The answer options
- Your mpg could decrease
- You get extra control of the vehicle
- You have reduced control of the vehicleCorrect
- Steering becomes easier
Why the other options are wrong
- “Your mpg could decrease” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which you have reduced control of the vehicle 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.
- “You get extra control of the vehicle” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which you have reduced control of the vehicle 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.
- “Steering becomes easier” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which you have reduced control of the vehicle 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
Coasting means travelling in neutral or with the clutch pedal pressed down. This reduces your control over the vehicle because you lose engine braking. As a result, the car can gather speed quickly downhill, putting extra demand on your brakes and potentially causing them to overheat. You also lose the ability to accelerate quickly if you need to avoid a hazard. The Highway Code warns against coasting as it makes your vehicle less stable.
What safety margins covers
- · Thinking, braking and overall stopping distances at each speed
- · The two-second rule and when to extend it
- · Skid causes, anti-lock braking and how to steer out of a skid
- · Driving in rain, fog, ice, snow and strong crosswinds
Mistakes learners repeat on this topic
- · Quoting the braking distance when asked for the overall stopping distance
- · Using the two-second rule unchanged in the wet instead of doubling it
- · Believing ABS shortens the stopping distance on loose or icy surfaces
- · Steering against the skid rather than into it
Instructor tip: Learn 20mph = 12m and add 6m per 10mph of thinking plus a growing braking figure — the pattern is easier than the raw table.
How this comes up in the real test
Questions from safety margins 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 margins questions
- What circumstances will cause an increase in your total stopping distance?
- As you approach a right-hand bend, you should keep well to the left. Why is this?
- How can the engine of your car be used as a brake?
- How can you avoid wheelspin when you’re driving on an icy road?
- How can you tell if your vehicle's tyres are losing their grip on a wet road surface?
- How should you make sure your brakes are working properly after passing through floodwater?