Safety margins theory test questions

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5 sample safety margins questions

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Question 1 of 5

  1. Safety margins

    In fog, you can see only a short stretch of clear road ahead. The rear lights of another car are visible farther away. What should determine your speed?

    • Matching the speed of the visible rear lights
    • Maintaining the speed you used before the fog
    • Keeping close enough to follow the other car's lights
    • Stopping well within the distance you see clearly Right

    The right answer is D: Stopping well within the distance you see clearly

    WhyIn fog, you should be able to stop well within the distance you can see clearly; rear lights can mislead.

    Source: The Highway Code, rule 235

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  2. Safety margins

    During heavy rain, your steering becomes unresponsive as water prevents the tyres gripping the road. How should you reduce speed?

    • Brake sharply to push the tyres through the water
    • Ease off the accelerator and slow gradually Right
    • Keep accelerating until the steering responds again
    • Make repeated sharp turns while maintaining speed

    The right answer is B: Ease off the accelerator and slow gradually

    WhyIf water makes the steering unresponsive, ease off the accelerator and slow down gradually.

    Source: The Highway Code, rule 227

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  3. Safety margins

    At 50 mph, what is the thinking distance shown in the Highway Code's stopping-distance guide?

    • 9 metres
    • 21 metres
    • 18 metres
    • 15 metres Right

    The right answer is D: 15 metres

    WhyRule 126's diagram shows 15 metres of thinking distance at 50 mph.

    Source: The Highway Code, rule 126, Typical stopping distances diagram: 50 mph

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  4. Safety margins

    You are driving on a road that may be icy. Which of these is a sign that your vehicle is losing its grip on ice?

    • The steering feels heavier and the tyres make more noise
    • The steering responds normally and tyre noise increases
    • The steering feels unresponsive and the tyres go quiet Right
    • The tyres make a loud rumbling noise

    The right answer is C: The steering feels unresponsive and the tyres go quiet

    WhyRule 231: on ice the steering may feel unresponsive and tyres make almost no noise.

    Source: The Highway Code, rule 231

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  5. Safety margins

    In icy or snowy weather, stopping distances can reach how many times the dry distance?

    A yellow car travels along the left side of a wintry road, with snow at the edges and another car in the distance.
    • Ten times Right
    • Two times
    • Three times
    • Five times

    The right answer is A: Ten times

    WhyIn icy or snowy weather, stopping distances can be ten times greater than on dry roads.

    Source: The Highway Code, rule 230

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62 free questions on this website and 372 in the app, checked against The Highway Code, with the reason for every answer. About the app

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What this topic covers

This topic is about leaving room and time to respond as a journey unfolds. The questions explore following gaps, stopping distances and adapting to the conditions.

These are our own practice questions, drafted with AI help and checked against their cited sources. No driving instructor has reviewed them: how we write and check our questions. Hazard perception is not covered.

Read more: Stopping distances guide.

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Sources

(2)
  1. The Highway Code: Driving in adverse weather conditions (226 to 237), GOV.UK
  2. The Highway Code: General rules, techniques and advice for all drivers and riders (103 to 158), GOV.UK

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.

Continue in the app

This page shows 5 of the 21 safety margins questions in our bank. The Drivoku app has all 21, and Pro brings back the ones you get wrong until you get them right.

Read each explanation before moving on. Follow its official source to understand the rule in context, then consider why the other choices would be unsuitable. A short sample can help you identify a point to revisit, but it cannot tell you everything that might be asked in the real test. Use the official reading alongside your practice and return to topics you find difficult.