Reading the road - Your location
Look out for road signs that may give early clues about hazards ahead.
Are you in a busy town centre or on a country road? It would be unlikely that you would meet a flock of sheep in your local high street, but there may be one just around the next corner on a country road.
Whatever your location, you must always consider the type of hazard that you may expect to meet there, and be driving at a safe speed, so that you can stop safely if necessary.
Learn to look for clues about location. For example the sign shown below is advertising a farm shop. But the real meaning to an advanced driver might be:
- Slow moving old Land-Rovers
- Mothers in new 4WD vehicles towing horse boxes
- Drivers with overloaded trailers emerging
- Tractors turning
- Mud on the road
- Animals loose in the road
- Children playing
- Large vehicles turning
- Other drivers slowing down to look for the entrance
- And more besides!
Skilled drivers look for clues which other drivers miss, this means that they are less likely to be taken by surprise by 'unforeseen' or 'unexpected' hazards.
What does this mean?
Bearing in mind the example above what might you predict when seeing the sign below.
To get you started, there might be slow traffic emerging from the right turn, but that is only the tip of the iceberg! Can you come up with a list of ten potential hazards?
Next: Step 2 - Reading the road - The time of day...
