Which of the following is most likely to distract you whilst driving?

Which of the following… — Using a mobile phone

The answer options

Using your mirrors
Using your demisters
Using a mobile phoneCorrect
Using the windscreen wipers

Why the other options are wrong

“Using your mirrors” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which using a mobile phone 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.
“Using your demisters” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which using a mobile phone 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.
“Using the windscreen wipers” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which using a mobile phone 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

Using a mobile phone while driving significantly reduces your concentration and reaction times because it takes your eyes, hands, and mind off the road. It is also illegal to use a hand-held phone while driving. In contrast, checking your mirrors and operating demisters or windscreen wipers are essential driving actions that help maintain clear vision and control. The Highway Code requires you to stay focused and avoid unnecessary distractions.

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