Vehicle Safety, Technical Condition and Equipment
What this domain covers
Vehicle safety questions test the technical condition and equipment that make a car legal to drive, and the pre-trip checks a driver is expected to make.
Legal minimum
- Service brakes and steering must work correctly.
- Tyres must have a tread depth of at least 1.6 mm for passenger cars, with no cuts or bulges.
- Headlights, brake lights, indicators and reflectors must work; at night, dipped headlights are required.
- Windscreen wipers and washers must work in wet weather.
- Seat belts must be functional; children need appropriate child restraints.
- Equipment: warning triangle, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher, and a spare wheel or repair kit.
Prohibited conditions
Driving with defective brakes, bald tyres, non-working lights, excessive tint, or a cracked windscreen in the driver's field of view is not allowed. Do not use fog lights instead of dipped headlights in clear weather.
Worked example
A driver checks a tyre and finds 1.3 mm of tread. The tyre is below the 1.6 mm minimum for a passenger car, so the vehicle must not be used on the road until it is replaced.
Traps
- Assuming a warning triangle is optional.
- Driving at night with only parking lights.
- Ignoring a brake-light failure because the car still stops.