EDT Session 6 — Anticipation and Reaction

EDT Session 6 — Anticipation and Reaction — is the session that transforms a mechanical driver into a thinking one. Positioning, MSMM, speed management, and manoeuvres all address what you do. Session 6 addresses what you see — and what you do before a hazard forces you to react. The ability to identify potential hazards early and respond to them progressively rather than suddenly is the single quality that most distinguishes experienced, safe drivers from newly qualified ones who simply react to events as they happen.

What Is EDT Session 6?

EDT Session 6 is titled "Anticipation and Reaction" in the official RSA EDT syllabus. It introduces two closely related but distinct skills: the ability to scan the environment for potential hazards before they develop, and the ability to identify and respond appropriately to hazards that have already materialised.

Sessions 1 through 5 have been building your ability to manage the car itself — the controls, road position, observation routines, speed, and manoeuvres. Session 6 shifts the focus outward: from managing your car to managing your relationship with the entire road environment around you. It is the session in which driving starts to feel less like operating a vehicle and more like making continuous, informed decisions about a constantly changing situation.

Sessions 2 through 8 can be taken in any order after Session 1. Session 6 naturally follows Session 5 in the recommended sequence because the complexity of the driving environment in Session 6 — varied road conditions, high pedestrian areas, road works — is more demanding than Sessions 2 and 3, and requires the positioning and observation foundations from those earlier sessions to already be in place.

RSA Objective and Minimum Content for Session 6

The RSA states that during Session 6, your ADI must make sure that you know how to scan the environment for potential hazards, and can identify and respond appropriately to potential hazards.

To achieve this, your ADI must take you driving in a variety of road conditions, specifically including:

• Junctions
• Streets with parked cars
• Streets with substantial numbers of pedestrians
• Roads with multiple warning signs
• Roads with poor visibility such as bends with tree cover or hill brows

The session must cover potential hazards associated with:

• Road junctions
• Blind spots
• Parked vehicles
• Crossings (zebra, pelican, toucan)
• Roundabouts
• Motorcyclists and cyclists
• Road works
• Pedestrians

Where it is not possible to encounter one or more of these hazard types while driving, your ADI should ask you questions about them — and you should be able to answer correctly.

Anticipation vs Reaction — Why It Matters

The session title names two distinct processes, and understanding the difference between them is essential to understanding what Session 6 is actually developing:

Reaction is what happens when a hazard has fully materialised and you respond to it. The car pulls out in front of you and you brake. The pedestrian steps off the kerb and you swerve. Reaction is necessary but inherently late — by the time you are reacting, the hazard is already at its most dangerous point, and the available space and time for a safe response are at their minimum.

Anticipation is what happens before the hazard fully materialises. You see a child near the kerb and cover the brake. You notice a vehicle obscuring your view at a junction and reduce speed. You see a lorry partially blocking a lane ahead and change position before you reach it. Anticipation gives you the maximum possible time and space to respond, which means you can respond progressively — gentle braking, smooth steering — rather than sharply.

The RSA's focus on anticipation in Session 6 reflects the road safety evidence that anticipation, not reaction, is the primary mechanism by which experienced drivers avoid collisions. Collisions very rarely happen to drivers who were genuinely anticipating the road environment correctly. They happen when drivers are surprised — and surprise is primarily a failure of anticipation.

visible Hazard
developing Hazard
critical Collision
or escape A ANTICIPATION Cover brake, reduce speed Smooth progressive response R REACTION Emergency brake, evasive steer Less time, less space, more risk time →

Hazard Scanning — How to Read the Road

Hazard scanning is the continuous, systematic process of looking at the road environment and identifying anything that could require you to change your speed, position, or direction. It is not the same as simply looking where you are going — it is an active, structured process that trained drivers apply constantly and automatically.

The Scanning Pattern

Effective hazard scanning uses a structured visual pattern that balances far and near, left and right, and frequent mirror checks:

• Look well ahead — at least 12 seconds of travel time ahead of your vehicle at current speed. At 50 km/h, 12 seconds equates to approximately 170 metres. Looking far ahead gives you maximum time to identify and respond to developing hazards.
• Scan left and right — particularly at junctions, parked cars, and pedestrian areas. Hazards approach from the sides as well as from the front.
• Check mirrors regularly — approximately every 5–8 seconds during normal driving, and always as part of MSMM before any direction or speed change. Knowing what is behind you is essential to making safe decisions.
• Near and far alternation — switch your attention between far ahead (where hazards are developing) and the space immediately around your vehicle (where hazards may be immediate). Do not fixate on either.
• Read road signs and markings — warning signs (triangular, red border) tell you about upcoming hazards before you can see them. A bend warning sign, a junction warning, a school sign — each changes what you look for and prepares you for what you cannot yet see.

