---
title: "You are driving and an instrument panel warni… | Theory Test"
description: "You are driving and an instrument panel warning light has come on. What should you do? The correct answer is “Investigate the problem promptly when safe to do"
lang: en
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[Theory test](/theory)/ [Question bank](/theory/questions)/ Incidents, accidents and emergencies 

# You are driving and an instrument panel warning light has come on. What should you do?

DVSA-style practice question · Incidents, accidents and emergencies

## The answer options

-   Deal with it when you have time to do so 
-   Continue, the engine sounds fine 
-   Hope it is a temporary fault 
-   Investigate the problem promptly when safe to do so**Correct** 

## Why that is the answer

Warning lights alert you to potential safety or mechanical faults. Ignoring them can cause severe vehicle damage or lead to a dangerous breakdown. Even if the engine sounds fine, serious underlying issues like brake or oil faults might not make an immediate noise. You should find a safe place to stop promptly, consult your vehicle handbook, and investigate the problem before continuing your journey.

## How this comes up in the real test

Questions from incidents, accidents and emergencies 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 Incidents, accidents and emergencies](/theory/quiz/incidents-emergencies)[Sit a full mock test](/theory/mock-test)

## More incidents, accidents and emergencies questions

-   [After a collision, someone is unconscious in their vehicle. When should you call the emergency services?](/theory/questions/after-a-collision-someone-is-unconscious-in-their-vehicle-when-should-you-call-the-emergen)
-   [An adult casualty isn’t breathing. CPR should be administered to keep the blood flowing. How hard should you press against their chest?](/theory/questions/an-adult-casualty-isn-t-breathing-cpr-should-be-administered-to-keep-the-blood-flowing-how)
-   [An injured motorcyclist is lying unconscious in the road. The traffic has stopped and there’s no further danger. What could you do to help?](/theory/questions/an-injured-motorcyclist-is-lying-unconscious-in-the-road-the-traffic-has-stopped-and-there)
-   [An injured person has been placed in the recovery position. They’re unconscious but breathing normally. What else should be done?](/theory/questions/an-injured-person-has-been-placed-in-the-recovery-position-they-re-unconscious-but-breathi)
-   [At an incident, a casualty is unconscious but breathing. When should you move them?](/theory/questions/at-an-incident-a-casualty-is-unconscious-but-breathing-when-should-you-move-them)
-   [At an incident, a casualty isn’t breathing. What should you do while helping them to start breathing again?](/theory/questions/at-an-incident-a-casualty-isn-t-breathing-what-should-you-do-while-helping-them-to-start-b)

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