Topic
Attitude
Last updated
Attitude is about how you behave toward other road users — keeping a safe following distance, yielding at crossings, allowing for other people’s mistakes, and resisting the impulse to “teach lessons” on the road.
What’s tested
- Safe following distance — the two-second rule (four seconds in wet)
- Behaviour at zebra, pelican, puffin and toucan crossings
- Allowing for other drivers’ errors instead of reacting aggressively
- Headlight flashing — what it does (and does not) mean
- Use of horn, signals, and lane discipline as courtesy
Key Highway Code rules
Try a real DVSA question
Practice question
From the DVSA question bank
Why is it dangerous to travel too close to the vehicle ahead?
Show explanation
The correct answer is C.
‘Tailgating’ is the term used when a driver or rider follows the vehicle in front too closely. It's dangerous because it restricts your view of the road ahead and leaves no safety margin if the vehicle in front needs to slow down or stop suddenly. Tailgating is often the underlying cause of rear-end collisions or multiple pile-ups.
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Common mistakes
- Treating a flashed-headlights “go ahead” as a binding signal
- Tailgating in slow traffic to encourage the car ahead to speed up
- Not slowing for pedestrians waiting at a zebra crossing
- Using the horn to express annoyance rather than to warn of presence
Keep going
All 14 topics
- Alertness Staying focused: mirrors, observation, scanning the road, avoiding fatigue and distraction.
- Safety and your vehicle Roadworthiness: brakes, tyres, lights, fluids, warning lights and securing the car.
- Safety margins Stopping distances, weather, road surface, and the space you need to react safely.
- Hazard awareness Anticipating risk: spotting clues, planning ahead, reading other road users’ behaviour.
- Vulnerable road users Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, horse riders, children, older and disabled people.
- Other types of vehicle Sharing the road with lorries, buses, motorcycles, trams and emergency vehicles.
- Vehicle handling Driving in rain, fog, snow, dark and strong wind — how conditions change the car.
- Motorway rules Joining, lane discipline, speed, breakdowns and smart-motorway running lanes.
- Rules of the road Speed limits, junctions, roundabouts, parking, level crossings and one-way streets.
- Road and traffic signs The visual language of UK roads — shape, colour and meaning of every sign and signal.
- Documents Licence, insurance, MOT, V5C log book and SORN — the paperwork to be legally on the road.
- Incidents, accidents and emergencies First aid, CPR, AED, RTC procedure, breakdowns and tunnel safety.
- Vehicle loading Carrying passengers, luggage, roof loads and towing — and how each changes the car.