Managing risk starts before an incident develops. A proactive driver notices that traffic may slow and eases off early, rather than waiting for the car immediately ahead to brake.
At a glance
Look ahead, create space and make your intentions clear. Early, calm decisions give you more options.
In this article
1. Leave room when you stop
When joining a queue, leave space behind the vehicle ahead so you have room to respond. Avoid creeping right up to its bumper. The easyas team can help you build these everyday driving skills. Your instructor can help you judge an appropriate stopped gap for the situation.
2. Check your following gap
A three-second count can be a useful practice cue in good conditions. It is not a fixed legal rule or a guarantee of enough stopping space. Increase your gap when visibility, grip or traffic conditions make stopping harder.
The Queensland following-distance guide recommends at least two seconds in ideal conditions and doubling the gap in poor conditions. Learners may need more time. Ask your instructor to help you judge the conditions, not just the count.
Confidence comes
with practice.Build your skills, one lesson at a time.
3. Watch what traffic is actually doing
A stop sign or red light tells another driver what they must do, but it does not guarantee they will do it. Continue scanning and be ready to respond safely. Anticipating another person’s mistake does not change your own give-way obligations.
4. Check more than the indicator
An indicator is a useful clue, not proof of what will happen next. Consider the vehicle’s speed, position and movement before deciding it is safe to proceed. The same observation skills matter when moving into another lane.
5. Share your plan early
Signal before your manoeuvre, so other people have time to understand your intention. For a lane change, indicate long enough to warn other road users and give way to vehicles in the lane you are entering.
If you would like to practise these habits with support, find an instructor who can work on them with you.
Sources and further reading