Safety questions

The examiner will ask you 2 vehicle safety questions during your driving test – these are known as the ‘show me, tell me’ questions (official .gov.uk website).

  • one ‘tell me’ question (where you explain how you’d carry out a safety task) at the start of your test, before you start driving
  • one ‘show me’ question (where you show how you’d carry out a safety task) while you’re driving

TELL ME QUESTIONS

There are 14 ‘Tell me’ questions – you will only be asked one of them, and this will be done at the start of your test before you start driving.

Some of these questions are generic to any car (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9), and others are ‘specific questions’ to the car you are driving (5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14).

To view all 14 questions and answers visit ‘show me, tell me’ official questions.

Specific questions

Below are the ‘specific questions’ to the car you are driving (5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14).
You will need to be familiar with where these switches/controls are on the car you are driving – ask your driving instructor, or see the car’s manual/handbook.

5)   Check headlights and tail lights are working

a) Say that you’d turn on the ignition if necessary;
b) Point to the switch and describe how you’d turn the lights on;
c) Say that you’d then walk round vehicle.
(As this is a ‘tell me’ question, you don’t need to actually turn the lights on, turn the ignition on, or exit the vehicle.)

 7)  Check direction indicators are working

a) Say that you’d turn on the ignition if necessary;
b) Point to the indicator switch/stalk and describe how you’d turn the indicators on;
c) Say that you’d then walk round vehicle and make sure the indicator bulbs are flashing (front and rear of car).
(As this is a ‘tell me’ question, you don’t need to actually turn the lights on, turn the indicator on, or exit of the vehicle.)

10)  Rear fog light(s) – how and when you’d use it/them

a) Say that you’d turn on the ignition if necessary;
b) Point to the light switch/stalk and describe how you’d turn the dipped headlight on;
c) Point to the fog light switch/stalk and describe how you’d turn the rear fog light on;
d) Say that you’d check on the dashboard for the rear fog warning light, which is orange/amber (note: the front fog warning light is green);
e) Say that you’d use them when visibility is below 100 metres (and remember to turn them off when visibility is good).
(As this is a ‘tell me’ question, you don’t need to actually turn the lights or the ignition on)

11)  Switch your headlight from dipped to main beam

b) Point to the light switch/stalk and describe how you’d turn the dipped headlight on;
c) Point to the main beam light switch/stalk and describe how you’d turn the main beam light on;
d) Say that you’d check on the dashboard for the main beam warning light, which is blue;
(As this is a ‘tell me’ question, you don’t need to actually turn the lights or the ignition on)
(note: always turn off the full beam if there is a vehicle coming towards you in the opposite direction, to avoid dazzling the driver of the oncoming vehicle).
(note: the main beam is also referred to as the full beam)

12) Under the bonnet – Dipstick (oil level indicator)

a) Exit the vehicle;
b) Open the bonnet;
c) Point to the yellow dipstick (don’t touch it as the engine may be hot!);
d) Say that you’d remove the dipstick and wipe it with a clean cloth, replace it and then take it out again, then you’d check that the oil level is between the minimum and maximum markers;
(note: check oil when vehicle is on a flat road, and engine is cool).
See picture below – 12

13) Under the bonnet – Engine coolant

a) Exit the vehicle;
b) Open the bonnet;
c) Point to the engine coolant bottle/reservoir (don’t touch it as the engine may be hot!);
d) Say that you’d check the liquid/level is between the minimum and maximum markers;
See picture below – 13

14) Under the bonnet – Brake fluid

a) Exit the vehicle;
b) Open the bonnet;
c) Point to the brake fluid bottle/reservoir (don’t touch it as the engine may be hot!);
d) Say that you’d check the liquid/level is between the minimum and maximum markers;
See picture below – 14

Nissan Micra, Automatic (picture below)

SHOW ME QUESTIONS

There are 7 ‘Show me’ questions – you will only be asked one of them, and this will be done while you are driving.

When it’s safe to do so, can you show me how you:

1)  Wash and clean the rear windscreen?
2)  Switch on your dipped headlights?
3)  Set the rear demister?
4)  Operate the horn?
5)  Demist the front windscreen?
6)  Open and close the side window?

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