The answer options
- Talk to them confidently until an ambulance arrives
- Open their airway and begin CPRCorrect
- Put them in the recovery position
- Call their friend or family
Why the other options are wrong
- “Talk to them confidently until an ambulance arrives” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which open their airway and begin CPR 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.
- “Put them in the recovery position” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which open their airway and begin CPR 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.
- “Call their friend or family” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which open their airway and begin CPR 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 child isn't breathing, you must act quickly. Opening their airway and starting CPR gives them the best chance of survival by keeping oxygen flowing to the brain and vital organs. You should only place a casualty in the recovery position if they are unconscious but breathing normally. Talking to them won't help if they aren't breathing, so providing emergency life support must be your immediate priority while medical help is called.
What incidents, accidents and emergencies covers
- · The DR ABC approach and CPR compression rate and depth
- · Treating burns, bleeding and shock at the roadside
- · Warning triangles, hazard lights and making a scene safe
- · Tunnel incidents, vehicle fires and evacuating passengers
Mistakes learners repeat on this topic
- · Removing a motorcyclist's helmet when it is not essential
- · Placing a warning triangle on a motorway hard shoulder
- · Giving an injured person a drink or something to eat
- · Leaving the scene without reporting when nobody appears hurt
Instructor tip: Cool a burn with clean cool water for at least ten minutes — the timing is the part questions test.
How this comes up in the real test
Questions from incidents, accidents and emergencies 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 incidents, accidents and emergencies questions
- After a collision, someone is unconscious in their vehicle. When should you call the emergency services?
- An adult casualty isn’t breathing. CPR should be administered to keep the blood flowing. How hard should you press against their chest?
- An injured motorcyclist is lying unconscious in the road. The traffic has stopped and there’s no further danger. What could you do to help?
- An injured person has been placed in the recovery position. They’re unconscious but breathing normally. What else should be done?
- At an incident, a casualty is unconscious but breathing. When should you move them?
- At an incident, a casualty isn’t breathing. What should you do while helping them to start breathing again?