Theory test topic · Safety and your vehicle
Safety and your vehicle: theory test questions and answers
Tyres, warning lights, head restraints and engine checks — the questions about the car itself. Try 8, each with the answer explained.
- 8 questions
- 1.6 mm legal tread
- answers explained
Question 1 of 8
What is the minimum legal tread depth for car tyres?
Question 2 of 8
Which of these would make a car tyre illegal?
Question 3 of 8
When should you check your tyre pressures?
Question 4 of 8
What can happen if your tyres are under-inflated?
Question 5 of 8
How would you know there is a fault with the anti-lock braking system (ABS)?
Question 6 of 8
How should your head restraint be adjusted?
Question 7 of 8
How should you check the engine oil level?
Question 8 of 8
What does a catalytic converter do?
Answer all 8 to see your score
That's one topic of fourteen. Practise every topic — with mock tests timed like the real thing — in our free app.
Download on theApp StoreWhat the topic covers
- Fault finding
- Warning lights, brakes, steering and what a defect feels like from the driver’s seat.
- Tyres
- Tread depth, damage that makes a tyre illegal, and pressures.
- Safety equipment
- Seat belts, head restraints and child seats.
- Emissions and noise
- Catalytic converters, fuel economy and not causing nuisance.
Practical test next? The examiner asks vehicle safety questions too — show me, tell me questions and answers.
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Safety and your vehicle — questions people ask
What is the "Safety and your vehicle" theory test topic?
It is one of the official topics in the car theory test. It covers spotting faults, tyres, safety equipment such as seat belts and head restraints, and emissions — in short, keeping the car itself safe to drive.
What makes a tyre illegal in the theory test?
Tread below 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters, a lump, bulge or tear, or a deep cut longer than 25 mm. Wrong pressures are not illegal in themselves, but they affect braking and steering.
Are these real theory test questions?
No — DVSA does not publish the live questions. These are practice questions on the same topic, with answers from the Highway Code and DVSA guidance.
Do I need to know car maintenance for the practical test too?
Yes: the examiner asks two vehicle safety questions, one "tell me" before you drive and one "show me" while driving. See our show me, tell me questions and answers.
Practice questions written by PaintCodeByReg. Not affiliated with DVSA. Answers follow the Highway Code and DVSA guidance.