UK PCV Theory Accident and Breakdown Procedures Questions and Answers Flashcards

Your coach suffers a sudden breakdown on a 'smart' motorway which has no hard shoulder. What is your primary objective?

Answer: Attempt to steer the vehicle into a designated Emergency Refuge Area (ERA).

On a smart motorway without a hard shoulder, the safest place to stop is a designated Emergency Refuge Area (ERA). Stopping in a live lane should only be a last resort if the vehicle cannot be moved. Evacuating in a live lane is extremely dangerous, as is stopping in the central reservation.

You have been forced to stop your bus on the carriageway of a single-carriageway A-road due to a mechanical fault. According to the Highway Code, what is the correct procedure regarding the use of a red warning triangle?

Answer: It should be placed at least 45 metres (147 feet) behind the vehicle.

The Highway Code, rule 274, states that for a breakdown on a non-motorway road, you should put a warning triangle on the road at least 45 metres (147 feet) behind your broken-down vehicle on the same side of the road.

You discover a fire has broken out in the passenger cabin of your bus. After stopping in a safe location, what must be your first and most immediate action?

Answer: Safely and calmly evacuate all passengers from the vehicle.

In any fire situation involving a PCV, the overriding priority is the safety of the passengers. The first action must always be to evacuate everyone to a safe place, well away from the vehicle, before any other action is taken.

Following a road traffic collision, a police officer asks you to produce your certificate of motor insurance, but you do not have it with you. What is the legal requirement in this situation?

Answer: You will be given a form (HORT/1) and must produce it at a police station within 7 days.

Under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, if you cannot produce documents like your insurance certificate at the roadside, a police officer will issue a form (often called a 'producer' or HORT/1) requiring you to present them at a nominated police station within 7 days.

Your coach breaks down inside a well-lit road tunnel where there is no fire. After stopping and activating your hazard lights, what is the correct advice to give to your passengers?

Answer: Remain on the vehicle with their seatbelts on and await instructions.

In the event of a breakdown in a tunnel without a fire, official advice is for everyone to remain in the vehicle. This is because the enclosed environment presents significant dangers from traffic and fumes. You should switch off the engine and await rescue services. Evacuation is only for a fire emergency.

You are involved in a collision that results in damage to another vehicle. Under the Road Traffic Act, which three pieces of information are you legally required to exchange with the other driver at the scene?

Answer: Your name, your address, and the vehicle registration number.

Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 requires a driver involved in a reportable collision to provide their name and address, the vehicle owner's name and address (if different), and the vehicle's registration number to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them.