Theory Test Hazard Awareness

To learn all about the Hazard Awareness category, watch the video or read the article below.

The theory test featuring questions from this category is at the bottom of the page.

Attitude Means

  • Your frame of mind when you are driving
  • How you react when you meet road hazards
  • How you behave towards other drivers

Topics Include

  • Anticipation – using forward planning in order to avoid rash, unsafe decisions
  • Tiredness – knowing how tiredness can affect you whilst driving
  • Attention – remaining alert and looking for problems ahead
  • Reaction Time – understanding you need time to react
  • Drugs and Alcohol – knowing how drugs and alcohol affect you when driving
  • Hazard Awareness – recognizing potential hazards and how to deal with them
  • Speed & Distance – understanding the correct speeds to use in all driving situations.

In general, whenever you drive towards a hazard you should reduce your speed.

Hazards are anything that may make you slow down, change direction or stop.

Again, if your stuck for an answer always select the safest option.

Alcohol

You can drink a small amount of alcohol and still legally drive. However, in the context of the theory test, no alcohol is always better, and the right answer when one of the options.

Drinking alcohol will give a driver:

  • Less control
  • A false sense of confidence
  • Poor judgment of speed
  • Reduced co-ordination
  • Reduced concentration
  • Poor judgment
  • Increased confidence
  • Get a conviction for driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs and your car insurance premium will rise significantly.

Illness

  • If you have any illness that is likely to negatively affect your driving ability then don’t drive.
  • Taking a medicines that might impact negatively on your driving i.e. make you feel drowsy? Then consult your doctor to make sure you can safely drive.
  • Always read the label of any medicine, even cough medicine.
  • If you start to suffer from ill health, which affects your driving, you should inform the licensing authority.

Tiredness

When driving, if you start to feel tired you should always find a safe, convenient place to stop and rest. If no such place is immediately available you should open a window and allow a good supply of fresh air into the car.

On a long journey always take regular rest breaks. Regular stops help maintain concentration.

When driving on a motorway if you start to feel tired you should leave the motorway at the next exit, find a safe place to stop and rest.

Concentration

Maintaining high levels of concentration is essential for road safety. Whenever a driver’s concentration levels dip or are under threat they should stop and rest until they are capable of maintaining the high levels of concentration needed to drive safely.

Loss of concentration can be caused by:

  • Looking at maps
  • Listening to loud music
  • Using a mobile phone
  • Tiredness

Cyclists

  • Give cyclists plenty of room. They may wobble or swerve to avoid drains or potholes.
  • When travelling in slow traffic, before you turn left, check for cyclists filtering through the traffic on your left.
  • At junctions or traffic lights give them time to turn or pull away.

Motorcyclists

Look out for motorcyclists, especially when you’re:

  • emerging from a junction
  • turning into a road on your right
  • changing lanes or moving out to overtake.

Other Facts to Know

  • A driver does something to upset you. You should try not to react, ignore the error and stay calm.
  • A flashing amber beacon on a vehicle signifies that the vehicle is slow moving.
  • If your eyesight becomes poor you should tell the licensing authority.
  • An automatic car uses ‘kick-down’ for quick acceleration.
  • In areas where there are traffic calming measures you should drive at a reduced speed.
  • The only time you are permitted to use hazard warning lights while moving is if you are on a motorway or dual carriageway and you need to warn other road users of a hazard ahead.
  • At a junction where the traffic lights have failed you should be prepared to stop for any traffic.
  • Convex mirrors are slightly curved. This allows a wider field of vision.
  • Low bridges – give way to buses and lorries when approaching them. In order to drive under the bridge tall vehicles will have to take up position in the centre of the road, as this is where the highest point of the bridge is.
  • When following a cyclists be aware that the cyclist may swerve out into the road.
  • An elderly person’s driving ability could be affected because they are unable to react quickly. Be patient with them.
  • On a long journey it is recommended that you take breaks of at least 15 minutes for every two hours of driving.
  • At a junction where traffic lights have failed, you must be prepared to stop for any vehicle.
  • When driving passed parked cars at the side of the road look out for car doors opening and children running into the road from between the parked cars.
  • When approaching traffic calming measures you should reduce your speed.
  • On a two-way road with three lanes, the middle lane is used for overtaking. If you intend to use the middle-lane to overtake be careful, an approaching vehicle may be about to also use the lane to overtake.
  • Never overtake when your view ahead is blocked, when approaching a junction, when turning left shortly afterwards.
  • Never reverse or do a u-turn in a one-way street.
  • School buses may stop at places other than signed bus stops.

