Driving Test, Disabilities & The Law

On a wet road, by how much should the stopping distance be expected to increase compared with a dry road?

• AIt remains the same
• BBy about one quarter
• CBy roughly ten percent
• DAt least double✓

Answer: On a wet road stopping distances at least double because tyre grip is reduced and braking is less effective. In icy conditions the distance can increase to ten times the dry-road figure.

During the practical driving test, how is a 'dangerous' fault defined?

• AA minor error that the candidate repeats more than three times during the test drive
• BA fault involving actual danger to the candidate, examiner, public or property✓
• CA driving habit that could later develop into a serious fault over a period of time
• DAny fault that is serious enough for the examiner to write a note on the marking sheet

Answer: A dangerous fault is one that involves actual danger to the candidate, the examiner, other road users or property. A single dangerous fault results in a test failure.

How many driving (minor) faults can a candidate accumulate and still pass the practical driving test?

• AUp to 20 driving faults
• BUp to 15 driving faults, provided none is serious or dangerous✓
• CAny number of driving faults, as long as none of them is judged dangerous
• DUp to 6 driving faults only

Answer: A candidate may accumulate up to 15 driving faults and still pass, provided no single serious or dangerous fault is recorded. Sixteen or more driving faults, or any serious or dangerous fault, results in a fail.

What distinguishes a 'serious' fault from a 'driving' (minor) fault on the practical test?

• AA driving fault automatically fails the test
• BThere is no practical difference between the two
• CA serious fault is potentially dangerous, while a driving fault is not in itself dangerous✓
• DA serious fault always involves a collision

Answer: A serious fault is one that is potentially dangerous, even if no actual danger occurred, whereas a driving fault is a minor error that is not in itself dangerous. A single serious fault fails the test, but driving faults only fail it if 16 or more are recorded.

What is the minimum eyesight standard a candidate must meet before the practical driving test begins?

• ARead a number plate from 50 metres away in the dark without wearing glasses
• BIdentify each of the colours on a printed chart held out at arm's length
• CRead a number plate from 20 metres (current style) in good daylight✓
• DRead text from a handheld card at 10 metres

Answer: Before the test a candidate must read a current-style number plate from a distance of 20 metres in good daylight, wearing glasses or lenses if normally used. Failure to meet this standard ends the test immediately and is recorded as a fail.

Under what condition can a disabled person who cannot use their legs still meet the requirements to drive a car?

• ABy driving a vehicle fitted with appropriate adaptations such as hand controls✓
• BThey are permanently barred from holding any category of British driving licence
• COnly on private land, kept well away from any road to which the public has access
• DOnly as a passenger, with a fully qualified driver sitting at the controls of the car

Answer: A disabled person who cannot use their legs can drive a car fitted with suitable adaptations, such as hand controls for acceleration and braking. The licence may be coded to require those adaptations to be present.

What is the minimum age at which a person can normally apply to take the car (category B) driving test in Great Britain?

• A16 years old
• B21 years old
• C17 years old✓
• D18 years old

Answer: A person can normally drive and take the category B car test from the age of 17. Those receiving the enhanced rate of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment may drive a car from 16.

A driver must inform the DVLA of which of the following medical conditions that may affect driving?

• ATemporary tiredness after a long shift
• BConditions such as epilepsy, certain heart conditions and diabetes treated with insulin✓
• CA common cold lasting under a week
• DA minor sprained ankle

Answer: Drivers are legally required to notify the DVLA of notifiable conditions such as epilepsy, certain heart conditions and insulin-treated diabetes, as these can affect fitness to drive. Failing to declare a notifiable condition is an offence that can result in a fine.

What is the minimum eyesight standard for driving a car?

• AReading a number plate from 15 metres
• BReading a number plate from 25 metres
• CReading road signs at 30 metres in daylight
• DReading a post-2001 number plate from 20 metres✓

Answer: The standard is to read a post-2001 number plate from 20 metres, with glasses or contact lenses if needed. A candidate who cannot do this at the start of the practical test does not proceed and the test is recorded as a fail.

How many 'show me, tell me' questions are asked during the practical driving test?

• AThree questions asked at the examiner's discretion
• BTwo tell me questions before driving only
• COne show me question at the end of the test only
• DOne tell me before driving, one show me while driving✓

Answer: The candidate answers one tell me question at the start, before the driving begins, and is asked one show me question during the drive itself. An incorrect answer to either records one driving fault.

How long does the independent driving section of the practical car test last?

• AAbout 20 minutes✓
• BAbout 5 minutes
• CAbout 10 minutes
• DThe entire duration of the test

Answer: Independent driving lasts roughly 20 minutes of the test, with the candidate following either a sat nav or traffic signs. Going off the route is not itself a fault; how the driving is performed is what counts.

A new driver accumulates six penalty points within two years of passing their first driving test. What is the consequence?

• APoints are reduced to three after a further clean year
• BThey must complete a speed awareness course
• CThe licence is suspended for six months and then returned
• DThe licence is revoked and both tests must be retaken✓

Answer: Under the New Drivers Act, six or more points within two years of passing the first test revokes the licence. The driver reverts to provisional entitlement and must pass both the theory and practical tests again.

