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## warning! 

Don’t overdrive your ability to see. You should always be able to stop within the distance you can see. 

## driving tip 

By looking ahead, you can avoid sudden stops, which increase your fuel consumption. 

It’s easiest to see things that are directly in front of you, in your central vision. But it’s important to also pay attention to things outside your central vision. Peripheral vision allows you to see more than what is directly in front of you. 

Always keep your eyes moving while you’re driving: 

• look well ahead 

• scan from one side of the road to the other, checking for potential hazards 

• glance in your rear‑ and side‑view mirrors to keep track of what is happening behind you. 

Then start all over again. You should complete the whole cycle every five to eight seconds. 

## Observing ahead 

Research shows that new drivers spend so much time looking at the road just in front of their vehicle that they often miss hazards further ahead. Make sure you know what’s coming up by scanning at least 12 seconds ahead. This means look one to two blocks ahead in city driving and half a kilometre ahead on the highway. This will give you time to prepare for a potential hazard instead of being taken by surprise. 

As you look ahead, scan to the left and right so you can see what’s happening along the sides of the road. If you see cars parked by the side of the road, be careful. A child may be walking out from between them, or a door might be about to swing open. 

<img src='content_image/793095.jpg'>

## Strategies: the observation cycle 