The 8 Hazard Types Covered in Session 6

The RSA EDT syllabus specifies eight categories of hazard that Session 6 must address. Your ADI will expose you to as many of these as the driving route allows, and will question you verbally about any categories not encountered in practice.

Junctions as Hazards — Reading the Clues

Every junction on your route is an assessment point in Session 6. Your ADI will observe whether you identify the junction early, adjust your speed appropriately on approach, and scan effectively for emerging vehicles and pedestrians. The specific clues that signal a junction ahead:

• A give-way or stop sign visible ahead
• A junction warning sign (inverted triangle with a T or cross symbol)
• A gap in buildings, walls, or hedges that indicates a side road
• A vehicle nose appearing at a junction — the front of a car just visible — even before it emerges
• Pedestrians at the corner waiting to cross
• Road markings — a give-way triangle painted on the road surface

On approach to any junction, the anticipation response is: cover the brake, reduce speed to a pace at which you could stop safely if a vehicle emerges, scan the junction entrance thoroughly, and only increase speed again once you are satisfied the junction is clear and no vehicle is about to emerge.

Road-Level Blind Spots — The Unseen Hazard

A road-level blind spot is any area of the road ahead that you cannot see due to the road geometry — a bend, a hill brow, a large vehicle, or a wall at a junction. These are fundamentally different from vehicle blind spots (covered in Session 3) because they conceal hazards from the entire road, not just from your mirrors.

The critical rule for road-level blind spots is: you must be able to stop safely within the distance you can see. If you cannot see around a bend or over a hill, you must travel at a speed at which you could stop within the visible distance if an obstruction were present immediately beyond what you can see.

In practice, this means:

• On a tight rural bend where you can see only 20 metres ahead, you must be travelling at a speed at which you could stop in 20 metres
• At a blind hill brow, do not overtake — you cannot see what is on the other side
• When emerging past a large parked vehicle that blocks your view of the pavement, creep forward slowly to reveal the hazard gradually before committing to the manoeuvre

Parked Vehicles and the Door Zone

A street lined with parked cars is one of the most hazard-rich environments in urban driving. Each parked vehicle presents multiple simultaneous hazards that must be considered simultaneously:

• Opening doors: A car door opening without warning into your path is one of the most common urban collision types. At 50 km/h, the 0.5–1 second between the door appearing and your car reaching it is barely enough to react. The anticipation response — maintaining at least 1 metre from parked vehicles and actively watching for occupants in parked vehicles — provides the time and space to respond safely.
• Pedestrians stepping out from between vehicles: Pedestrians are concealed between parked vehicles and may step into the road without checking for traffic. Children are particularly likely to do this. Any gap between parked vehicles is a potential pedestrian emergence point.
• Parked vehicles pulling away: A parked vehicle with its engine running or indicators on may be about to pull into traffic. Reduce speed, cover the brake, and be ready for them to emerge without checking mirrors adequately.
• Reduced road width: Streets with parking on both sides reduce the available road width significantly. If there is not enough room for two vehicles to pass simultaneously, one must give way. This requires early identification and clear communication through position and eye contact.

Pedestrian Crossings — All Three Types

Session 6 requires you to understand and respond correctly to all three types of pedestrian crossing used in Ireland. Each has a different right-of-way structure and requires a different driver response.

Roundabouts as Hazard Zones

Session 6 revisits roundabouts not from the perspective of positioning (covered in Sessions 2 and 5) but from the perspective of hazard anticipation. The specific hazards at roundabouts in North Dublin that your ADI will address:

• Vehicles not giving way: The give-way rule at Irish roundabouts requires vehicles entering to yield to traffic already on the roundabout. Not all drivers comply. Always check right before entering a roundabout even if you have a clear gap — a vehicle approaching from your right at speed may not slow for you.
• Cyclists and motorcyclists on the roundabout: Small vehicles can be obscured behind larger ones on a roundabout. Check specifically for cyclists and motorcyclists who may be in your exit path or who you might not see in the central island blind spot.
• Pedestrians at roundabout exits: People cross the approach roads at roundabouts — often in the zig-zag zone before the roundabout entry. Scan specifically for pedestrians at each arm of the roundabout.
• Multi-lane roundabout complexity: At roundabouts with multiple entry lanes (common in North Dublin), incorrect lane choice on entry creates immediate conflict with correctly positioned vehicles. Anticipate this by identifying the correct lane before you arrive at the roundabout.

