Safety and your vehicle: car theory test questions

1. 1.0 mm
2. 1.6 mm ✓
3. 2.0 mm
4. 2.5 mm

Answer: 1.6 mm. Cars must have at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tread and around the whole circumference. 1 mm is the limit for motorcycles and large vehicles.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. Across the outer edges of the tread only
2. Across the full width, but only on the front tyres
3. At any single point on the tyre's surface
4. Across the central three-quarters, all the way round ✓

Answer: Across the central three-quarters, all the way round. The law requires at least 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tread and around the entire circumference.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. Straight after a long motorway drive
2. After at least 10 miles, when the tyres are warm
3. Before a journey, when the tyres are cold ✓
4. Only when the car has its MOT test

Answer: Before a journey, when the tyres are cold. Warm or hot tyres can give a misleading reading, so check pressures when the tyres are cold.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. Weekly ✓
2. Only when the car is serviced
3. Every six months
4. Once a year, at the MOT

Answer: Weekly. Check your tyre pressures weekly. Incorrect pressures affect braking and steering.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. They reduce your fuel consumption
2. They improve grip on wet and greasy roads
3. They shorten your stopping distance in the wet
4. They can make your braking and steering worse ✓

Answer: They can make your braking and steering worse. Both under-inflated and over-inflated tyres adversely affect brakes and steering.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. A brake fault or incorrectly inflated tyres ✓
2. A faulty bulb in one of the indicators
3. Low fluid in the windscreen washer bottle
4. Worn blades on the windscreen wipers

Answer: A brake fault or incorrectly inflated tyres. Pulling to one side under braking usually points to a brake fault or wrong tyre pressures. Have it checked by a garage straight away.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. The tyres are over-inflated
2. The engine oil level is low
3. The shock absorbers are worn ✓
4. The steering lock is faulty

Answer: The shock absorbers are worn. If the car keeps bouncing after you press down on it, the shock absorbers are worn. They can seriously affect handling and should be replaced.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. Stop when it's safe and investigate the problem ✓
2. Ignore it until the next service is due
3. Switch the engine off and on while moving
4. Carry on unless the light starts flashing

Answer: Stop when it's safe and investigate the problem. Warning lights can indicate a dangerous fault developing. Don't ignore them; stop safely and find out what's wrong.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. The fuel tank is nearly empty
2. The brake pads need replacing
3. A tyre is under-inflated
4. The battery may not be charging ✓

Answer: The battery may not be charging. A charge warning light may mean the battery isn't charging. Get it checked soon to avoid losing power to the lights and other electrics.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. The engine could overheat
2. The steering could become heavy
3. The brakes could fail ✓
4. The headlights could dim

Answer: The brakes could fail. Low brake fluid may result in brake failure and a crash. Check fluid levels at least weekly.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. Pour cold water over the hot engine
2. Wait until the engine has cooled down naturally ✓
3. Keep driving so the air flow cools it down
4. Remove the coolant cap straight away to check

Answer: Wait until the engine has cooled down naturally. Removing the coolant cap on a hot engine is dangerous. Let it cool naturally, then remove the cap and top up.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. Drive to the nearest garage to get help
2. Get everyone out to a safe place and call the fire brigade ✓
3. Open the bonnet and try to put out the fire
4. Keep everyone inside the car until the fire brigade arrives

Answer: Get everyone out to a safe place and call the fire brigade. Opening the bonnet lets air in and makes the fire flare up. Get everyone out quickly and call the fire brigade.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. It makes the road very slippery, especially for motorcyclists ✓
2. It's only a problem for drivers in hot weather
3. It permanently damages the tyres of passing cars
4. It gives off thick smoke when vehicles drive over it

Answer: It makes the road very slippery, especially for motorcyclists. Diesel greatly reduces grip between tyres and the road. Make sure your fuel cap is secure and don't overfill your tank.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. Pay at the kiosk
2. Clean your windscreen
3. Smoke ✓
4. Use a mobile phone ✓
5. Check your tyre pressures

