Entry-Level Driver Training: Hazard Perception

This course is designed to introduce learners to the nature of hazards, the clues to recognizing them, and how to respond to possible emergency situations.

Course Overview

The unit must teach driver-trainees to recognize potential hazards in the driving environment in order to reduce the severity of the hazard and neutralize possible emergency situations. The training providers must teach driver-trainees to identify road conditions and other road users that are a potential threat to the safety of the combination vehicle and suggest appropriate adjustments. The instruction must emphasize hazard recognition, visual search, adequate surveillance, and response to possible emergency-producing situations encountered by CMV drivers in various traffic situations. The training providers must teach driver-trainees to recognize potential dangers and the safety procedures that must be utilized while driving in construction/work zones.

Any road user or road condition can be a potential hazard. Learning to recognize hazards is a skill that learners should continually work on and will continually develop as they proceed in their professional driving career. This course is designed to introduce learners to the nature of hazards, the clues to recognizing them, and how to respond to possible emergency situations.

By the end of this course you will be able to:

  • Identify hazardous road conditions and road users
  • Explain how to avoid or mitigate hazards
  • Respond to emergency traffic situations

Course Topics

  • Hazard Recognition
  • Road Hazards
  • User Hazards
  • Visual Search
  • Responding to Emergency Situations