Cyclists and Motorcyclists — The Hidden Road Users

The RSA specifically includes motorcyclists and cyclists as a named hazard category in Session 6 because they are disproportionately represented in serious collision statistics — not because they are dangerous drivers, but because they are easily missed.

Why cyclists and motorcyclists are so frequently overlooked:

• Narrow profile: A cyclist or motorcyclist presents a much smaller visual target than a car. In a complex visual environment (busy road, many cars), the narrower target is more likely to be missed by a scanning driver.
• Speed differential: A motorcycle can accelerate from 30 km/h to 80 km/h in the time it takes you to complete a MSMM sequence and begin a manoeuvre. The second mirror check in MSMM is specifically designed to catch this — a motorcycle that was 100 metres back when you first checked may now be 30 metres back by the time you signal.
• Filtering: Cyclists and motorcyclists filter forward at traffic lights and through slow-moving traffic. They may be alongside your left door even when your mirrors appear clear ahead.
• Blind spots: A motorcycle or cyclist that is in your door mirror blind spot, or alongside your left when you are turning left, can be entirely invisible despite your mirrors being well-adjusted.

Road Works

Road works are a major source of anticipation failure among learner drivers because the hazards they create are multiple, simultaneous, and often unexpected in their specific form. Session 6 addresses road works as a hazard category that requires a sustained period of heightened awareness rather than a single specific response.

When approaching and passing road works:

• Obey all temporary speed limit signs — they are legally enforceable and cameras are commonly deployed at road works in Ireland
• Look for traffic management — temporary traffic lights, lane closures, one-way operation, or a banksman (a traffic marshal with hand signals)
• Watch for construction vehicles entering and exiting the site — they may turn across traffic without adequate observation
• Be alert for workers on or near the road — they are often focused on their work and not on traffic
• Expect changes in road surface — loose gravel, trenches, uneven surfaces — and reduce speed accordingly
• Watch for the lane ahead narrowing or closing with little warning at some road works

Pedestrians — The Most Vulnerable Road Users

Pedestrians require special attention because they are entirely unprotected. Session 6 specifically covers areas with substantial pedestrian numbers, where the density of pedestrian activity creates continuous low-level hazard that requires sustained anticipation rather than isolated responses.

Key pedestrian anticipation skills:

• Children near the road: Any child within 2–3 metres of the road edge is a significant hazard — they may run forward without looking. Cover the brake and be prepared to stop immediately.
• Pedestrians at bus stops: People alighting from a bus may step into the road to cross behind the bus without looking. Bus stops require you to reduce speed and check for movement around stationary buses.
• Pedestrians with restricted visibility: Pedestrians looking at their phone, wearing hoods that restrict peripheral vision, walking with buggies, or carrying large objects may not see or hear you. Do not rely on them to avoid you.
• Groups of pedestrians: Where one pedestrian is crossing, others may follow without independently checking. Allow the entire group to cross before proceeding.
• Pedestrians on rural roads: Where there is no footpath, pedestrians walk on the road facing oncoming traffic (on your side of the road). Give as much space as safe when passing, and reduce speed significantly.

How to Respond to Hazards — Speed, Gear, Distance

Identifying a hazard is only half of Session 6. The other half is responding to it correctly. The RSA specifies that you should respond to hazards by:

• Choosing the correct speed: Reduce speed progressively as you approach a hazard — not sharply when you reach it. The degree of speed reduction should match the severity of the hazard. A junction where you can see clearly calls for gentle speed reduction and covering the brake. A junction with no visibility may require stopping completely.
• Choosing the correct gear: Lower gears at lower speeds give you better engine braking and more responsive acceleration. As you reduce speed on approach to a hazard, change down through the gears to maintain engine control and be in the correct gear to move away promptly when safe.
• Keeping a safe distance: Increase your following distance when you identify a potential hazard ahead. If the vehicle ahead is approaching a junction, give yourself more space than normal — they may stop suddenly. If a cyclist is ahead in your lane, increase following distance to at least 2–3 car lengths.

