Practical use of hazard perception tests for drivers

The usefulness of hazard perception tests is discussed on the basis of a literature review. Hazard perception skills seem to improve with driving experience and are considered important for safe driving. Some countries have therefore implemented hazard perception testing as a mandatory part of the driver licensing test. Another possible practical application is to use the test as at training tool. There are, however, different tests of hazard perception, and their validity for predicting crash involvement is not sufficiently documented. In a previous study of traffic skills among novice drivers TØI developed a hazard perception test for research purposes. It has now been improved for use on a standard PC. Regarding practical use for driver licensing it is recommended to await further validation studies.