When should you flash your headlights at other drivers on the road?

When should you fl… — To alert them of your p…

The answer options

To give way to them
To show you have right of way
To thank them
To alert them of your presenceCorrect

Why the other options are wrong

“To give way to them” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which to alert them of your presence 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.
“To show you have right of way” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which to alert them of your presence 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.
“To thank them” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which to alert them of your presence 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

The Highway Code states that you should only flash your headlights to alert other road users of your presence, functioning in the same way as your horn. Although many drivers incorrectly use flashes to give way, thank others, or claim right of way, this can cause confusion and lead to collisions. Never assume that another driver flashing their lights is inviting you to proceed.

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