The answer options
- Being bought second-hand
- Having large or deep cuts in the side wallsCorrect
- Being different makes
- Having varied tread patterns
Why the other options are wrong
- “Being bought second-hand” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which having large or deep cuts in the side walls 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.
- “Being different makes” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which having large or deep cuts in the side walls 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.
- “Having varied tread patterns” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which having large or deep cuts in the side walls 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
Tyres must be kept in a safe and roadworthy condition. Large or deep cuts in the sidewall weaken the tyre structure, risking a dangerous blowout while driving. The Highway Code states that tyres must be free from deep cuts, tears, or bulges. You can legally use different tyre makes, varied tread patterns, or second-hand tyres, provided they meet the legal minimum tread depth of 1.6mm and remain undamaged.
What safety and your vehicle covers
- · Legal minimum tread depth of 1.6mm across the central three-quarters
- · Dashboard warning lamp colours and which mean stop immediately
- · Braking, steering and suspension faults and how they feel
- · Fuel economy, emissions and eco-safe driving technique
Mistakes learners repeat on this topic
- · Quoting 1.6mm as an all-weather safe depth rather than the legal minimum
- · Checking tyre pressures when the tyres are hot instead of cold
- · Treating an amber warning lamp as something to ignore
- · Forgetting that an over-inflated tyre wears in the centre, not the edges
Instructor tip: Learn the warning lamp colours as a traffic-light system: red stop, amber investigate, green or blue informational.
How this comes up in the real test
Questions from safety and your vehicle 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 safety and your vehicle questions
- A vehicle MOT test will include an exhaust emissions test. What is the reason for this?
- Before leaving your vehicle unattended, what should you remove from it?
- How can drivers help the environment?
- How can driving in a fuel-efficient manner help protect the environment?
- How can the volume of traffic on roads be reduced?
- How can you avoid wasting fuel?