Series 3-22: Detecting Other Driving Hazards

The “Detecting Other Driving Hazards” section of the Alberta School Bus knowledge test assesses a driver’s ability to recognize and respond to various dangers beyond typical road conditions.

Alberta School Bus Test - SERIES 3-22: Detecting Other Driving Hazards

1 / 25

When entering an intersection, the immediate danger usually comes from:

Pedestrians on the sidewalk behind you

Traffic coming from your left on the cross-street

Parked vehicles beside the road

Traffic behind your vehicle

2 / 25

A motion-related clue to danger might be:

Children playing near the road or a pedestrian running toward the road

A pedestrian standing still, facing away from the road

A person sitting on a park bench

A cyclist walking their bike on a path far from traffic

3 / 25

Another driver’s failure to adjust to icy, slippery road conditions:

Has no impact on your driving decisions

Means you can follow them closely

Means they are highly skilled in winter driving

Is a clue that they are a potential hazard

4 / 25

If you entered the intersection legally on a green light and the light turns yellow or red while you wait to turn left, you:

Must remain stopped until the next green

Are not allowed to finish the turn

May complete your turn at the earliest safe opportunity

Must back out of the intersection

5 / 25

Left turns at controlled intersections:

Require no special attention

Are less risky than right turns

Are one of the most dangerous driving manoeuvres and cause many serious collisions

Are always safe and low risk

6 / 25

A driver who fails to signal intentions:

Is not a concern to other road users

Is usually very experienced

May present a hazard because their actions are unpredictable

Is always paying attention to traffic

7 / 25

One key difficulty of real driving situations is that hazards:

Often occur in combination, requiring split-second thinking and action

Always occur one at a time

Are always easy to predict and avoid

Only occur in good weather

8 / 25

High-volume traffic can increase hazards because:

Visibility can be restricted by other traffic

It eliminates the risk of collisions

It removes the need to adjust speed

It guarantees smoother traffic flow

9 / 25

Multiple vehicle hazards are typically formed:

Only on deserted rural roads

Only during perfect weather conditions

Only in parking lots

At traffic conflict points where traffic converges or intersects

10 / 25

Other road user hazards include:

Pedestrians, cyclists, joggers, and animals near the roadway

Road signs and signals

Only vehicles larger than your bus

Only other buses

11 / 25

While waiting to turn left in an intersection, your front wheels should be:

Kept straight until you actually begin the turn

Turned slightly right

Turned fully to the left as soon as you stop

Turned randomly to keep moving

12 / 25

If you do not have a clear view of all oncoming traffic lanes when turning left, you should:

Rely on other drivers to avoid you

Not begin your turn until you have a clear view and it is safe

Turn slowly into the blind area

Honk and proceed anyway

13 / 25

When waiting in the intersection to turn left on a green light, you must:

Block oncoming traffic to force your turn

Turn as soon as your light is green, regardless of oncoming traffic

Only watch for pedestrians, not vehicles

Yield to all oncoming traffic going straight through

14 / 25

Single vehicle hazards involve:

Only the motion of an individual vehicle

Three or more vehicles in a collision

Only vehicles travelling at high speed

Two vehicles travelling in opposite directions

15 / 25

A red-light-runner is most likely to arrive at the intersection:

Within about four seconds of the light changing

Only late at night

Ten seconds after the light changes

Only before the light turns red

16 / 25

A clue to a potential hazard involving other road users is:

Empty sidewalks far from the road

People standing inside a building

Parked cars in a closed lot

Pedestrians or joggers on the shoulder or sidewalk near the road

17 / 25

The main reason for keeping your wheels straight while waiting to turn left is:

To avoid being pushed into oncoming traffic if rear-ended

To make your turn slower

To save fuel

To reduce tire wear

18 / 25

Quick, jerky stops when not necessary indicate:

Normal braking behaviour

Safe and defensive driving

A possible hazard that requires you to give extra room

Good anticipation of traffic flow

19 / 25

If many vehicles are ahead of you waiting to turn left and it may take more than one light cycle, you might:

Block the intersection to force your turn

Honk until drivers move faster

Drive onto private property to turn around

Go straight through, then make three right turns on side streets to reach your destination

20 / 25

The correct sequence for checking when entering an intersection is:

Look right only and proceed

Look in the rear-view mirror first

Look left, then right, then left again before moving into the intersection

Look straight ahead, then left

21 / 25

Frequent lane changes by another driver suggest:

The driver has excellent lane control

The driver is following all safety rules

Possible aggressiveness, inattentiveness, indecisiveness, fatigue, or alcohol impairment

The driver is trying to help traffic flow

22 / 25

An attentiveness-related hazard clue is:

A driver carefully checking mirrors before stepping out

A cyclist signalling well in advance

A pedestrian whose vision is obscured or who is distracted (e.g., by an umbrella or music)

A pedestrian making clear eye contact with you

23 / 25

A clue that another vehicle may present a hazard and deserves extra space is:

Frequent speed changes when not required by conditions

Using turn signals early

Maintaining a steady, appropriate speed

Keeping a long following distance

24 / 25

Out-of-province licence plates suggest:

The driver is always more skilled

The driver may be unfamiliar with the area and could stop or change directions unexpectedly

The driver will never need extra space

The driver knows the local roads well

25 / 25

To make left turns safer, the most important thing for a driver is to be:

Fast and assertive

Knowledgeable and mindful of the dangers

Focused only on the traffic light colour

Unconcerned about cross traffic

Your score is

This includes unexpected actions from other drivers, such as sudden lane changes, aggressive driving, or vehicles running red lights. School bus drivers must remain alert and prepared to react appropriately to these unpredictable situations. The test ensures drivers can identify these hazards early and take preventive measures to protect their passengers. Strong skills in hazard detection are vital for maintaining a safe journey and upholding the high safety standards required for Alberta school bus drivers.