Adverse Conditions — Night, Rain, Fog, and Snow

The RSA requires that by the end of Session 6, you can explain the effects of driving at night, in rain, in fog, and in snow on hazard identification and response. These conditions reduce the effectiveness of your scanning and extend the time needed to respond, which means they require a corresponding reduction in speed and increase in following distance.

Common Anticipation Faults on the RSA Driving Test

Anticipation and reaction faults are among the most common across all RSA test centres including Finglas, Raheny, and Killester in North Dublin. These are the specific failures that cause tests to be failed in this category:

Fault	Where It Occurs	How to Fix It
Not covering the brake approaching a junction	Every junction on the test route	Make covering the brake a reflex on every junction approach, regardless of whether you can see it is clear. The habit of covering the brake is what the examiner assesses — they cannot know what a junction would have produced if it had been occupied.
Approaching a crossing too fast	All crossing types, particularly zebra crossings	Identify crossings by their zig-zag lines well in advance. Begin decelerating when the zig-zag zone begins, not when you see a pedestrian stepping out. Be at a speed at which you could stop before the crossing before you enter the zig-zag zone.
Not adjusting speed for parked vehicles	Urban roads with on-street parking	Every parked vehicle is a potential hazard. Reduce speed slightly on approach to any parked vehicle on your side of the road, especially where there are gaps between vehicles where pedestrians could emerge.
Failing to identify a developing hazard	Road works, narrow sections, approaching vehicles on narrow roads	Practise looking well ahead — at least 12 seconds of travel time. Develop the habit of asking "what could go wrong here?" at every change in the road environment. Your ADI will coach this commentary during Session 6.
Not reducing speed for poor visibility	Bends with obscured views, hill brows, tree-lined rural roads	Apply the fundamental rule: your speed must allow you to stop within the distance you can see. If you cannot see the road around a bend, you must be slow enough to stop within the visible distance.
Not identifying a cyclist in the left blind spot before turning left	Left turns at junctions, particularly from main roads into side roads	The left shoulder glance before turning left — introduced in Session 3 — is specifically designed for this situation. Make it a deliberate, visible head movement every time you turn left, not an optional extra.
Following too closely through a hazard zone	Road works, bus stops, pedestrian-heavy areas	When entering any sustained hazard zone (road works, school area, busy shopping street), consciously increase your following distance. The vehicles ahead may stop suddenly for a hazard you cannot yet see.

How to Prepare for Session 6

The RSA recommends at least three hours of supervised practice between Session 5 and Session 6, specifically practising the positioning skills from Session 5 in varied conditions. For Session 6, the most useful preparation is:

• Read the RSA Rules of the Road sections on hazard awareness, pedestrians, cyclists, and crossings. Available at rsa.ie. The rules book covers every hazard type covered in Session 6 in detail.
• Practise commentary driving with your Sponsor. Commentary driving means narrating out loud everything you observe — "junction ahead, vehicle waiting to emerge, covering the brake... pedestrian on left near the kerb, reducing speed... cyclist in my left mirror, not overtaking." This builds the habit of consciously processing the road environment rather than passively moving through it.
• Sit as a passenger and observe your Sponsor's hazard responses. Notice when experienced drivers cover the brake, when they increase following distance, and when they reduce speed ahead of a hazard you hadn't noticed. This builds your hazard identification vocabulary before you practise it yourself.
• Act on your Session 5 feedback. If your ADI highlighted positioning issues or specific observation gaps in Session 5, address those before Session 6 adds hazard awareness as an additional concurrent demand.

Expected Outcomes by End of Session 6

What Comes Next — EDT Session 7

After Session 6, the EDT programme moves to Session 7 — Sharing the Road. This session deepens the hazard awareness from Session 6 into the specific context of interacting with other road users — cyclists, pedestrians, large vehicles, emergency vehicles — and focuses on when and how to give way, how to pass other road users safely, and how to deal with the full range of interactions that occur in real urban and suburban traffic. Session 7 is where anticipation and reaction skills are applied in high-density, multi-user road environments.

Between Session 6 and Session 7, the RSA recommends at least three hours of supervised practice with your Sponsor. Your ADI will advise specifically on which hazard types need the most attention based on your performance in Session 6. The commentary driving technique introduced in this guide is particularly valuable Sponsor practice between sessions.