Variable hazards are changeable hazards that may or may not be there on any given day, at any given time or in any given circumstances. Broken down cars, flood water, vulnerable road users and debris in the road are all examples of variable hazards.
In contrast, fixed hazards are those that are always to be found in the same place and generally have a fixed number of possibilities, which obviously allows you to plan for them with more ease than those random things that just appear one day and are gone the next. Common examples of fixed hazards include traffic lights, junctions and bends in the road.
Fixed hazards can be responsible for a degree of debate when we're training advanced drivers, because these hazards still usually require some level of decision making and as your actions will be dictated by the decision you make at the time, some drivers prefer to view them as variable hazards. A good example here is traffic lights, which obviously will regularly change colour and that is a fair point of view, but the difference is that those traffic lights will be there every day and you are generally limited to just three basic actions (give it some thought and feel free to debate that on social media if you like).
Today, our focus for our commentary driving practice is junctions.
What we want our commentary to include here is clues that the junction is there, so now, in addition to the signs and road markings that already feature in your commentary (and the road surface), I want you to look to the limit point and consciously seek out pieces of information that indicate the presence of junctions.
We'll then use the AIM process to acknowledge the risks and make adjustments to our driving as we negotiate a safe path through those junctions.
The types of things you're looking out for include gaps in the building line, lines of lamp posts or trees, shadows or reflections, or signs (not necessarily direction signs). In the rural setting where street lighting isn't usually present, bundles of street lamps will often be placed around junctions to increase visibility and you may see these in the distance by looking over fields and hedges. Vehicles ahead of you may be seen to signal or start braking as they begin to prepare for a junction just beyond the limit point too.
As has been the case with the other exercises, keeping your comments concise and keeping the vehicle speed low will help you to avoid getting tongue tied. This example might help too:
"Left hand bend up ahead, warning sign for junction on the right" (Alert)
"There could be queuing traffic. I'm turning right and might need to give way" (Inform)
"Reducing speed for the bend. There is some oncoming traffic so giving signal. Position towards the centre line. Can go after the red car. Holding back and selecting 2nd gear. Looking into the side road for hazards. Red car clear, right hand mirror clear. Turning into the side road" (Manage)
You'll notice that this talk through is getting more involved now as we start to actively manage several risks associated with the same hazard.
In the example, the junction around the bend poses a number of risks and thankfully, ALL of them are reduced in severity by a reduction in speed in this example. Generally speaking, drivers will lower risk by reducing speed and / or altering road position to allow extra space.
When it comes to these situations with lots of possible risky scenarios, it's important to remember that the aim is to make us more aware of our driving and therefore safer drivers. A comprehensive list of possibilities isn't required and with practice, you'll find that you naturally prioritise certain possibilities that suit your way of thinking. This is why Driving Instructors talk so much about children running into the road. None of us want to hit anything and the traditional training of Driving Instructors tells them to go for the most graphic example when discussing the potential problems one might encounter. In reality, hitting a Wheelie Bin being blown into the road in high winds is just as undesirable and both are equally as avoidable using the same tools of changing speed and road position. As long as you acknowledge that a risk is present and adjust your driving to reduce that risk, it's fine as it is.
Nick Heath Driver Training is located in Rode Heath on the Staffordshire / Cheshire border and provides driving training services to those looking to either improve their driving or learn from scratch. In addition to media work, we conduct Taxi Driver Assessments for local authorities and offer Advanced Driver Training and Testing, Motorway Training and Fuel Efficient Driver Training alongside refresher courses and learner driving lessons. We are ORDIT registered to provide Driving Instructor Training and are listed on the DVSA's register of Fleet Trainers so we can help you with your business needs.
More details are available on our website www.nickheathdrivertraining.org.uk
