Highway Code for taxi and private hire drivers: questions and answers
54 practice questions for UK taxi and private hire knowledge tests, with answers and explanations at the end.
Free from taxiknowledgetest.co.uk. Not an official council document: check your council's current guidance.
Questions
Signs, bus lanes and road markings
What do road signs with a red circle mostly tell you?
A circular sign has a blue background and no red border. What does it usually do?
What shape are most warning signs?
Direction signs on primary routes have what colour background?
You drive a licensed hackney carriage. When may you drive in a bus lane during its hours of operation?
You drive a private hire vehicle. A bus lane sign shows a bus, a bicycle and the word 'taxi'. What does this mean for you?
The times on a bus lane sign show the lane is not in operation now. Who may drive in it?
True or false: every bus gate and bus lane allows licensed taxis to use it.
What does the Highway Code say about a road, lane or route reserved for trams?
When may you drive into a yellow box junction?
Speed limits and stopping distances
What is the national speed limit for a car on a single carriageway road?
What is the national speed limit for a car on a dual carriageway?
In England, what speed limit usually applies on a road with street lights, unless signs show a different limit?
In Wales, what speed limit usually applies on a road with street lights, unless signs show a different limit?
You drive a minibus that is not more than 12 metres long. What is the speed limit on a dual carriageway, unless signs show a lower limit?
What is the typical overall stopping distance for a car at 30 mph?
At 30 mph, what is the typical thinking distance?
What is the typical overall stopping distance for a car at 40 mph?
What is the typical overall stopping distance for a car at 70 mph?
It is raining. How should you change the two-second gap to the vehicle in front?
Which of these statements about speed limits is right?
The hierarchy of road users
Under the hierarchy of road users, who has the greatest responsibility to reduce danger to others?
Which road users does the Highway Code say are most likely to be injured in a collision?
You are turning left into a side road. A pedestrian is waiting to cross the side road. What should you do?
True or false: under the Highway Code, people using wheelchairs and mobility scooters count as pedestrians.
As a guide, how much space should you leave when you overtake a cyclist at up to 30 mph?
How should you pass a person riding a horse?
You want to turn left at a junction. A cyclist is going straight ahead in the cycle lane beside you. What should you do?
A cyclist stays in the left-hand lane to go right round a roundabout. What should you do?
You have parked at the kerb. How does the Highway Code advise you to open the driver's door on your right-hand side?
Is it safe to wave a pedestrian across a zebra crossing to be helpful?
Phones, seat belts and fitness to drive
When may you hold and use a mobile phone while you are driving?
Your phone is in a holder on the dashboard. Can you use it for sat nav while driving?
What is the penalty for holding and using a phone while driving?
When does the contactless payment exception let you use a hand-held phone in a vehicle?
Who is responsible for making sure an adult passenger wears a seat belt?
A child aged 5 sits in the back of your licensed vehicle. No child seat is available. What must the child do?
When does a licensed taxi driver not have to wear a seat belt?
You drive a private hire vehicle. You are on your way to collect a booked passenger and the car is empty. Must you wear a seat belt?
In England and Wales, what is the legal alcohol limit for drivers in breath?
You drank alcohol late last night. What does the Highway Code warn about driving the next morning?
How often does the Highway Code recommend a break of at least 15 minutes?
You develop a health condition that is likely to affect your driving. Who must you tell under the Highway Code?
Picking up, setting down and parking
Can you stop on the zig-zag lines at a pedestrian crossing to let a passenger out?
There are yellow 'school keep clear' markings and an upright sign that bans stopping. Can you stop to drop off a child?
There are double yellow lines with no other signs. May you stop briefly while a passenger gets in or out?
On a red route, which vehicle may stop on the red lines for passengers to get in or out, unless signs say otherwise?
Unless you are in an authorised parking space, how close to a junction should you not stop or park?
Where should you not stop to set down a passenger?
A sign says: no stopping during the times shown, except for as long as necessary to set down or pick up passengers (an urban clearway). What may you do?
A circular sign has a blue background, a red border and a red cross. It marks a clearway. May you stop to pick up a passenger?
You drive a private hire vehicle. Can you wait for a booked passenger in a taxi bay marked with signs and road markings?
You will wait at the kerb for several minutes for a passenger. What should you do with the engine?
You arrive at 1 am to collect a passenger from a house in a residential street. May you sound your horn to tell them you are there?