Answer: Smoke; Use a mobile phone. Smoking and using a mobile phone on a forecourt are major fire risks and could cause an explosion.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. Only filling up when the tank is nearly empty
2. Leaving the fuel cap loose to let air in
3. Checking the fuel cap is secure and its seal undamaged ✓
4. Filling the tank until fuel starts to overflow

Answer: Checking the fuel cap is secure and its seal undamaged. Check that the fuel cap is fastened securely and the seal isn't torn, perished or missing. Don't overfill the tank.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. Leave a window slightly open for air
2. Leave it unlocked if you can still see it
3. Leave the engine running so you can get away quickly
4. Remove the key, engage the steering lock and lock the car ✓

Answer: Remove the key, engage the steering lock and lock the car. Lock your car even if you're only leaving it for a few minutes, take the key and make sure the windows are closed.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. Somewhere safe, not in the car ✓
2. In the boot, out of sight
3. In the glovebox, so the police can see them
4. Under the driver's seat

Answer: Somewhere safe, not in the car. Never leave vehicle documents in the car. A thief could use them to sell the vehicle.

Highway Code: Annex 6 (Vehicle maintenance, safety and security)

1. An adult passenger sitting next to the child
2. The driver ✓
3. The registered keeper of the car
4. The child

Answer: The driver. The driver must make sure all children under 14 wear a seat belt or use a suitable child restraint.

Highway Code rule 100

1. 1.25 metres
2. 1.35 metres ✓
3. 1.45 metres
4. 1.55 metres

Answer: 1.35 metres. If a child is under 1.35 metres tall, a suitable child restraint must be used, fitted to the manufacturer's instructions (with limited exceptions).

Highway Code rule 100

1. In any rear seat of the car
2. Behind the front passenger seat
3. In a seat protected by an active frontal airbag ✓
4. In a seat fitted with a three-point belt

Answer: In a seat protected by an active frontal airbag. In a crash, an active frontal airbag can cause serious injury or death to a baby in a rear-facing seat.

Highway Code rule 101

1. To give tall passengers more headroom in the back
2. To improve your view through the rear window
3. To make long journeys more comfortable for passengers
4. To reduce the risk of neck and spine injury in a collision ✓

Answer: To reduce the risk of neck and spine injury in a collision. Correctly adjusted head restraints help protect your neck and spine if you're in a collision.

Highway Code rule 97

1. Rev it every minute or so to keep it warm
2. Apply the parking brake and switch the engine off ✓
3. Leave it running to keep the battery charged
4. Leave it running while you go to the door

Answer: Apply the parking brake and switch the engine off. Leaving an engine running unnecessarily causes pollution and noise. You must not leave a parked vehicle unattended with the engine running.

Highway Code rule 123

1. It removes engine braking and reduces your control ✓
2. It is only illegal when you're on a motorway
3. It makes the engine use a lot more fuel
4. It wears the tyres out more quickly than usual

Answer: It removes engine braking and reduces your control. Coasting means your speed can build up quickly downhill, the footbrake has to work harder and steering response is affected.

Highway Code rule 122

1. When you stop briefly on double yellow lines to drop someone off
2. On a motorway or unrestricted dual carriageway, to warn of a hazard ✓
3. When you want to thank another driver for letting you in
4. When you're towing another car through a town centre

Answer: On a motorway or unrestricted dual carriageway, to warn of a hazard. Hazard lights while moving are only allowed on motorways and unrestricted dual carriageways to warn traffic behind of a hazard or obstruction ahead.

Highway Code rule 116

1. Let the engine idle unattended to warm up
2. Fit snow chains to all four wheels
3. Clear snow and ice from all your windows ✓
4. Make sure your lights are clean and number plates are visible ✓
5. Fill the fuel tank to the top

Answer: Clear snow and ice from all your windows; Make sure your lights are clean and number plates are visible. You must be able to see clearly, so all windows must be cleared. Lights must be clean and number plates clearly visible and legible.

Highway Code rule 229