The answer options
- Wait for both directions to be clear.Correct
- Drive to the central reservation and wait
- Creep forward to show your intention to turn
- Block the first lane so others give way
Why the other options are wrong
- “Drive to the central reservation and wait” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which wait for both directions to be clear 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.
- “Creep forward to show your intention to turn” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which wait for both directions to be clear 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.
- “Block the first lane so others give way” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which wait for both directions to be clear 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 turning right onto a dual carriageway, you can only treat the central reservation as a refuge if it is wide enough to fit your entire vehicle. If it is too narrow, stopping there will leave part of your vehicle protruding into the live lanes, creating a dangerous obstruction. You must wait on the side road until traffic from both directions is clear before completing your turn in one continuous manoeuvre.
What rules of the road covers
- · National speed limits for cars, cars towing, and built-up areas
- · Priority at crossroads, roundabouts and unmarked junctions
- · Where waiting, loading and stopping are prohibited
- · One-way streets, bus lanes and contraflow systems
Mistakes learners repeat on this topic
- · Assuming street lighting always means 30mph without checking for repeater signs
- · Forgetting the reduced limits when towing on dual carriageways and motorways
- · Believing a roundabout always gives priority to the right regardless of markings
- · Parking within 10 metres of a junction because there were no yellow lines
Instructor tip: When a limit question names a vehicle type, answer for that vehicle — the trap is applying the car limit to everything.
How this comes up in the real test
Questions from rules of the road 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 rules of the road questions
- A single carriageway road has this sign. What’s the maximum permitted speed for a car towing a trailer?
- At a roundabout, how should you signal that you're going straight ahead?
- At an un-marked crossroads, who has priority?
- How else can you indicate to other drivers besides using direction indicators?
- How far are you allowed to reverse?
- How should you park at night on a road with a 40mph speed limit?