DVSA Adverse Weather Driving 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which vehicles are most at risk in strong crosswinds?
- Low sports cars
- High-sided vehicles, motorcycles, and cyclists (Correct answer)
- Heavy goods vehicles only
- Vehicles with small engines
Correct answer: High-sided vehicles, motorcycles, and cyclists
High-sided vehicles (lorries, caravans, buses), motorcycles, and cyclists are most vulnerable to crosswinds due to their large flat surfaces or light weight. Give them extra space on exposed roads.
Question 2: What should you do if your vehicle starts to skid on ice?
- Brake hard immediately
- Steer into the skid and ease off the accelerator (Correct answer)
- Turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction to the skid
- Accelerate to regain traction
Correct answer: Steer into the skid and ease off the accelerator
If the rear of the vehicle slides to the right, steer gently to the right (into the skid). Ease off the accelerator and avoid braking. This helps the tyres regain grip.
Question 3: Why should you avoid using cruise control in wet or icy conditions?
- It uses more fuel in these conditions
- If the wheels lose grip, it may accelerate and worsen a skid (Correct answer)
- It damages the engine in cold weather
- It makes the lights dimmer
Correct answer: If the wheels lose grip, it may accelerate and worsen a skid
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery surfaces. If the driven wheels lose grip, the system may increase power to maintain speed, making a skid worse. You need full manual control.
Question 4: When parking on a hill in snowy conditions, what additional precaution should you take?
- Leave the engine running
- Leave it in gear (or Park for automatics) and turn the wheels towards the kerb (Correct answer)
- Leave it in neutral with the handbrake off
- Park in the middle of the road for visibility
Correct answer: Leave it in gear (or Park for automatics) and turn the wheels towards the kerb
In snowy conditions on a hill, leave the vehicle in gear (or Park) with the handbrake on. Turn the front wheels towards the kerb so if the vehicle slides, it moves towards the kerb rather than into traffic.
Question 5: What is the recommended following distance in wet weather?
- 1 second
- 2 seconds (same as dry conditions)
- At least 4 seconds (double the dry weather gap) (Correct answer)
- 10 seconds
Correct answer: At least 4 seconds (double the dry weather gap)
In wet weather, you should at least double the two-second following distance used in dry conditions, giving at least a four-second gap. This accounts for the longer stopping distance on wet roads.
Question 6: Why can bridges and flyovers be particularly dangerous in cold weather?
- They are usually narrower
- They freeze before normal road surfaces because cold air circulates above and below (Correct answer)
- They have steeper gradients
- They have rougher road surfaces
Correct answer: They freeze before normal road surfaces because cold air circulates above and below
Bridges and flyovers are exposed to cold air on all sides, including underneath, so they freeze before the roads leading up to them. Ice can form even when other road surfaces appear clear.
DVSA Adverse Weather Driving 4
Which vehicles are most at risk in strong crosswinds?