You are driving along a national speed limit applies road with a steady stream of oncoming traffic. Which lights should you use if it is a clear night?

You are driving along a n… — Dipped headlights

The answer options

Full-beam headlights
Fog lights
Sidelights
Dipped headlightsCorrect

Why the other options are wrong

“Full-beam headlights” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which dipped headlights 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.
“Fog lights” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which dipped headlights 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.
“Sidelights” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which dipped headlights 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

On unlit or dimly lit roads, you must use dipped headlights when there is oncoming traffic to avoid dazzling other road users. Full-beam headlights would blind the drivers coming towards you, creating a serious hazard. Sidelights are not bright enough for you to see the road ahead safely at higher speeds. Fog lights should only be used when visibility is seriously reduced, as using them in clear conditions is illegal and dazzles others.

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