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On 14 September 2026 the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department announced a mandatory computer-based Hazard Perception Test (HPT) for driving licence applicants from 1 December 2026. Kerala is the first state in India to do this.
Applicants watch 10 one-minute video clips of road situations and press a button when they spot a hazard. Each clip carries 10 marks, and the pass mark is 60 out of 100.
The HPT comes after the learner's licence test and must be cleared within 30 days of it, before the ground and road tests.
The MVD links the test to Rule 15(3) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. That rule asks applicants to show they can anticipate hazards, which the existing ground and road tests do not measure well.
The parent law on driving licences. Section 8 covers the learner's licence and Section 9 the driving licence. States issue licences through their transport departments.
Made by the Centre under the MV Act. The rule lists what the driving test must check, including handling the vehicle safely while anticipating unforeseen obstacles. Kerala MVD says the current ground and road tests cannot measure this properly, so the HPT covers it.
Issues licences and runs driving tests in Kerala; brought in the HPT
Frames the Central Motor Vehicles Rules and publishes the annual 'Road Accidents in India' report
GS Paper II > Government policies and interventions; GS Paper III > Infrastructure (road safety)
General Awareness > State news
A driver's ability to spot a developing danger on the road early enough to react safely
Central rules under the MV Act, 1988 covering licensing, registration and vehicle standards
Temporary permit under Section 8 of the MV Act, 1988 that allows supervised driving practice before the driving test