If a vehicle pulls out in front of you at a junction, what should you do?

Swerve past whilst sounding your horn

If a vehicle pulls… — Slow down and prepare t…

The answer options

Slow down and prepare to stopCorrect
Accelerate past
Flash your headlights
Swerve past whilst sounding your horn

Why the other options are wrong

“Accelerate past” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which slow down and prepare to stop 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 headlights” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which slow down and prepare to stop 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.
“Swerve past whilst sounding your horn” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which slow down and prepare to stop 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

When another driver pulls out unexpectedly, your main priority is to avoid a collision. Slowing down and preparing to stop gives you time to react safely and keeps you in control. Accelerating or swerving increases the risk of a crash, potentially involving other road users or obstacles. Flashing your headlights or sounding your horn in frustration will not prevent a hazard and can confuse others. The Highway Code advises staying calm and accommodating mistakes made by other road users.

What attitude covers

· Safe following distances and what to do when tailgated
· Reacting to aggressive, hesitant or inconsiderate drivers
· Emergency and slow-moving vehicles and how to let them pass
· Use of the horn and headlight flashes as warnings, not invitations

Mistakes learners repeat on this topic

· Flashing headlights to tell another driver to proceed
· Braking sharply to discourage a tailgater
· Sounding the horn in a built-up area at night out of frustration
· Speeding up when a driver tries to overtake you

Instructor tip: When two answers are both polite, choose the one that increases the gap rather than the one that communicates.

How this comes up in the real test

Questions from attitude 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.

Practise Attitude Sit a full mock test