Car Theory UK Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (21–30)

Question 1

A driver's thinking distance at 50 mph is approximately 15 metres. What is their overall stopping distance on a dry road at that speed?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

53 metres. At 50 mph the Highway Code gives a thinking distance of 15 metres and a braking distance of 38 metres, giving a total stopping distance of approximately 53 metres.

Question 2

You are driving at 70 mph on a motorway when you suddenly hit a large patch of standing water. Your car begins to aquaplane. What is the correct response?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Hold the steering wheel lightly and ease off the accelerator without braking until your tyres regain contact. During aquaplaning the tyres are riding on a film of water with no road contact; you should hold the wheel lightly and ease off the accelerator — braking or harsh steering can cause loss of control before grip is restored.

Question 3

Before a long motorway journey you check your tyres. What is the minimum legal tread depth across the central three-quarters of the tyre width for a car in the UK?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

1.6 mm. The legal minimum tread depth for car tyres in the UK is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre width and around the entire circumference.

Question 4

You are driving at 30 mph on a residential street when a pedestrian steps off the pavement 15 metres ahead. Why is this situation particularly dangerous despite you being within the speed limit?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

The total stopping distance at 30 mph is approximately 23 metres, which is greater than the available 15 metres. At 30 mph the total stopping distance (thinking distance 9 m + braking distance 14 m) is approximately 23 metres — greater than the 15 metres available — so a collision is unavoidable even at the legal limit.

Question 5

You notice your brakes feel 'spongy' and the pedal sinks further than usual when you press it. What is the most likely cause and the correct action?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Air in the hydraulic brake lines; you should not drive the vehicle until a qualified technician has bled the brakes. A spongy brake pedal that sinks unusually low typically indicates air in the hydraulic system, which is compressible and reduces braking force — the vehicle must not be driven until a qualified mechanic has bled and checked the system.

Question 6

Which road-surface condition causes the greatest reduction in tyre grip for the least visible warning?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Black ice, because it forms a near-invisible glaze on the road. Black ice is the most hazardous low-visibility surface condition because it forms a transparent layer that is extremely difficult to see, yet reduces grip dramatically — often to a fraction of dry-road levels.

Question 7

You are driving at 60 mph behind another vehicle when you realise your thinking distance alone already exceeds the gap you are leaving. What does this indicate?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

You would not even begin to brake before reaching the vehicle ahead if it stopped suddenly. If the gap is shorter than your thinking distance (18 m at 60 mph), you would physically reach the vehicle ahead before your foot even reaches the brake pedal — you must immediately increase the gap.

Question 8

You are about to drive your car and notice the engine oil level is below the minimum mark on the dipstick. What should you do?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Top up the oil to the correct level before driving. Driving with oil below the minimum level risks serious engine damage and failure; you should top up to within the correct range before driving — checking with the engine cold and the car on level ground.

Question 9

On a clear dry day at 70 mph on a motorway you are using the two-second rule. Heavy rain then begins. A driver behind you is still less than two seconds from your bumper. What is the most important action for you?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Increase your own gap to the vehicle ahead to at least four seconds, since you cannot control the driver behind. You cannot control the vehicle behind, but you can protect yourself by doubling your own following gap to at least four seconds in rain — this gives you more reaction time and reduces the risk of a chain-reaction collision.

Question 10

A driver travelling at 70 mph applies the brakes to a car with well-maintained brakes on a dry motorway. They achieve the Highway Code braking distance of 75 metres. If their tyres were worn to exactly the legal minimum tread depth, what effect would this most likely have?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Braking distance would increase because reduced tread depth diminishes water dispersal and grip even on nominally dry roads. Even on a nominally dry road, worn tyres at minimum tread provide less grip than new tyres, increasing braking distance — the legal minimum is a safety floor, not a performance guarantee, and braking distances will be greater than the Highway Code's ideal-condition figures.

Car Theory UK Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (21–30)

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