The answer options
- Reverse slowly
- Sound the horn
- Rev the engine repeatedly
- Get out of your vehicle and checkCorrect
Why the other options are wrong
- “Reverse slowly” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which get out of your vehicle and check 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 get out of your vehicle and check 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.
- “Rev the engine repeatedly” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which get out of your vehicle and check 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
Before reversing, you must be certain the area directly behind your vehicle is clear. Vehicle blind spots can easily hide small children, pedestrians, or low obstacles from your mirrors. If you cannot see clearly, get out and check, or ask someone to guide you. Reversing slowly is tempting, but if a hazard is hidden in your blind spot, moving at any speed can still cause a serious collision. Always check before you move.
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?