SERU safer driving: questions and answers

1. As your speed goes up, the time you have to avoid a collision blank.

1. goes up
2. goes down (correct answer)
3. stays the same
4. depends on the passenger

Answer: B. goes down. The faster you drive, the less time you have to react. Injuries also get worse as speed goes up. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

2. It suddenly starts to rain heavily. You are under the speed limit. What should you do?

1. Keep the same speed, as it is legal
2. Slow down (correct answer)
3. Put on your hazard lights and carry on
4. Move closer to the vehicle in front

Answer: B. Slow down. The Handbook says to change how you drive when the weather changes. In heavy rain or thick fog, reduce your speed. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

3. What does careless or dangerous driving count as?

1. A serious offence with heavy penalties (correct answer)
2. A matter only for your operator to deal with
3. An offence only if somebody gets injured
4. A minor matter that brings a warning only

Answer: A. A serious offence with heavy penalties. The Handbook says careless or dangerous driving is a serious offence with heavy penalties. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

4. You have started a new prescription medicine. Who should you check with before you drive?

1. Your doctor (correct answer)
2. Your operator
3. Your insurance company
4. The TfL licensing office

Answer: A. Your doctor. The Handbook says to check with your doctor that the medicine is safe for you to drive on. The Highway Code also says you can ask a pharmacist. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule 96

5. Where do the police test drivers for drink and drugs?

1. Only at a police station
2. At the roadside (correct answer)
3. Only at an MOT centre
4. Only at the TfL licensing office

Answer: B. At the roadside. The Handbook says the police test for drug and alcohol use at the roadside. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

6. In England and Wales, the breath alcohol limit for drivers is blank microgrammes per 100 millilitres.

1. 22
2. 50
3. 80
4. 35 (correct answer)

Answer: D. 35. The limit in England and Wales is 35. The Highway Code says the best choice is not to drink at all when you plan to drive. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule 95

7. You break the rules of the road. What could happen to you?

1. A warning from your operator, but nothing more than that
2. A fine, but never any penalty points on your licence
3. A short course, but never a ban from driving
4. A fine, points, a ban, or the loss of your PHV licence (correct answer)

Answer: D. A fine, points, a ban, or the loss of your PHV licence. You may get a fixed penalty notice or be prosecuted. That can mean a fine, points or a ban, and you could lose your PHV driver's licence. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

8. Tiredness can have a similar effect on a driver as blank.

1. listening to music
2. eating a large meal
3. using a sat nav
4. drinking alcohol (correct answer)

Answer: D. drinking alcohol. The Handbook says tiredness can affect a driver in a similar way to alcohol, and it can cause death or serious injury. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

9. The Highway Code says to take a break of at least blank minutes after every two hours of driving.

1. 5
2. 10
3. 30
4. 15 (correct answer)

Answer: D. 15. Rule 91 advises a break of at least 15 minutes every two hours. The Handbook says to plan regular breaks into your day. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule 91

10. Why should you take extra care when you drive at night?

1. Passengers are more likely to make a complaint about you
2. Speed limits are lower on most London roads after dark
3. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists may be harder to see (correct answer)
4. Your operator gives you more bookings during those hours

Answer: C. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists may be harder to see. The Handbook says these road users may be more difficult to see at night, so pay particular attention. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

11. You must not hold and use your phone while driving, even when you are stopped at blank.

1. traffic lights (correct answer)
2. a safe parking place
3. a marked parking bay
4. your own driveway

Answer: A. traffic lights. The ban still applies when you are stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic. It does not apply when you are safely parked. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; GOV.UK, Using a phone, sat nav or other device when driving

12. What is the penalty for using a hand-held phone while driving?

1. 6 points and a £200 fine (correct answer)
2. 3 points and a £100 fine
3. 3 points and a £200 fine
4. 6 points and a £100 fine

Answer: A. 6 points and a £200 fine. GOV.UK gives 6 penalty points and a £200 fine. A court can also ban you and give a bigger fine. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; GOV.UK, Using a phone, sat nav or other device when driving

13. Your phone is in flight mode. You hold it to read a map while you are stopped in a queue. Is this legal?

1. No, the ban still applies (correct answer)
2. Yes, because it is offline
3. Yes, because you are stopped
4. Yes, if the map is for a booking

Answer: A. No, the ban still applies. The ban covers all hand-held use, online or offline. It also applies when you are queuing in traffic. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule 149; GOV.UK, Using a phone, sat nav or other device when driving

