This part of the test follows on from the theory test. The computer will play 14 one minute long video clips, these video clips are filmed through the windscreen of a car driven around various locations of what looks like south Wales.

Of the fourteen video clips one clip will have two hazards making a total of fifteen hazards

You are required to click the mouse button at a point when you see an “ evolving hazard “. What does that mean ? The DSA have set a point within the clip where they would expect you to have to brake or change course.

If you click the mouse button at the right moment you will get 5 points. If you click to soon you will get no points, If you click a little late you will get 4, 3, 2, or 1 points depending on how slow you are, Click too late and you will have missed it and will score 0 points.

Click to often and you will be accused of cheating, the same thing will happen if you click rhythmically in either case you score 0 points for that clip.

OK so this is not difficult, just easy to get wrong. The pitfall that catches most people out is clicking to soon, as an experienced car driver who now wants to ride a motorcycle you are going to be interested in ” road craft “ and your anticipation is probably better than average, you will see a situation on the video clip, anticipate what happens next, click, 0 points. You must click again when you would have to brake or change direction, clicking at the point you would get off the gas is almost always to soon.

Another pitfall it is easy to fall into is rhythmic clicking, why ? Let me tell you what happened to me when I took the hazard test for another qualification I was training for. You have a long straight, parked on the off side just before a right hand bend is a car, the road is not wide, any thing that comes around the corner is going to be a “ hazard”, obvious, so click, the video clip runs on and we have gone past the point when I would have been off the gas, so click, driver gets out of parked car, click, driver opens passenger door and lets out children into the road, click, car comes around the corner towards me, click.
The result is 0 points for “ rhythmic “ clicking. Luckily I had done well enough on the rest of the test to pass anyway.

Another pit fall is spotting to many hazards, and clicking for all of them, you or I might see a pedestrian as a potential hazard to keep an eye, do not click unless they are on the carriageway or about to cross the road.

CD ROMs are available from all the usual places, or call in the office we have them for sale at £9.99. Better yet give Sally or Claire a ring and get them to arrange a training session.

Call the DSA on 0300 2001122 to book a test, you will need your licence and a debit or credit card handy.