Can you spot the child in this image? New test challenges drivers’ powers of observation

Every driver likes to think they have infallible powers of observation but a new test is challenging motorists to see how quick their reactions really are.

Ahead of Road Safety Week, which starts on November 16, the new test aims to highlight the difference high-visibility clothing can make in aiding a driver’s observation.

Research by Leasing Options has found that drivers are able to spot someone wearing high-vis clothing 1.3 seconds quicker than someone wearing just normal clothes. At 30mph that means the driver stopping 57 feet sooner, potentially avoiding a serious crash.

The interactive test, which you can take here, presents drivers with a series of images of pedestrians, cyclists and dogs, and measures how long it takes to spot the hazard with and without high-vis clothing.

With daylight hours getting shorter and the potential for bad weather to affect visibility and drivers’ reaction times even further, the test shows the difference the right clothing can make in helping avoid an accident.

A Leasing Options spokesperson said: “Reaction times are vital when driving, as it can be the difference between a scary ‘near-miss’ and a terrible accident. In order to stay safe when driving, we’re told never to get behind the wheel when we’re tired, affected by drugs or when we’ve got alcohol in our system. However, darkness is another factor that can drastically reduce a driver’s reaction time. And no matter how aware a driver is, pedestrians, dog walkers, cyclists and anyone else that will be near or around busy roads, over the next few months in particular, must take the adequate precautions before heading outside. One vital precaution should be to wear some high visibility clothing.”