Safety and your vehicle theory test questions

4 free questions here · 22 in the app (coming soon)

Checked against GOV.UK · Report a mistake

  1. Safety and your vehicle

    You have parked safely on a public road and will wait in the car for five minutes. You are outside the traffic flow and are not diagnosing a fault. What should you do to reduce emissions and noise?

    1. ASwitch off only when you leave the vehicle
    2. BKeep the engine idling throughout your wait
    3. CApply the parking brake and switch off
    4. DRaise the engine speed for the whole wait
    Answer and reason

    C. Apply the parking brake and switch off. Generally, when stationary for more than a couple of minutes, apply the parking brake and switch off the engine. Source: The Highway Code, rule 123

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  2. Safety and your vehicle

    You press down on the front corner of your parked car and let go. It keeps bouncing for a while. What does this suggest?

    1. AThe tyre pressure is too high
    2. BThe shock absorbers are worn
    3. CThe steering needs alignment
    4. DThe brake fluid is low
    Answer and reason

    B. The shock absorbers are worn. A car that keeps bouncing after being pushed down has worn shock absorbers. Source: The Highway Code, Annex 6: Other problems

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  3. Safety and your vehicle

    Where on a car tyre must the tread be at least 1.6 mm deep?

    1. AAcross the central half, for the whole circumference
    2. BAcross the central three-quarters, all the way round
    3. CAcross the outer three-quarters, all the way round
    4. DAcross the full width, at one point on the circumference
    Answer and reason

    B. Across the central three-quarters, all the way round. Car tyres need at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters and around the entire circumference. Source: The Highway Code, Annex 6, Vehicle maintenance: Tyres

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  4. Safety and your vehicle

    Fog has cleared and you can see clearly. What should you do with your fog lights?

    1. AKeep only the rear fog light on
    2. BSwitch them off
    3. CKeep them on until you park
    4. DLeave them on to be seen
    Answer and reason

    B. Switch them off. Rule 236 says you must switch fog lights off when visibility improves. Source: The Highway Code, rule 236

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What this topic covers

This topic brings together looking after your vehicle and thinking about safety before a journey. Work through the questions on checks, equipment and using your vehicle responsibly.

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.

Other theory test topics

Return to the topic question hub or choose another area to practise.

Try a mixed mock theory test

The one free UK mock has 50 questions across the topics. Most of these sample questions also appear in that mock.

Sources

  1. The Highway Code: Annex 6. Vehicle maintenance, safety and security, GOV.UK
  2. The Highway Code: Driving in adverse weather conditions (226 to 237), GOV.UK
  3. 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 4 of the 22 safety and your vehicle questions in our bank. The DriveQuiz app is coming soon with all 22, and Pro will bring 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.