14. When can you call on a hand-held phone while driving?

1. To tell your operator that you are going to be late
2. To check your next booking when traffic is very slow
3. To call 999 in an emergency when stopping is unsafe (correct answer)
4. To answer a passenger's call about a pick-up point

Answer: C. To call 999 in an emergency when stopping is unsafe. Calling 999 or 112 in an emergency is allowed when it is unsafe or impractical to stop. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule 149

15. To take a call on a hand-held phone, stop safely, park your vehicle and turn off the blank.

1. radio
2. indicators
3. engine (correct answer)
4. headlights

Answer: C. engine. The Handbook says to stop safely, park and turn the engine off before you answer or make a call. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

16. You use a hands-free phone while driving, and the police think you are distracted. What can happen?

1. Nothing, as hands-free use is always allowed
2. They can stop you and you can be prosecuted (correct answer)
3. Your operator gets a warning, but you do not
4. They can only give you advice about your phone

Answer: B. They can stop you and you can be prosecuted. Hands-free use is allowed only if you stay in full control. The police can stop you if they think you are distracted. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; GOV.UK, Using a phone, sat nav or other device when driving

17. The part of the windscreen that your wipers cover is known as the blank.

1. clear zone
2. wiper line
3. swept area (correct answer)
4. safe screen

Answer: C. swept area. The Handbook calls the area covered by the windscreen wipers the swept area. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

18. Where should you put a phone holder or sat nav in your vehicle?

1. In the middle of the windscreen, where it is easy to read
2. Anywhere at all, as long as the holder stays steady
3. Where it does not reduce how much you can see (correct answer)
4. On your lap, so that you can reach it more quickly

Answer: C. Where it does not reduce how much you can see. The Handbook says devices must not reduce your view. GOV.UK also says a device must not block your view of the road and traffic ahead. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; GOV.UK, Using a phone, sat nav or other device when driving

19. The Highway Code says windscreens and windows must be kept clean and free from blank to vision.

1. reflections
2. sunlight
3. rain
4. obstructions (correct answer)

Answer: D. obstructions. Annex 6 of the Highway Code says this. Nothing should stop you seeing the road ahead. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Annex 6

20. The Highway Code says people driving the vehicles that can cause most harm have the blank responsibility to reduce danger.

1. same
2. greatest (correct answer)
3. smallest
4. shared

Answer: B. greatest. Rule H1 puts the greatest responsibility on those whose vehicles can cause the most harm. This rule came in after the Handbook was written. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule H1

21. Which road users are most likely to be hurt in a collision?

1. Car drivers and the passengers who are travelling with them
2. Van and lorry drivers who are on long journeys
3. Pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists (correct answer)
4. Bus and coach drivers who are on busy city routes

Answer: C. Pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists. The Highway Code's hierarchy of road users puts these people at the top because they are most at risk. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Introduction (hierarchy of road users)

22. You are turning into a side road. A pedestrian is waiting to cross it. What should you do?

1. Sound your horn and then turn
2. Turn first, as you have priority
3. Flash your lights to wave them back
4. Give way to the pedestrian (correct answer)

Answer: D. Give way to the pedestrian. Rule H2 says give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross the road you are turning into or out of. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule H2

23. When you overtake a cyclist at up to 30 mph, leave at least blank.

1. 0.5 metres
2. 1 metre
3. 3 metres
4. 1.5 metres (correct answer)

Answer: D. 1.5 metres. Rule 163 says leave at least 1.5 metres at speeds up to 30 mph, and more space at higher speeds. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule 163

24. You want to turn left. A cyclist is going straight ahead on your left. What should you do?

1. Wait, and do not turn across their path (correct answer)
2. Indicate early, then turn before they reach you
3. Sound your horn, then turn when they slow down
4. Turn slowly, as the cyclist should stop for you

Answer: A. Wait, and do not turn across their path. Rule H3 says do not turn across a cyclist going ahead. Do not make them stop or swerve. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule H3

25. The Highway Code says to open your car door with the hand on the blank side to the door.

1. same
2. opposite (correct answer)
3. nearest
4. outer

Answer: B. opposite. Rule 239 says this because it makes you turn your head and look over your shoulder. It is often called the Dutch reach. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule 239

26. Your passenger is getting out on the road side. What should you ask them to do first?

1. Open the door quickly so traffic can see it
2. Wait until you have put your hazard lights on
3. Check for cyclists before opening the door (correct answer)
4. Open the door slowly and step out at once

Answer: C. Check for cyclists before opening the door. The Handbook says to ask passengers to check that no cyclist is coming before they open a door into the road, and you must do the same. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule 239

27. At an advanced stop line, if the light is red and you have not crossed the line, you must stop at the blank white line.

