Hazard perception test wins road safety awards
The hazard perception part of the driving theory test has been recognised with 3 road safety awards in 2014.
The awards recognise the hazard perception test’s role in reducing the number of crashes on our roads. The awards won are:
- Prince Michael International Road Safety Award 2014
- Prince Michael International Road Safety Premier Award 2014
- John Smart Road Safety award at the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) Awards 2014
Reduction in collisions
Research has shown that hazard perception training and testing could account for an 11% reduction in collisions, potentially saving hundreds of lives every year.
Research has shown that hazard perception training and testing could account for an 11% reduction in collisions.
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Chief Executive, Alastair Peoples, said:
I’m extremely pleased that the hazard perception test and its contribution to road safety have been recognised in this way.
Prince Michael International Road Safety Award 2014
Staff from DVSA and the Transport Research Laboratory are presented with the award on 7 November 2014.
The Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards recognise achievements and innovations which will improve road safety. Each year the most outstanding examples of international road safety initiatives are given public recognition through the scheme.
Director of the Prince Michael Road Safety Awards scheme, Adrian Walsh, said:
The innovation in the test is that it focuses on the cognitive skill of ‘reading the road’. Research has shown this to be a key skill in keeping new drivers safe, making the hazard perception test a crucial part of the licensing process in ensuring that new drivers have the right competences to make our roads safer.
Although this element of the test is now considered by most candidates as nothing special, its effect in reducing casualties has been significant. Analysis shows that a statistically significant reduction of 11.3% in accidents on public roads can be attributed to hazard perception testing. An award to the team behind this outstanding innovation is long overdue.
The judges said that the hazard perception clip was an outstanding innovation, which had made a considerable improvement to safety and was well overdue for recognition.
Prince Michael International Road Safety Premier Award 2014
Staff from DVSA and the Transport Research Laboratory collect the Premier Award from HRH Prince Michael of Kent on 9 December 2014. (Photo above courtesy of the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards)
This award is given to the most outstanding winner of any category of the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards.
Announcing the award, HRH Prince Michael of Kent said:
I know that young driver safety is a high priority especially here in Europe and I also know that many organisations are struggling to find effective and acceptable ways of reducing the risk that these young people face.
Even small reductions in risk help; however there is one educational initiative which has been with us for a few years but which has been proved to reduce risk by a remarkable 11%.
There are many people here today who played important roles in the development and implementation of this outstanding initiative and I would like to congratulate the team behind the UK’s hazard perception test for such a significant achievement.
Roads Minister, Claire Perry, said:
The theory test plays a vital role in making sure that new drivers know The Highway Code and the rules of the road, helping them to drive safely and responsibly and making our roads safer.
This award highlights how effective the hazard perception test is in ensuring that learner drivers can identify risks and apply these skills once they have passed their driving test. It demonstrates the significant contribution the test has made towards road safety in this country.
Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) Awards 2014
The CIHT award was picked up at a ceremony held on 11 June 2014. (Photo above courtesy of CIHT)
Earlier in the year the hazard perception test won the John Smart Road Safety award at the CIHT Awards 2014.
The judges praised the research leading up to the introduction of the hazard perception test, and highlighted that the test potentially saves £89.5 million a year through reducing the number of collisions.
About the hazard perception test
The hazard perception test was introduced in 2002 for car and motorcycle theory test. It tests candidates’ awareness of hazards on the road through their response to developing hazards in a number of video clips.
Every year around 1.5 million hazard perception tests are taken as part of the theory test, with an average pass rate of 85% for the hazard perception part.
You can read about how the theory test works and buy ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Hazard Perception DVD ROM’ or The Official DVSA Theory Test Kit for Car Driver iPhone app.
Updates to this page
Published 19 June 2014Last updated 10 December 2014 + show all updates
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Added information about the hazard perception test being awarded the Prince Michael International Road Safety Premier Award 2014.
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Added information about the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award 2014.
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First published.