You're driving along a wet road. How can you tell if your vehicle’s tyres are losing their grip on the surface?
- A The engine will stall
- B The steering will feel very heavy
- C The engine noise will increase
- D The steering will feel very light
Why this is the answer
If you drive at speed in very wet conditions, your steering may suddenly feel lighter than usual. This means that the tyres have lifted off the surface of the road and are floating on the surface of the water. This is known as aquaplaning. Reduce speed but do not brake until your steering returns to normal.
Why the other answers don't fit
- A
- The engine will stall — The engine keeps running whether or not the tyres are gripping.
- B
- The steering will feel very heavy — Heavy steering suggests the opposite: tyres pressed hard onto the road.
- C
- The engine noise will increase — Engine noise follows the revs, not the grip.
Where this comes from
- Driving: the essential skills — section 12
- The Highway Code — rule 227
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
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?