What is the legal alcohol limit for drivers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, measured in breath?

• A22 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath
• B35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath✓
• C50 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath
• D80 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath

Answer: The breath limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres. Scotland applies a lower limit of 22 microgrammes, which is why a driver crossing the border faces a different standard.

When must a car first have an MOT test?

• AWhen it reaches 30,000 miles
• BThree years from the date of first registration✓
• COne year from the date of first registration
• DFive years from the date of first registration

Answer: A car needs its first MOT three years after first registration, then annually. Some vehicle types, such as taxis and ambulances, require testing after one year instead.

What is the minimum insurance cover required by law to drive on a public road?

• AThird party, fire and theft
• BThird party✓
• CLegal expenses cover only
• DComprehensive

Answer: Third party is the legal minimum and covers injury to others and damage to their property. Fire and theft or comprehensive policies add cover for your own vehicle but are not legal requirements.

A driver has a medical condition that may affect their driving. What is their legal obligation?

• ANo notification is needed if they feel able to drive safely
• BThey need only tell their GP
• CThey must notify DVLA, and not doing so is an offence✓
• DThey must tell their insurer but not DVLA

Answer: The driver is legally responsible for telling DVLA about a notifiable medical condition, and failing to do so is an offence that can carry a fine and affect insurance validity. Feeling able to drive does not remove the duty to declare.

Who is responsible for ensuring that a child under 14 is using the correct restraint in a car?

• AThe driver✓
• BThe child, once they are over 12 years old
• CThe child's parent, whether or not they are present
• DThe front seat passenger

Answer: The driver carries the legal responsibility for passengers under 14 being properly restrained. From 14 the passenger becomes responsible for wearing a seat belt themselves.

Until what point must a child normally use a child car seat?

• AUntil they are 10 years old regardless of height
• BUntil they are 14 years old or 150 cm tall
• CUntil they are 150 cm tall regardless of age
• DUntil 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever is first✓

Answer: A child must use an appropriate restraint until 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever is reached first, after which an adult seat belt may be used. Limited exceptions exist, such as unexpected necessity over a short distance.

What is the penalty position for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving?

• AA written warning for a first offence
• BThree penalty points and a fixed fine only
• CSix penalty points and a fine✓
• DA fine with no penalty points if the vehicle is stationary in traffic

Answer: Using a hand-held phone while driving attracts six points and a fine. For a driver within two years of passing their first test, six points revokes the licence, so a single offence ends their entitlement.

What does a Blue Badge entitle the holder to do?

• APark free of charge in every private car park
• BPark anywhere including on zigzag lines at crossings
• CDrive in bus lanes at any time nationally
• DPark in disabled bays and, in many areas, on yellow lines✓

Answer: The Blue Badge scheme allows parking in disabled bays and, in England, on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours, provided there are no loading restrictions. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and some London boroughs are excluded from the concession. It never permits parking where it would cause an obstruction or danger, such as on crossing zigzags.

During the practical test, what distinguishes a serious fault from a driving fault?

• AIt is potentially dangerous or reveals a habitual weakness✓
• BA serious fault is any fault occurring in the first ten minutes
• CA serious fault is any fault repeated twice
• DA serious fault is one the examiner has to write down

Answer: A serious fault is one that is potentially dangerous or that reveals a persistent weakness in the candidate's driving, and a single one fails the test. A driving fault is not potentially dangerous in the situation in which it occurred.

How long must a candidate wait before retaking the practical driving test after a fail?

• AThree working days
• BThere is no minimum waiting period
• CTwenty-eight days
• DTen working days✓

Answer: A failed practical car test may be retaken after ten working days. The waiting period exists so the candidate has time to address the faults recorded rather than simply resitting.

What is the minimum age to hold a provisional car driving licence in Great Britain?

• A17, or 16 for some PIP claimants✓
• B16 for all applicants
• C18 for all applicants
• D17 with no exceptions

Answer: The normal minimum is 17, but an applicant receiving the enhanced rate mobility component of PIP may drive a car from 16. Provisional entitlement can be held from the applicant's 15th birthday and 9 months.

What must a supervising driver of a learner in a car satisfy?

• AThey must be at least 25 with no penalty points
• BThey must be at least 18 and have held a full licence for one year
• CAt least 21, with a full licence for the category for three years✓
• DThey must be a qualified approved driving instructor

Answer: A person supervising a learner must be 21 or over and have held a full driving licence for that category for at least three years. They must also be qualified to drive the type of vehicle being used.

What does the term 'notifiable' mean in relation to a driver's medical condition?

• AIt must be reported to DVLA as it could affect safe driving✓
• BThe condition must be displayed on the vehicle
• CThe condition must be re-assessed by the examiner at each driving test
• DThe condition must be reported only if the driver holds a vocational licence

Answer: A notifiable condition is one DVLA must be told about because it may affect the person's ability to drive safely, such as epilepsy, certain visual impairments or diabetes treated with insulin. DVLA then decides whether the licence continues, is issued for a shorter period, or is refused.