You are at a level crossing. A train has passed by, and the red warning lights continue to flash. What should you do?

Exit your vehicle to investigate

You are at a level crossin… — Continue waiting

The answer options

Carefully drive forward
Continue waitingCorrect
Call the signal controller
Exit your vehicle to investigate

Why the other options are wrong

“Carefully drive forward” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which continue waiting 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.
“Call the signal controller” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which continue waiting 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.
“Exit your vehicle to investigate” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which continue waiting 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 continue waiting because flashing red lights mean another train is coming. Even if one train has just passed, a second train could be approaching quickly on a different track. Never attempt to drive forward or edge across while the lights are still flashing, as this is extremely dangerous and illegal. You should only proceed when the lights go out and the barriers rise fully, as advised in the Highway Code.

What rules of the road covers

· National speed limits for cars, cars towing, and built-up areas
· Priority at crossroads, roundabouts and unmarked junctions
· Where waiting, loading and stopping are prohibited
· One-way streets, bus lanes and contraflow systems

Mistakes learners repeat on this topic

· Assuming street lighting always means 30mph without checking for repeater signs
· Forgetting the reduced limits when towing on dual carriageways and motorways
· Believing a roundabout always gives priority to the right regardless of markings
· Parking within 10 metres of a junction because there were no yellow lines

Instructor tip: When a limit question names a vehicle type, answer for that vehicle — the trap is applying the car limit to everything.

How this comes up in the real test

Questions from rules of the road 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 Rules of the Road Sit a full mock test