The answer options
- Closely follow the car in front to avoid queuing
- Switch lanes to progress forward quicker
- Speed up to pass through quickly
- Choose and stay in an appropriate lane in good timeCorrect
Why the other options are wrong
- “Closely follow the car in front to avoid queuing” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which choose and stay in an appropriate lane in good time 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.
- “Switch lanes to progress forward quicker” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which choose and stay in an appropriate lane in good time 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.
- “Speed up to pass through quickly” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which choose and stay in an appropriate lane in good time 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
When entering a contraflow system, reduced lane widths and oncoming traffic make early preparation vital. You should choose an appropriate lane in good time and stay in it to keep traffic moving safely. Switching lanes or tailgating the vehicle ahead reduces your safety margins, creates hazards, and increases the risk of a collision. Speeding is dangerous through roadworks, as you need extra time to react to hazards or changing traffic conditions.
What safety margins covers
- · Thinking, braking and overall stopping distances at each speed
- · The two-second rule and when to extend it
- · Skid causes, anti-lock braking and how to steer out of a skid
- · Driving in rain, fog, ice, snow and strong crosswinds
Mistakes learners repeat on this topic
- · Quoting the braking distance when asked for the overall stopping distance
- · Using the two-second rule unchanged in the wet instead of doubling it
- · Believing ABS shortens the stopping distance on loose or icy surfaces
- · Steering against the skid rather than into it
Instructor tip: Learn 20mph = 12m and add 6m per 10mph of thinking plus a growing braking figure — the pattern is easier than the raw table.
How this comes up in the real test
Questions from safety margins 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 safety margins questions
- What circumstances will cause an increase in your total stopping distance?
- As you approach a right-hand bend, you should keep well to the left. Why is this?
- How can the engine of your car be used as a brake?
- How can you avoid wheelspin when you’re driving on an icy road?
- How can you tell if your vehicle's tyres are losing their grip on a wet road surface?
- How should you make sure your brakes are working properly after passing through floodwater?