Where should overtaking be avoided?

Where should overt… — Before a dip in the road

The answer options

One-way streets
30mph roads
After a bend
Before a dip in the roadCorrect

Why the other options are wrong

“One-way streets” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which before a dip in the road 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.
“30mph roads” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which before a dip in the road 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.
“After a bend” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which before a dip in the road 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

You must avoid overtaking before a dip in the road because oncoming vehicles can easily be hidden from view. The Highway Code stresses that you should only overtake when you have a clear, unobstructed view of the road ahead. You can overtake on one-way streets or 30mph roads if safe. After a bend, your vision improves, but overtaking before a dip restricts your line of sight, making it extremely dangerous.

What alertness covers

· Mirror–signal–manoeuvre and when each mirror is checked
· Blind spots and life-saver shoulder checks
· Correct signalling, including when not to signal
· Tiredness, breaks on long journeys and the 15-minute rest rule

Mistakes learners repeat on this topic

· Signalling so early that other drivers act on the wrong junction
· Checking mirrors after starting a manoeuvre rather than before
· Opening a window as a cure for tiredness instead of stopping
· Answering a hands-free call and assuming it is a safe alternative

Instructor tip: If a question offers 'stop somewhere safe and rest' for a tiredness scenario, that is almost always the marked answer.

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.

Practise Alertness Sit a full mock test