Safety check questions for car tests.

Vehicle Safety Checks have always been part of the officially recommended syllabus for learning to drive.The source material is to be found in the DSA publication 'Driving the essential skills' and ' The official DSA driving test'.  Advice and information on how to carry out vehicle safety checks can also be found in the manufacturer's handbook.

You will be asked 2 questions relating to car safety checks, this will be carried out at the beginning of the test. Although you may be asked to open and secure the bonnet you will not touch any parts of the engine. A couple of examples of questions asked are shown below.

Open the bonnet, identify where you would check the engine oil level and tell me how you would check that the engine has sufficient oil.
Identify dipstick / oil level indicator, describe check of oil. I would remove dipstick, wipe clean, reinsert and then withdraw and check level against the minimum/maximum markers.This should be done on level ground.

Show me / explain how you would check that the power assisted steering is working before starting a journey.
If the steering becomes heavy the system may not be working properly.  Before starting a journey two simple checks can be made. Gentle pressure on the steering wheel, maintained while the engine is started, should result in a slight but noticeable movement as the system begins to operate. Alternatively turning the steering wheel just after moving off will give an immediate indication that the power assistance is functioning.

Click Here to go to the DSA Motoring website where you can download all the questions, or I can e-mail tham to you, gunnerpass1@aol.com.