What skills does Skills Awareness cover?

Higher-level skills

Skills Awareness focuses on the crucial higher-level skills that are proven to help keep you safe on the roads: Visual Search, Hazard Perception, and Risk Management.

The Skills Awareness courses provide insight into your skills and behaviour based on ten key focus areas within the higher-level skills. Each of the scenarios in these courses cover one or more of these.

Understanding the ten skills

Here’s what each of the ten key skills means and what you’ll focus on as you develop them:

Awareness Skills

• Situation: Be aware of what’s happening around your vehicle and what might happen next. Regularly check your mirrors and dashboard, including your speed. Use your side vision and move your eyes efficiently to see as much as possible.
• Hazards: Notice any dangers on the road early, so you have time to brake or steer safely. The faster you spot hazards, the safer you’ll be.
• Rules: Know and follow the road rules in every situation.
• Others Make Mistakes: Use defensive driving. Expect that other drivers might make mistakes, and keep a safe distance to avoid problems.
• Our Mistake: Notice your own mistakes (like using the wrong signal) and try to avoid repeating them.

Risk Management Skills

• Fatigue: Recognise when you’re getting tired and know what to do to stay alert.
• Road Conditions: Be aware of difficult driving conditions (like heavy rain) and adjust your driving (for example, slow down and turn on your headlights).
• Distraction: Notice when you’re distracted (like if your phone rings or your mind wanders) and bring your focus back to driving.
• Hazard Anticipation: Learn to “read the road” and spot possible dangers before they become immediate risks, so you can react in time.
• Attitude: Always aim to be a responsible, attentive, and careful driver.