Squirrels, kids with spray paint, and other hazards on the road

I wouldn't say that road hazards are everywhere, but there are a heck of a lot of them!

I define a road hazard as a situation, obstacle, or other factor that has potential to cause an accident. This includes anything that moves in or on the roadway, stationary obstacles in the roadway, and things that move near the roadway that have the potential to enter the roadway, and anything else that demands a driver's attention.

Road hazards are commonplace because the roads are shared by many people in a public environment, which means that anything could be happening at any time. Dealing with road hazards is something every driver has to do, but not every driver does it equally well. The result is that not every driver has the same likelihood of getting into an accident!

Type of Road Hazard	Examples
Anything that moves in or on the roadway	Cars, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians in crosswalks
Stationary obstacles in the roadway	Pot holes, vehicles at an accident scene, police cars at traffic stops, traffic cones, debris that fell off of vehicles
Things that move near the roadway and that could enter the roadway	Pedestrians, playing children, deer, squirrels, dogs, bicycles
Anything else outside of his or her vehicle that demands a driver's attention	Weather conditions

A talented driver is always on the lookout for road hazards and consciously or unconsciously taking note of the hazards' positions, how likely they are to cause a problem, and unconsciously or consciously adjusting her or his driving to avoid those hazards or mitigate the risks associated with them.