What should you do when you're using a contraflow system?
- A Choose an appropriate lane in good time
- B Switch lanes to make better progress
- C Increase speed to get through the contraflow more quickly
- D Follow other motorists closely to avoid long queues
Why this is the answer
In a contraflow system, you'll be travelling close to oncoming traffic and sometimes in narrow lanes. You should get into the correct lane in good time, obey any temporary speed limit signs and keep a safe separation distance from the vehicle ahead.
Why the other answers don't fit
- B
- Switch lanes to make better progress — The lanes are narrow and the traffic is close. Changing lanes is what goes wrong here.
- C
- Increase speed to get through the contraflow more quickly — You are separated from oncoming traffic by little more than a line of cones.
- D
- Follow other motorists closely to avoid long queues — Closing the gap gains you nothing and takes away your room to stop.
Where this comes from
- Driving: the essential skills — section 11
- The Highway Code — rule 290
Rule numbers link to The Highway Code on gov.uk.
Where this question comes from
The question, its options and the explanation are reproduced word for word from the DVSA revision question bank under licence. The licence requires them to appear unaltered, so we cannot reword them and neither can anyone else — that is why you will meet the same wording on other sites. Everything else on this page is written by Theory Hub: the explanation of why each wrong answer is wrong, the topic guide and the revision notes.
Asked in: Car , Motorcycle
More questions on Safety margins
- How can you avoid wheelspin when you're driving on an icy road?
- How can you use your vehicle's engine as a brake?
- How much can stopping distances increase in icy conditions?
- How should you use anti-lock brakes when you need to stop in an emergency?
- In which conditions will your overall stopping distance increase?
- On what type of road surface may anti-lock brakes be ineffective?
- What can result when you travel for long distances in neutral (known as coasting)?
- What does it mean if the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) indicator light comes on briefly while you’re driving?