This sign is found on slow-moving or stationary works vehicles. Overtake on the left, as indicated by the arrow.

This sign on a vehicle indicates that the vehicle is a school bus.

Theory test hazard markers

These warning markers are fitted to vehicles over 13 metres long, large goods vehicles and rubbish skips placed in the road.

This sign means a sharp deviation to the left (right if the arrows face right)

2 votes, 5 avg

Theory Test: Hazard Awareness

1 / 35

You are driving on a road with several lanes. You see these signs above the lanes. What do they mean?

(mark ONE answer)

2 / 35

You are driving along this road. The driver on the left is reversing from a driveway. You should

(mark ONE answer)

3 / 35

You intend to turn left at the traffic lights. Just before turning you should

(mark ONE answer)

4 / 35

While driving, you see this sign ahead. You should

(mark ONE answer)

5 / 35

You are behind this cyclist. When the traffic lights change, what should you do?

(mark ONE answer)

6 / 35

You are driving towards this level crossing. What would be the first warning of an approaching train?

(mark ONE answer)

7 / 35

Why must you take extra care when turning right at the junction?

(mark ONE answer)

8 / 35

You have just been overtaken by this motorcyclist who is cutting in sharply. You should

(mark ONE answer)

9 / 35

You are approaching this cyclist. You should

(mark ONE answer)

10 / 35

What does the solid white line at the side of the road indicate?

(mark ONE answer)

11 / 35

You are about to drive home. You feel very tired and have a severe headache. You should

(mark ONE answer)

12 / 35

During periods of illness your ability to drive may be impaired. You must

(mark TWO answers)

13 / 35

You ar driving along a motorway and become tired. You should

(mark TWO answers)

14 / 35

You are invited to a pub lunch. You know you will have to drive in the evening. What is your best course of action?

(mark ONE answer)

15 / 35

What does this signal from a police officer mean to oncoming traffic?

(mark ONE answer)

16 / 35

Some two-way roads are divided into three lanes. Why are these particularly dangerous?

(mark ONE answer)

17 / 35

Why are place names painted on the road surface?

(mark ONE answer)

18 / 35

Why are mirrors often slightly curved (convex)

(mark ONE answer)

19 / 35

You think the driver of the vehicle in front has forgotten to cancel their right indicator.

You should(mark ONE answer)

20 / 35

You see a pedestrian with a dog. The dog has a yellow or burgundy coat. This especially warns you that the pedestrian is

(mark ONE answer)

21 / 35

You should never attempt to overtake a cyclist

(mark ONE answer)

22 / 35

Ahead of you there is a moving vehicle with a flashing amber beacon. This means it is

(mark ONE answer)

23 / 35

You are following a car driven by an elderly driver. You should

(mark ONE answer)

24 / 35

There are flashing amber lights under a school warning sign. What action should you take?

(mark ONE answer)

25 / 35

You are following two cyclists. They approach a roundabout in the left-hand lane. In which direction should you expect the cyclists to go?

(mark ONE answer

26 / 35

You are waiting to come out of a side road. Why should you watch carefully for motorcycles?

(mark ONE answer)

27 / 35

Why should you look particularly for motorcyclists and cyclists at junctions?

(mark ONE answer)

28 / 35

How will a school crossing patrol signal you to stop?

(mark ONE answer)

29 / 35

Which of the following types of glasses should NOT be worn when driving at night?

(mark ONE answer)

30 / 35

How does alcohol affect you?

(mark ONE answer)

31 / 35

Which road user is causing a hazard?

(mark ONE answer)

32 / 35

What should the driver of the car approaching the crossing do?

(mark ONE answer)

33 / 35

You have just been overtaken by this motorcyclists who is cutting in sharply. You should

(mark ONE answer)

34 / 35

At this blind junction you must stop

(mark ONE answer)

Blind junction

35 / 35

What is the main hazard you should be aware of when following this cyclist?

(mark ONE answer)

Your score is

The average score is 82%

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