20/06/2026
One of the biggest differences between an average driver and a good driver is not vehicle control.
It is anticipation.
Most collisions do not happen because somebody could not steer, change gear or park. They happen because somebody failed to recognise a developing hazard early enough.
Good drivers are constantly asking themselves one simple question:
“What could happen next?”
When you see parked vehicles, are you thinking about a door opening or a car pulling out?
When you approach a junction, are you looking for vehicles that may emerge without warning?
When you pass a bus stop, are you considering that a pedestrian might step into the road?
When you see a cyclist ahead, are you expecting them to move out to avoid a pothole or parked vehicle?
When traffic begins to bunch up in the distance, are you already easing off the accelerator before the brake lights appear?
Anticipation is about spotting clues before they become problems.
It gives you more time to think, more time to react and more time to make safe decisions.
Many learner drivers believe driving is about reacting quickly.
In reality, the safest drivers rarely need to react quickly because they saw the hazard developing long before it became an emergency.
Driving is not just about what is happening now.
It is about what might happen next.
That simple mindset can make every journey safer.
Sheena Ahmed
Motorvation School of Motoring
