Theory Test Attitude Category

To learn all about the Attitude category, watch the video or read the article below.

The theory test featuring questions from the this category is at the bottom of the page.

Attitude Means

Your frame of mind when you are driving
How you react when you meet road hazards
How you behave towards other drivers

Topics Include

Consideration: treating other road users in a polite and correct manner
Positioning: knowing vehicle road positions
Courtesy: treating other drivers with respect
Priority: understanding the rules of priority when driving.

Basically, this section tries to encourage you to be a careful, considerate and safe driver. Again, safety is the main concern. The DVSA want to instill in you an attitude that is polite, calm, considerate and above all safe.

A regular theme is your attitude towards other road users.

To help you answer such questions think what is the safest, most considerate option. E.g. Question. You wish to turn right ahead. Why should you take up the correct position in good time?

To allow other drivers to pull out in front of you
To give a better view into the road that you are joining
To help other road users know what you intend to do
To allow drivers to pass you on the right

The correct answer is 3 – the safest and most considerate option.

Common Themes

Competitive Driving and showing off whilst driving is dangerous. Young, inexperienced drivers can often be involved in crashes due to showing off and driving competitively.

Fuel – diesel fuel when spilt is slippery. Always make sure your fuel cap is correctly replaced after filling up. A loose filler cap can waste fuel and money and make the road slippery for other road users.

Rural Roads – slow down and be careful when approaching animals and livestock. When passing a horse move forward slowly and give plenty of room. If you encounter a farmer herding animals you should stop if he asks you to.

Pedestrians Crossings

Never wave a pedestrian across at any crossing, as there may be another vehicle coming
Pelican Crossings: the flashing amber light means give way to pedestrians already on the crossing
Toucan Crossings: cyclists can ride across these
Puffin Crossings: a steady amber light follows the green light. There is no flashing amber light. The red light will stay on until the pedestrians using it have reached a safe position
Zebra Crossings: when approaching a zebra crossing if pedestrians are waiting to cross you must slow down and stop. If they fail to cross immediately you should continue to wait.

Vehicles with BLUE flashing beacons

bomb disposal
blood transfusion
police patrol
mountain rescue
coastguard
ambulance
fire engine
When being followed by a vehicle with a flashing blue light you should pull over as soon as safely possible to let it pass.

And a DOCTOR’S CAR has a GREEN flashing beacon.

Facts to Know

Tailgating
Means following another vehicle too closely. It can be distracting and intimidating for the driver in front, and dangerous, as it could cause an incident if the vehicle in front stops suddenly.

Two Second Rule
In good, dry conditions you should leave a two second between you and the vehicle you are following. In wet conditions the gap should be four seconds.

Car Horn
Only use this to alert other road users of your presence.

Flashing Headlights
Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there.

Full beam headlights
Only use when on a unlit road at night when there is no traffic ahead of you.

Don't follow long
too closely as doing so will reduce your view ahead.

Diamond-shaped Signs
give instructions to tram drivers only.

Tram rails
pose most risk to cyclists.

In a one-way street
when wanting to turn right you should position your car in the right-hand lane.

At an unmarked crossroads
slow down and look both ways.

If a driver is following you too closely
slow down gradually and increase the distance between your car and the one in front of you.

Give way
to buses whenever it is safe to do so.

If another road user cuts you up
drop back to leave the correct separation distance.

When passing horses
slow down and allow plenty of room.

A loose filler cap
on a diesel fuel tank may allow diesel to leak out, This will waste fuel and could make the road slippery for other road users, as diesel when spilt is slippery.

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Theory Test: Attitude Category

1 / 30

You are driving along this road. The red van cuts in close in front of you. What should you do?

(mark ONE answer)

Accelerate to get closer to the red van

Give a long blast on the horn

Drop back to leave the correct separation distance

Flash your headlights several times

2 / 30

A bus lane on your left shows no times of operation. This means it is

(mark ONE answer)

not in operation at all

only in operation at peak times

only in operation in daylight hours

in operation 24 hours a day

3 / 30

You should leave at least a two-second gap between your vehicle and the one in front when conditions are

(mark ONE answer)

wet

good

damp

foggy

4 / 30

Which instrument panel warning light would show the headlights are on full beam?

(mark ONE answer)

5 / 30

You are approaching a zebra crossing. Pedestrians are waiting to cross. You should

(mark ONE answer)

give way to the elderly and infirm only

slow down and prepare to stop

use your headlights to indicate they can cross

wave at them to cross the road

6 / 30

Which of the following will use blue flashing beacons?

