Chapter 5: See-think-do

(Learn to Drive Smart, March 2026 edition)

This chapter ties the earlier ones together into one routine: see the hazards, think about which matters most and what to do, then do it.

See. Keep your eyes moving through a full cycle — far ahead, side to side, mirrors — every five to eight seconds. Look at least 12 seconds ahead, which is one to two blocks in town and about half a kilometre on the highway, and drive so you can stop within the distance you can see. Mirrors leave blind spots, so turn your head for a shoulder check before every change of position or direction. A hazard is anything that could hurt you or someone else; the manual groups them as space conflicts, surprises, vision blocks and poor road surfaces.

Think. Judge how risky the situation is, pick out the most dangerous hazard, and choose the safest answer — usually decided by where there is open space.

Do. Every manoeuvre combines four skills: speed control, steering, space margins and communication. Unless signs say otherwise, the limit is 50 km/h in cities and towns, 80 km/h outside them and 20 km/h in a municipal lane or alley; a posted limit is the most you should drive in ideal conditions. Slow down before a curve rather than braking in it. Leave at least two seconds behind the vehicle ahead, three on high-speed roads, four on bad or slippery roads. Give at least 1 m when passing a cyclist or pedestrian, and 1.5 m where the limit is above 50 km/h. Signal early and clearly, and make sure the signal cancels after the turn.