Answers
- A. Something that you must not do. Signs with red circles are mostly prohibitive: they tell you what you must not do. Plates below a sign add details, such as times.
- D. It gives an order you must follow, such as 'turn left'. Signs with blue circles but no red border mostly give a positive instruction, such as 'ahead only' or 'keep left'.
- B. Triangular. Warning signs are mostly triangular. Direction and information signs are mostly rectangular, and signs giving orders are mostly circular.
- B. Green. Primary routes have green signs. Motorway signs are blue, local routes are white with a black border, and brown signs show tourist attractions.
- D. Only when the bus lane signs show that taxis are allowed. Bus lane signs show which vehicles, if any, may use the lane. Unless the signs allow your vehicle, you should not drive in it while it is in operation.
- A. You may not use it, unless the sign also allows private hire vehicles. The Highway Code lists taxis and licensed private hire vehicles as separate types of vehicle. A sign that shows only taxis does not include private hire vehicles.
- B. Any vehicle, as long as other signs do not say otherwise. You should not drive in a bus lane during its period of operation unless the signs allow you. Outside the times shown, the lane can be used by other traffic.
- B. False. Each bus lane or bus gate has signs that say which vehicles are allowed. Some include taxis and some do not, so you must read the sign each time.
- A. You must not drive into it. You must not enter a road, lane or other route reserved for trams. Trams cannot steer round an obstruction.
- D. When your exit road or lane is clear. You must not enter the box until your exit is clear. You may wait in it to turn right if only oncoming traffic, or other vehicles waiting to turn right, stop you.
- C. 60 mph. For cars, the national limit is 60 mph on single carriageways and 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways.
- C. 70 mph. Cars may do up to 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways, unless signs show a lower limit.
- B. 30 mph. A 30 mph limit generally applies to roads with street lights (not motorways) in England and Scotland, unless signs show otherwise.
- A. 20 mph. In Wales the default limit on roads with street lights is 20 mph. Some roads have a 30 mph limit set locally.
- C. 60 mph. Buses, coaches and minibuses up to 12 metres long have a limit of 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on dual carriageways.
- C. 23 metres. At 30 mph the typical thinking distance is 9 metres and the braking distance is 14 metres, so the overall stopping distance is 23 metres.
- B. 9 metres. Thinking distance is how far you travel before you start to brake. At 30 mph it is about 9 metres.
- C. 36 metres. At 40 mph it is 12 metres thinking distance plus 24 metres braking distance: 36 metres in total.
- D. 96 metres. At 70 mph it is 21 metres thinking distance plus 75 metres braking distance: 96 metres in total.
- B. Make it at least twice as long. The gap should be at least doubled on wet roads, and up to ten times greater on icy roads.
- C. A limit is the most you may do, and it is not always safe. The speed limit is the absolute maximum. It does not mean it is safe to drive at that speed in all conditions.
- B. People driving the vehicles that can do the most harm. Those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in a collision bear the greatest responsibility. This applies to drivers of cars and taxis, as well as larger vehicles.
- B. Pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists. Pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists are most at risk. Children, older adults and disabled people are at even greater risk.
- C. Give way and let the pedestrian cross first. At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road that you are turning into or out of.
- A. True. Rule H2 says only pedestrians may use the pavement, and that pedestrians include wheelchair and mobility scooter users.
- A. At least 1.5 metres. Leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30 mph, and more space at higher speeds. Wait behind if you cannot leave enough space.
- D. Below 10 mph, leaving at least 2 metres. Pass horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles at under 10 mph and allow at least 2 metres of space.
- C. Wait and let the cyclist go past before you turn. You should not cut across cyclists going ahead when you turn. Do not turn if it would make the cyclist stop or swerve.
- A. Give them plenty of room and do not cut across them. Give priority to cyclists on the roundabout. Give them plenty of room and do not try to overtake them within their lane.
- B. With your left hand, so you turn and look behind you. Where you can, open the door with the hand on the opposite side. This makes you look over your shoulder, so you are more likely to see cyclists and motorcyclists.
- C. No, as another vehicle may be coming that they cannot see. Do not wave, flash your lights or use your horn to invite pedestrians across. This could be dangerous if another vehicle is approaching.
- A. To call 999 or 112 in an emergency when it is unsafe to stop. You must not use a hand-held phone for any purpose while driving, even when stationary in traffic. There is an exception to call 999 or 112 in a genuine emergency when it is unsafe or impractical to stop.
