The answer options
- Select reverse gear
- Give an arm signal
- Apply the footbrake and parking brake
- Keep both hands on the steering wheelCorrect
Why that is the answer
In an emergency stop on a wet road, reduced grip increases the risk of skidding. Keeping both hands firmly on the steering wheel gives you maximum control to keep the vehicle stable and steering straight. You should brake firmly with the footbrake. Applying the parking brake while moving or selecting reverse gear can lock the wheels and cause a dangerous skid, while giving an arm signal wastes vital time and takes a hand off the wheel.
How this comes up in the real test
Questions from alertness 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 alertness questions
- Before making a U-turn, what should you do?
- Before slowing or stopping your vehicle, what is something you must do?
- How can you make sure that a satellite navigation (satnav) system doesn’t distract you when you’re driving?
- How should you pass the cyclists?
- Something is hanging from your rearview mirror. Why might this pose a risk?
- The windscreen pillar is restricting your view when waiting to emerge from a junction. What should you be especially cautious of?