1. second
2. first (correct answer)
3. third
4. last

Answer: B. first. Rule 178 says drivers must stop at the first white line. The space beyond it is for cyclists, and you may be fined and get points if you enter it. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule 178

28. A cyclist is riding in the middle of the lane ahead of you. What should you do?

1. Wait patiently until it is safe to pass (correct answer)
2. Sound your horn so that the cyclist moves over
3. Pass quickly, close to the side of the cyclist
4. Flash your lights to ask the cyclist to move left

Answer: A. Wait patiently until it is safe to pass. The Handbook says to wait patiently until you can pass safely. Rule 72 says cyclists should ride in the centre of the lane in some places, so that they can be seen. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule 72

29. PHV drivers are almost blank as likely as private car drivers to be in a collision that kills or seriously injures a cyclist.

1. twice (correct answer)
2. half
3. three times
4. ten times

Answer: A. twice. The Handbook gives this figure, and says this is why PHV drivers must take special care around cyclists. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

30. The driver must make sure all children under blank wear a seat belt or sit in an approved child seat.

1. 12
2. 14 (correct answer)
3. 16
4. 18

Answer: B. 14. The Handbook and Rule 100 put this duty on the driver for children under 14. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Rule 100

31. You collect a two-year-old and you do not have the correct child seat. How can the child travel?

1. In the front seat, with an adult seat belt
2. In a rear seat, with an adult seat belt
3. In a rear seat, without a seat belt (correct answer)
4. In the front seat, on an adult's lap

Answer: C. In a rear seat, without a seat belt. If the driver does not provide the correct seat, a child under 3 can travel only on a rear seat, with no seat belt. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; GOV.UK, Child car seats: the rules

32. You have no correct child seat for a five-year-old. The child must sit in a rear seat and wear blank.

1. no seat belt
2. a lap strap only
3. a parent's belt too
4. an adult seat belt (correct answer)

Answer: D. an adult seat belt. A child aged 3 or over with no correct seat must travel on a rear seat and wear an adult seat belt. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; GOV.UK, Child car seats: the rules

33. An adult passenger has not put on a seat belt. What does the Handbook say you should do?

1. Stop the journey and call the police about them
2. Say nothing, because it is not your concern at all
3. Encourage them to wear it for their own safety (correct answer)
4. Add a small extra charge to the fare for the journey

Answer: C. Encourage them to wear it for their own safety. All adults must wear a seat belt, and the Handbook says drivers should encourage adult passengers to wear one. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

34. If the tread has worn down to the level of the wear bars, you must blank the tyre.

1. replace (correct answer)
2. rotate
3. repair
4. pump up

Answer: A. replace. The Handbook says you must replace a tyre when the tread pattern has worn down to the wear bar indicators. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

35. A car tyre must have a tread depth of at least blank mm across the central three-quarters of the tread.

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 1.6 (correct answer)

Answer: D. 1.6. Annex 6 of the Highway Code sets 1.6 mm for cars. The tread must reach this all the way around the tyre. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7; The Highway Code, Annex 6

36. Which of these must your tyres be free from?

1. Any sign of use on the tread
2. Cuts, lumps, bulges and tears (correct answer)
3. Dust from roads and brakes
4. Writing on the side wall

Answer: B. Cuts, lumps, bulges and tears. The Handbook says tyres must be free from cuts, lumps, bulges, tears, excessive or uneven wear, and excessive rim damage. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

37. Which of these should you check is working in the passenger compartment?

1. A phone charger
2. The courtesy lights (correct answer)
3. A drinks holder
4. A TV screen

Answer: B. The courtesy lights. The Handbook lists passenger courtesy lights among the equipment that must be in good working order. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7

38. Your vehicle has CCTV. Where must the CCTV sign be displayed?

1. In a prominent position (correct answer)
2. In the glove box
3. On the vehicle's roof
4. In the operator's office

Answer: A. In a prominent position. The Handbook says CCTV signage must be displayed in a prominent position where CCTV is installed. TfL PHV Driver's Handbook, Section 7