- A. Yes, if you do not hold it and it does not block your view. You may use a device hands-free, for example in a holder, as long as you do not hold it and it does not block your view of the road. You must still stay in full control.
- C. 6 penalty points and a £200 fine. You can get 6 penalty points and a £200 fine. If you passed your test in the last 2 years, you will lose your licence.
- B. When the vehicle is stopped and you pay at a payment terminal. You may use a hand-held device to make a contactless payment only when the vehicle is stationary and the goods or services are received at the same time or after.
- D. The passenger. Adult passengers aged 14 and over must wear a seat belt if one is available. The passenger is responsible for this.
- B. Wear the adult seat belt. From age 3 up to 1.35 metres or age 12, a child must use an adult belt in the rear if the correct child restraint is not available in a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle.
- D. While plying for hire or carrying passengers. A licensed taxi driver does not need to wear a seat belt while looking for customers (plying for hire) or while carrying passengers.
- C. Yes, as the exemption is only for when you carry passengers. A private hire driver is exempt only while carrying passengers. With no passengers in the car, you must wear your seat belt.
- B. 35 microgrammes per 100 ml. In England and Wales you must not drive with more than 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The limit in Scotland is lower, at 22.
- B. You may still be unfit to drive. Alcohol takes time to leave your body. You may be unfit to drive in the morning after drinking the evening before.
- A. After every 2 hours of driving. Plan your journey to take enough breaks. A break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving is recommended.
- B. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). You must report to the DVLA any health condition likely to affect your driving. Your council licence conditions may also ask you to tell the council.
- C. No, you must not stop or park on the zig-zag lines. You must not stop or park on a pedestrian crossing or in the area marked by the zig-zag lines.
- D. No, you must not stop there even to set down a passenger. You must not wait, park, or stop to set down and pick up passengers on school entrance markings when upright signs show a ban on stopping.
- A. Yes, you may stop while passengers get in or out. Double yellow lines mean no waiting at any time, but you may stop while passengers board or alight, unless other restrictions apply.
- C. A licensed taxi. Red lines ban stopping to park, load or unload, or to let people board or alight. The exceptions are a licensed taxi and a Blue Badge holder.
- B. Within 10 metres. Do not stop or park opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space.
- D. At or near a bus stop. Do not stop or park at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank, or anywhere you would block access for emergency services.
- C. Stop just long enough for passengers to get in or out. You must not stop on an urban clearway in its hours of operation, except to pick up or set down passengers.
- D. No, you must not stop on the main carriageway of a clearway. This sign means no stopping (clearway). You must not stop or park on a clearway. Only an urban clearway allows stopping to pick up or set down.
- B. No, you must not stop or park in a taxi bay. You must not stop or park on taxi bays shown by upright signs and markings. These are for hackney carriages.
- A. Switch it off and apply the parking brake. You must not leave an engine running unnecessarily while stationary on a public road. If you will be stopped for more than a couple of minutes, apply the parking brake and switch off the engine.
- C. No, not between 11.30 pm and 7 am in a built-up area. You must not use your horn while stationary, or in a built-up area between 11.30 pm and 7 am, except when another road user poses a danger.
Sources
- The Highway Code, Department for Transport / Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, First published on GOV.UK 1 October 2015; latest update 22 October 2025 (traffic signs).. Checked 29 October 2026. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code
- Know your traffic signs, Department for Transport, Updated edition published 24 November 2023; images corrected 5 December 2023.. Checked 29 October 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/know-your-traffic-signs
- The Highway Code: typical stopping distances (rule 126), Department for Transport, Undated diagram linked from rule 126.. Checked 29 October 2026. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/559afb11ed915d1595000017/the-highway-code-typical-stopping-distances.pdf
- Stopping distances, Brake, Undated. Linked from Bristol City Council's knowledge test page.. Checked 29 October 2026. https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/speed/stopping-distances
- Seat belts: the law – when you do not need to wear a seat belt, GOV.UK, published 3 January 2017. Checked 29 October 2026. https://www.gov.uk/seat-belts-law/when-you-dont-need-to-wear-a-seat-belt
- Using your phone, sat nav or other device when driving: the law, GOV.UK, GOV.UK shows the page as last updated 30 November 2016; it reflects the 2022 hand-held device law.. Checked 29 October 2026. https://www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law