The answer options
- Give an arm signal
- Select a lower gear
- Sound your horn
- Check for filtering motorcyclistsCorrect
Why the other options are wrong
- “Give an arm signal” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which check for filtering motorcyclists 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.
- “Select a lower gear” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which check for filtering motorcyclists 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.
- “Sound your horn” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which check for filtering motorcyclists 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
In queuing traffic, motorcyclists and cyclists often filter between lanes of vehicles. Before changing lanes, you must check your mirrors and blind spots carefully for them. Cutting across a filtering rider can cause a serious collision. Sounding your horn is unnecessary and startles other drivers, while selecting a lower gear does not ensure the space is clear. The Highway Code stresses extra vigilance for vulnerable road users in congested traffic.
What vulnerable road users covers
- · Passing distances for cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians in the road
- · Blind spots and shoulder checks before turning or changing lane
- · Pedestrian crossing types and who has priority at each
- · Children near schools, ice-cream vans and residential streets
Mistakes learners repeat on this topic
- · Overtaking a cyclist just before turning left across them
- · Passing a horse at speed or sounding the horn to warn the rider
- · Failing to check the nearside blind spot before moving off
- · Assuming a pedestrian waiting at a zebra crossing must give way to you
Instructor tip: On any question involving a cyclist at a junction, the safe answer almost always involves waiting behind them.
How this comes up in the real test
Questions from vulnerable road users 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.
More vulnerable road users questions
- A moving vehicle ahead is showing a flashing amber beacon. What does this signal?
- As you approach a pelican crossing, the lights change to green. What should you do if older people are still crossing?
- At night, what does it mean if you see a pedestrian wearing reflective clothing and carrying a bright red light?
- Before turning right into a side road, why should you check for motorcyclists?
- How can you reduce your risk of involvement in accidents or collisions when you have just passed your driving test?
- How should you pass riders on horses?