Hazard scenes from the cab of a lorry
A high cab sees further ahead and less close by. These ten scenes show where lorry drivers should look first and why the response differs from a car driver’s.
The LGV hazard perception test has 19 clips filmed from a large vehicle’s viewpoint. A raised seat shows you queues and junctions early, but it also hides people right next to the cab. Each scene below pairs the clue with the decision a professional driver makes.
Cyclist on the nearside at the lights
You are waiting to turn left at an urban junction in heavy rain. A cyclist with a hood up filters along the kerb and stops level with your front wheel, below the main mirror’s view. The clue is the rider you saw coming in the class V mirror, then lost. Do not move until you have found them again. If they set off when the lights change, let them clear the junction first.
Pedestrian stepping out between lorries
Congested traffic on a dual carriageway near a retail park. Pedestrians are crossing between the stationary vehicles in the next lane.
- Clue: a gap in the queue with people on the central reserve.
- Decision: keep a slow pace and leave space in front of your cab, where someone could step out of sight.
- Wrong: closing the gap so nobody can cross. A person may try to squeeze through anyway.
Another artic swinging across lanes
On a multi-lane roundabout a second articulated lorry in the lane to your left begins its turn. Its trailer cuts inside its tractor’s path and will cross the lane line. Hold back and let it complete the manoeuvre rather than running alongside it, where both trailers could meet.
Lane closure with a driver cutting in
Approaching urban roadworks in rain, a car speeds up the closing lane and pushes in ahead of your cab at the last cone.
Wrong reaction: hold your position to “teach them a lesson”.
Right reaction: ease off early to open the gap, because your stopping distance is far longer than theirs.
Diesel on a roundabout bend
The road surface at the exit of a roundabout shows a rainbow sheen after a shower. With a heavy trailer behind you, braking or steering sharply on it can start a skid or a jack-knife. Slow down before the roundabout, keep a steady speed through the bend and steer smoothly. If another driver has spilt fuel ahead, expect their vehicle to be stopped beyond the bend.
Ambulance in a motorway queue
Blue lights in the mirror in slow motorway traffic. Lorries cannot move aside quickly. Check the mirrors to see which lane the ambulance is using, then move over a little if you safely can, without driving onto the hard shoulder unless directed. Watch for cars that suddenly swerve in front of you to get out of the way.
Door opening at a delivery stop
| Clue | Response |
|---|---|
| A van stopped at an urban junction with its hazard lights on, driver’s head moving | Move out early and slow down, leaving room for the door and the driver stepping out |
| Heavy rain and parked cars along a narrow street | Pass at a speed that lets you stop if a door opens, and check the trailer clears too |
Low sun on a crawling dual carriageway
Late afternoon, sun low ahead on a busy dual carriageway. Brake lights in front are hard to see against the glare, and a dirty windscreen makes it worse. Drop your speed, lengthen the gap and use the sun visor. A cab’s large windscreen catches more glare than a car’s, and cleaning the inside is part of the daily check.
Joining a busy road with a short gap
You are pulling out of a depot onto a main road in heavy rain. A gap that would suit a car is not enough for a loaded artic to accelerate into. Wait for a gap that does not force anyone to brake. When a driver flashes their lights to let you out, still check that nobody is overtaking them.
Queue stopping fast on a motorway
Brake lights ripple back through three lanes. From your high seat you saw the traffic slowing early, which is your advantage: ease off at once, use the retarder, and keep a gap large enough to stop without swerving. Turn on hazard lights briefly to warn following traffic, as the Highway Code allows on motorways and unrestricted dual carriageways.
Practise naming the clue before you read the answer, then take a timed LGV mock test. The blind spot zones behind several of these scenes are mapped in cyclists, pedestrians and riders around lorries, and the LGV theory test format explains how the clips are scored.