock tests, the first couple I did I failed miserably, but then worked out what you need to do the "beat the game". And it is a game, think of it like a computer game, i.e. you have to click at the correct moment to score the maximum points. Click too early though and you'll be outsite the window and score nothing, hence the click a second later.
 
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I seem to remember when I did my test in 2003 they did give full instructions on how the test worked, but that was 2003 so it may have changed a lot since then, I dont know.

Are you struggling with what the hazards are or simply how the test works?
 
You've left it a bit late to do revision...
I booked the test last week and have been going through the theory every day :)



Are you struggling with what the hazards are or simply how the test works?

I have a good idea of what the hazards are but was just trying to get an idea of when you are expected to click. I did a few online hazard tests last night and played with it to try and understand what I did to get the higher marks on each one. I does seem to vary wildly as if I click as soon as a see a car down a narrow bendy road it might pick it up it might not.

I think I'll employ the tactic of click for potential hazard and then again when it has become something you will have to react to, and then click again shortly after
 
Other than the fact the test is a load of nonsense, there is a very specific window on when you can get a scoring click for each hazard.

For instance, there is one with a fire engine coming into shot from the left of the screen with its blue lights on, approaching a T junction at speed where you are on the main road and have right of way.
The fire engine IS a hazard, and anybody with a brain would slow down at that point and allow it to enter the junction and carry on its way.
So in the sensible world, you would "click" as soon as you saw the engine and take appropriate measures to avoid.

Doing that fails that test.

You dont click till the fire engine is actually on the junction and you are virtually on top of it which is complete nonsense as far as I am concerned.
 
they say to not read the book the day you of the test, I did this and passed 1st time with 2 wrong I think but long time ago 1999 :)
I remember the 1 i failed on was parked car on my side of the road I must give way to oncoming traffic :)

Just dont go to mad reading the book and read it at night before bed

good luck.
 
Other than the fact the test is a load of nonsense, there is a very specific window on when you can get a scoring click for each hazard.

For instance, there is one with a fire engine coming into shot from the left of the screen with its blue lights on, approaching a T junction at speed where you are on the main road and have right of way.
The fire engine IS a hazard, and anybody with a brain would slow down at that point and allow it to enter the junction and carry on its way.
So in the sensible world, you would "click" as soon as you saw the engine and take appropriate measures to avoid.

Doing that fails that test.

You dont click till the fire engine is actually on the junction and you are virtually on top of it which is complete nonsense as far as I am concerned.


Sounds like an utter waste of time, but we are talking about a government organisation so no surprise there.

I was lucky to do my bike test just before they changed to format to having the examiner on a bike behind you. It was quite fun watching my examiner nipping through peoples gardens and popping out of random alleyways as I rode around the course he had prescribed :)
 
Aye I did mine in 1993 just rode around for a bit, did a U turn and emergency stop and at the end he told me I passed and that was that.

I had to do the hazard perception nonsense for my HGV test in 2010, it's harder for people who drive/ride already, as you will use your experience to judge what is and isn't a hazard and when it occurs, and not how to score points.
 
I didn't have to do a hazard perception for driving so not looking forward to the bike one next year. Looks stupid and random going off what everyone say's!
 
I did a fair bit of revision using "real past tests" to get a feel for it. I was clicking too soon and not getting any points at first. It seems silly. "You detected the hazard too soon! Zero points!"

But once I got a feel for it I knew what to do. When you can see the potential hazard turning into a hazard. That is when you click. Not when you see the potential hazard.
 
I passed first time for car in 07 and first time last month for bike. You have to click something like 25 times to be given a zero for a particular clip. Each clip has 1 hazard worth 5 points. One clip has 2 hazards worth ten points on total. You're not told which clip has two.

You should click when you see a hazard and again shortly after in case your first click was too early. You can click a third time if you're really paranoid.

That's it really. I hope it went well!
 
i tried doing the test last year for my bike and i got a zero for only clicking 6 times in a clip so just be carefull

You can get a zero for patterned clicking. Perhaps you went click-click, click-click, click-click. 6 is certainly not too many clicks for any clip.
 
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