My friend is doing her hazard perception test tomo and so I thought I'd give the trial tests a quick go just to see what they're like. Its AWFUL!!! Sometimes parked cars are considered a hazard, sometimes not, sometimes you'll score 5, sometimes you'll score 0! Times when I thought I'd been very alert and spotting hazards early were the times when I seemed to score poorly. Not only that but you dont even have to click on the hazard - you just click the mouse anywhere on the screen and the program assumes which hazard you've spotted. I'm not usually one for complaining but honestly it seems like a really naff method for testing awareness. Interested to hear your views.
How do we see the trial tests?
You'd have to buy them on CD as I dont believe there are any available online.
I just wondered if others had any experience of it and whether they thought it seemed like a reliable way of testing new drivers.
I did it when I wanted to upgrade my licence with full motorcycle entitlement a couple of years ago. In my opinion it is a great idea but not
particularly well executed. As with most tests and exams, it's too easy to learn to pass the test without actually learning anything useful.
That said, the software you were using would not be the same as the stuff the DSA uses in the test, so the fact the definition of hazards and the
scoring 'zones' seemed inconsistent may not be the case in the official test. I saw a couple of third party training aids and they were
dramatically different in quality.
[Edited on 20/5/08 by matt_claydon]
When i did mine, i was really crap at first.
Then i realise the test has nothing to do with driving.
Its just a game, nothing more.
And as with any game, the more you play the better you get.
Chris
My lad passed his on Monday and as you say it's a bit hit & miss sometimes you score 0 just because you spot it too early other times a
fraction to late. They define a hazard as something that causes you to brake or take avoiding action, so parked cars are one if you have to slow
because of oncoming traffic or if someone starts to pull out of a junction causing you to swerve to avoid.
As it happens a lot of the clips are filmed in Bedford I think the DSA are based in Cardington on the airship hanger site.
quote:
Originally posted by sprouts-car
When i did mine, i was really crap at first.
Then i realise the test has nothing to do with driving.
Its just a game, nothing more.
And as with any game, the more you play the better you get.
Chris
yeah its just a matter of practise, the ones i had on cd were much harder than the ones on the actual test tho. Which is good as i passed easily.
Was funny when my wife had a go, she has had her lience for over 4 years and she failed them all badly! and she is observant. Its just a matter of
knowing when to click.
I agree it was rubbish. I had to do it for my HGV and the instructions were very vague. I thought that there would be just one hazard ad if I clicked more than a couple of times it would fail me. So I ended up failing. In the end I got the CD that they sell and I ended up going from up near Dundee to Manchester to retake because of the waiting time and the examples on the CD were exactly the same as my test! You really have to click each one a couple of times. I believe you only have a few seconds time frame in which to get it so if you see a potential problem and click then the likelyhood is you'll click too early. You seem to have to wait till you're almost committed to being in the accident. Rubbish I say! All rubbish!!
I did mine a month or two back and passed it first time with no practice.
Don't know what all the fuss it about really! 
I agree it's a completely pointless "test", that in no way reflects someone's ability on the road.
link
hope thats the correct one
I agree its absolutely rubbish. Each clip has a major hazard (and one has two) such as a car actually plulling out, sheep on the road or a pushbike swerving as well as numerous minor ones. Its all down to timing the clicks but when you are clicking loads of potential minor hazards as well as the major one on the same mouse button it seems very hit and miss what score you will get in the end.
I did the DVLA on at one of the motor shows just as it came out. Failed misserably. I found that I was trying to be too observent and clicked way to
early.
I think my problem was I did it with out understanding of the DVLA meaning of a percieved hazord.
I guess it is one you need to learn and practice.
My opinion would be better playing KIM's Game as the observation round.