Driving Instructors Scottish Council
D.I.S.C.
Part 1 for ADIs Hazard Perception Test
I would first of all like to draw your attention to the sequence of events which unfold as we run through the clip being used by DSA in their latest CD-Rom which was issued to all ADI's along with the last copy of Dispatch.
Situation which occurs timed at 2.23 on the Clip:
Having viewed this clip, I would like to ask all of you two questions?
1) How many of you would take exactly the same action as the driver in the clip and continue to drive in the same manner, by pulling out into the hatched area, to overtake the cyclist while he is riding past the car transporter, with the oncoming car approaching at the same time.
2) How many of you as ADI's, would honestly allow any one of your pupils, to take exactly the same action.
Situation which occurs timed at 2.37 on the Clip:
Once again, having viewed the clip, I would like to ask all of you two similar questions?
1) How many of you would take exactly the same action as the driver in the clip and continue to drive in the same manner, where you have reduced your following distance behind the motorcyclist by half, to approximately two car lengths, and would continue to drive on through the gap between the car on the left, which has emerged over into the cycle lane and the oncoming traffic.
2) How many of you as ADI's, would honestly allow any one of your pupils, to take exactly the same action.
With regard to following distances, if you were the driver of the car in the clip, how many of you would be reducing speed or increasing your following distance in relation to the motorcyclist?
I know that I would be reducing speed and attempting to keep a safe distance from the rear of the motorcyclist.
Whereas the driver in the clip appears to make no reduction in speed, or adjustment to the following distance. Timed at 1.38, where the driver is first shown to be following the motorcyclist at approximately 5 car lengths distance, this gradually reduces to 4, 3, and then down to 2 car lengths by 2.37 on the clip.
I would ask if this illustration of bad driving, is a good example to be showing your pupils, in respect of how the DSA Hazard perception Test operates.
Within the commentary on the CD-Rom, it is stated, that:
You will score points for clicking when you see these hazards develop.
Press the mouse button as soon as you spot a clue to any hazard.
Here we have highlighted the hazards to show you when to click.
Within the Clip used in the CD-Rom, two examples of developing hazards are shown, the first with a cyclist and the second with a car emerging from a junction on the left. I would initially like to cover the second example first, for the simple reason that on the CD-Rom this example, gives a clear indication of the exact distance, which you would be away from this developing hazard, when you should press the mouse button, to enable you to obtain possible scores of either 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, or NIL marks .
You will observe that there is a running time displayed on the bottom left of the CD-Rom. The clip which is being used as an illustration, runs for 5 seconds from 1.38 until 1.43, for eight seconds from 1.50 until 1.58, for 13 seconds from 2.18 until 2.31, and for 32 seconds from 2.34 until 3.06 making up a total running time of 60 seconds, with three pauses totalling 20 seconds. Study of the action in between these times, will help to illustrate the problems which you are liable to encounter.
You will score 5 at this point
Running Time on the Clip: 02.31 through to 02.34 (due to sequence being paused for three seconds) = 5 marks
At this point in time, while following the motorcyclist, the car which is emerging from the junction on the left, has now reached a point where the front of this car is level with a tree on the pavement and its front offside wheel has become fully visible.
The car which you are taking observations from, is at this stage, following the motorcyclist at a distance of approximately 7 to 8 car lengths from the hazard.
You will score 4 at this point.
Running Time on the Clip: 02.35 = 4 marks
At this point in time, the car, which is emerging from the junction on the left, has now reached a point where the front of the car has reached the give way lines at the major road, with its front offside wheel in front of the tree on the pavement.
The car which you are taking observations from, is at this stage, following the motorcyclist at a distance of approximately 4 to 5 car lengths from the hazard.