(mark THREE answers)

Motorway maintenance

Bomb disposal

Blood transfusion

Police patrol

Breakdown recovery

7 / 30

You are in a one-way street and want to turn right. You should position yourself

(mark ONE answer)

in the right-hand lane

in the left-hand lane

in either lane, depending on the traffic

just left of the centre line

8 / 30

You are driving behind a large goods vehicle. It signals left but steers to the right. You should

(mark ONE answer)

slow down and let the vehicle turn

drive on, keeping to the left

overtake on the right of it

hold your speed and sound your horn

9 / 30

A bus has stopped at a bus stop ahead of you. Its right-hand indicator is flashing. You should

(mark ONE answer)

flash your headlights and slow down

slow down and give way if it is safe to do so

sound your horn and keep going

slow down and then sound your horn

10 / 30

Following this vehicle too closely is unwise because

(mark ONE answer)

Your brakes will overheat

Your view ahead is increased

Your engine will overheat

Your view ahead is reduced

11 / 30

What type of emergency vehicle is fitted with a green flashing beacon?

(mark ONE answer)

Fire engine

Road gritter

Ambulance

Doctor's car

12 / 30

You are driving on a clear night. There is a steady stream of oncoming traffic. The national speed limit applies. Which lights should you use?

(mark ONE answer)

Full beam headlights

Sidelights

Dipped headlights

Fog lights

13 / 30

You are driving in traffic at the speed limit for the road. The driver behind is trying to overtake. You should

(mark ONE answer)

move closer to the car ahead, so the driver behind has no room to overtake

keep a steady course and allow the driver behind to overtake

wave the driver behind to overtake when it is safe

accelerate to get away from the driver behind

14 / 30

A bus lane on your left shows no times of operation. This means it is

(mark ONE answer)

not in operation at all

only in operation at peak times

in operation 24 hours a day

only in operation in daylight hours

15 / 30

A vehicle pulls out in front of you at a junction. What should you do?

(mark ONE answer)

Swerve past it and sound your horn

Flash your headlights and drive up close behind

Slow down and be ready to stop

Accelerate past it immediately

16 / 30

At puffin crossings, which light will not show to a driver?

(mark ONE answer)

Flashing amber

Red

Steady Amber

Green

17 / 30

You are driving a slow-moving vehicle on a narrow winding road. You should

(mark ONE answer)

keep well out to stop vehicles overtaking dangerously

wave following vehicles past you if you think they can overtake quickly

pull in safely when you can, to let following vehicles overtake

give a left signal when it is safe for vehicles to overtake

18 / 30

You have a loose filler cap on your diesel fuel tank. This will

(mark TWO answers)

waste fuel and money

make roads slippery for other road users

improve your vehicle's fuel consumption

increase the level of exhaust emissions

19 / 30

What style of driving causes increased risk to everyone?

(mark ONE answer)

Considerate

Defensive

Competitive

Responsible

20 / 30

You are driving at night on an unlit road behind another vehicle. You should

(mark ONE answer)

flash your headlights

use dipped beam headlights

switch off your headlights

use full beam headlights

21 / 30

You are approaching a red light at a puffin crossing. Pedestrians are on the crossing. The red light will stay on until

(mark ONE answer)

you start to edge forward on to the crossing

the pedestrians have reached a safe position

the pedestrians are clear of the front of your vehicle

a driver from the opposite direction reaches the crossing

22 / 30

A person herding sheep asks you to stop. You should

(mark ONE answer)

ignore them as they have no authority

stop and switch off your engine

continue on but drive slowly

try and get past quickly

23 / 30

When overtaking a horse and rider you should

(mark ONE answer)

sound your horn as a warning

go past as quickly as possible

flash your headlights as a warning

go past slowly and carefully

24 / 30

You are waiting in a traffic queue at night. To avoid dazzling following drivers you should

(mark ONE answer)

apply the handbrake only

apply the footbrake only

switch off your headlights

use both the handbrake and the footbrake

25 / 30

The conditions are good and dry. You should use the ''two-second rule''

(mark ONE answer)

before restarting the engine after it has stalled

to keep a safe gap from the vehicle in front

before using the 'Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre' routine

when emerging on wet roads

26 / 30

You should ONLY flash your headlights to other road users

(mark ONE answer)

to show that you are giving way

to show you are about to turn

to tell them that you have right of way

to let them know that you are there

27 / 30

You are approaching an unmarked crossroads. How should you deal with this type of junction?

(mark ONE answer)

Accelerate and keep to the middle

Slow down and keep to the right

Accelerate looking to the left

Slow down and look both ways

28 / 30

Which type of crossing are cyclists allowed to ride across with pedestrians?

(mark ONE answer)

Toucan

Puffin

Pelican

Zebra

29 / 30

What should you use your horn for?

(mark ONE answer)

To alert others to your presence

To allow you the right of way

To greet other road users

To signal your annoyance

30 / 30

A long, heavily-laden lorry is taking a long time to overtake you. What should you do?

(mark ONE answer)

Speed up

Slow down

Hold your speed

Change direction

Your score is

The average score is 87%