Advanced driver and hazard perception test woes

[techathy]

I've had my UK driving licence for 17 years & been a RoSPA advanced driver at gold standard for 16 years with hazard awareness & evaluation being a natural strong suit of mine. On the road my instructor has nothing but praise for my observation skills. The problem is on mock hazard perception tests I keep on either getting 5 or less than 2 (often 0). My main problem now is I'm picking up on things too early & so not getting 'credit' for the first observed clicks.

My instructor has seen this problem before with experienced drivers but not to this extreme. With his guidance I just about scrape through but it's not a reliable pass. Are there any advanced drivers out there who have had problems with the hazard perception test & do you have any advice to getting a reliable pass?

[Wilkie2]

I was clicking too early to, so I saw the hazard and clicked, counted 2 then clicked again.......worked for me

[techathy]

Thanks, I've tried that but it then ends up with me falling foul of the 'random clicking' detection. Not only do I see things too early, I see too much as a hazard.

[Wilkie2]

I passed my car test 26 years ago and my hgv 21 years ago, struggled with the practice hp tests for a while as I went from seeing too many possible hazards to seeing them and dismissing them as not being a problem. kept at it looking what they were after in the tutorials and got there in the end.

[Taught2BCauti...]

That's the problem for a lot of experienced road users. Eventually, you learn that there are just two types of potential hazard - everything you can see, and everything you can't see.

For the HPT, you need to hold back until a situation develops to such a point, that the next thing that happens will cause you to brake or swerve.

A good example is the clip where there's a playground and parked cars on your left, and a ball bounces into the road from between two parked cars (this is the first click), and a couple of seconds later, a child runs into the road after the ball (this is the second click).

In real life, you would be aware that you are approaching a playground, and be able to see if anyone or anything was close to the road, but you would also check what's behind you and modify your speed and road position, well before you got there.

In the HPT, you have no idea what type of vehicle you are in, how fast it's going, what's behind you, or even where you are or what day it is.

It would be a lot fairer if you sat alongside an examiner, and explained what you could see, and what action you would take - like; "There's a playground coming up on the left, so I'm going to check my mirrors, slow down a little, and move to the right a bit so I can get a better view if anything pops out between the parked cars..."
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[techathy]

Taught2BCautious, I think you've touched on something I hadn't realised. Because I've reacted to things before the driver of the vehicle did I'm actually making judgments I'll not normally need to make. I feel that I've got a lot of practice to do

[Going]

I failed that clicking thing first time, didn't help that I got top marks for the theory test.
So I searched the internet and done as many different clicking tests as I could. Then I managed to pass it

[daesimps]

I had similar issues until I read what the test is looking for. It is "developing hazards" you're looking for, not potential hazards.

For example, car parked on the left as you approach is no click but if a car starts coming the other way then you click. Junction on the left, no click, but if a car starts approaching the give-way line then you click.

Don't be too worried about the test - I still got one where it said I had clicked too much but I still passed with plenty of room to spare.
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[andyscooter]

my mate drives hgvs for a living and was trying to do bike tests had the same problem

he gave up in the end
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[Wonko The Sane]

wait until your reaction is 'oh crap' and then click

your reactions are in advance of what they're expecting - a friend of mine failed for clicking too early on the one where a fire engine comes around the corner, he could see the flashing blue lights in a shop window / puddle or something and so clicked far too early.
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[Taught2BCauti...]

I can't imagine that anyone with even rudimentary experience as a road user, would suggest the HPT is anything like real life, so just think of the exercise as being like a new game that you haven't played before.

Forget about it being like anything else you know, do as many practice sessions as you can, learn the rules, and you'll be fine
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[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

How about having a beer or a Jamaican woodbine before the test.
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[someotherguy]

I had this problem too.

I would click when you first notice the potential hazard. Then wait a second, and click again. Then click when it becomes a real problem.

Just try to react more like an OAP

[skatefreak]

I really struggled to pass the second time for my bike test due to prior experience...

I genuinely think it should be a pleasure reserved for those doing their first licence.
Beyond that and the whole format of the exercise is no longer a useful assessment of someone's ability but more of a *click as and then you think they think you should* and it becomes more of a challenge for those who technically have no problems with observation.

Just another hoop to jump through I guess...

[Skudd]

I used to be an ADI and saw this problem many times. I had a cd rom of practice tests that showed you were you were clicking and were the hazard became a hazard and the window it fell in. Very useful for people with experience driving. Usually it was an issue of clicking too early or seeing too many hazards.
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[techathy]

Thanks for all the input guys I think I've got a new computer game to play.

[someotherguy]

[stinkwheel]

Mate of mine had this problem (I never had to do one) but his instructor said to give three clicks per hazard.

Once when you see it. Once when it's patently obvious it's a hazard to any but the most idiotic of drivers and once when the on-screen driver starts to react.

Many of them will not develop past one click.
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[DrSnoosnoo]

I remember doing my theory again when going for DAS. I too, clicked too early and saw "potential" hazards rather than the one it is wanting you to see in the clip.

As mentioned before, don't act like real life, it's a game, learn what they want you to do and just do that.

I also had a disc that told you when you should be clicking so I calibrated myself on that and when I saw the obvious hazard, clicked, clicked, clicked all over about 2 seconds. One of them is bound to get in the boundaries.
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[angryjonny]

I followed the "click several times" advice on mine, and got disqualified for too many clicks on 2 of the clips (fortunately not the double-hazard one). Probably did overdo it a bit, maybe 5 or 6 clicks. It put me off quite a bit. I still passed, but only because I gave myself a talking to, and started concentrating again.

Clicking just once is suicide for anyone who has been a road-user more than a few years. Stinkwheel's "3 clicks" advice is probably about the best you can follow. 3 clicks won't get you disqualified but it should guarantee some points on each clip.

It isn't a test in spotting hazards. It's a test in operating their software.

[thx1138]

Yeah, I did the mock tests with my wife.

Got one question wrong, something about parking and lights, whatever. Some of the questions were really stupid, like they were struggling to think of enough.

Hazards I kept getting wrong.

It was just stupid. Snow, on a mini-roundabout, not a hazard?

Spotting the cyclist on the hill, and that's not a hazard, you have to wait until you are just about ready to run him over?

and so on

So, it was like learn to "play the game"

[Val]

I have to say the test has nothing to do with real world hazards.

It is just computer based mockery in which you need to perfect your mouse clicks to satisfy the computer program imaginary hazards.

Buy the DVD. Master your clicks. Problem solved.
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[techathy]

Passed my theory 100% on the theory & by 2 points on the hazard awareness. .

[ForestRunner]

Nice one !!!

I too hit 100% on the first part and just about passed the hazard perception test.
Had to train myself to what they wanted and play the game having had a car licence for 20+ years...
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[JP7]