The answer options
- Maintain a safe gap.Correct
- Brake sharply.
- Flash your lights.
- Sound the horn.
Why the other options are wrong
- “Brake sharply.” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which maintain a safe gap does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.
- “Flash your lights.” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which maintain a safe gap does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.
- “Sound the horn.” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which maintain a safe gap does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.
Why that is the answer
If a motorcyclist cuts in front of you, ease off the accelerator to drop back and re-establish a safe separation distance. Braking sharply could cause vehicles behind you to crash into your car. Avoid flashing your lights or sounding your horn in frustration, as aggressive reactions can startle the rider and escalate the danger. The Highway Code emphasises the importance of staying calm and always maintaining a safe gap ahead.
What hazard awareness covers
- · Static, moving and developing hazards and how they differ
- · Scanning, mirror use and planning your response early
- · Effects of tiredness, alcohol, drugs and prescription medicine
- · Weather, light and road-surface conditions that reduce your margin
Mistakes learners repeat on this topic
- · Choosing the reactive answer (brake hard) over the planning answer (ease off early)
- · Underestimating how long alcohol stays in the system overnight
- · Assuming a prescribed medicine cannot affect your fitness to drive
- · Treating a hazard as cleared before you have passed it
Instructor tip: If two answers both work, pick the one that acts earliest — the DVSA marks anticipation, not recovery.
How this comes up in the real test
Questions from hazard awareness appear throughout the 50-question multiple-choice section, and the wording changes between versions. Learn the rule rather than the sentence: the DVSA can ask the same point from the opposite direction, and a memorised answer falls over the moment the phrasing moves.
The pass mark is 43 out of 50, so seven wrong answers is your entire margin. If a whole category is shaky, run the topic practice below until you are getting every question right for the right reason, then go back to full mocks under the clock.
More hazard awareness questions
- A friend has given you some cough medicine. You take some and wish to drive your car, what should you do first?
- A police officer is making this signal to oncoming traffic. What does this mean?
- Before taking any medicine you should always check the leaflet. Why is this?
- Certain two-way streets have three lanes on them. Why do they pose a special risk?
- Do you need to plan rest stops when you’re planning a long journey?
- How can drinking alcohol affect your ability to drive?