Step 1. The big picture
In one sentence…
Road safety combines prevention, occupant protection and the correct reaction to an emergency. The theory exam usually mixes active safety, passive safety and the PAS response within the same question, so always study cause, consequence and safe conduct together.
Step 2. The syllabus
2.1Active safety
Active safety helps to avoid the accident: brakes, steering, tyres, suspension, lighting and electronic aids all work before the impact.
- These elements only work well if the driver maintains the vehicle and adapts their driving. A poor tyre or badly used light reduces your margin before danger strikes.
- In the exam, a question may mention rain, a bend or braking to check whether you know active safety also depends on grip and anticipation.
- Don't confuse electronic aids with permission to take risks. Their role is to support, not to compensate for inadequate speed or insufficient distance.
2.2Passive safety
Passive safety reduces injuries once the accident can no longer be avoided: seatbelt, headrest, airbags, the vehicle's structure and child restraint systems.
- A badly adjusted headrest or a loose seatbelt can turn an apparently minor rear-end collision into a serious injury for any occupant.
- The airbag does not replace the seatbelt. In questions about occupants, the correct answer usually requires both systems to work together.
- Passive protection starts before you set off: seat, backrest, headrest, seatbelts and loose objects must all be under control so as not to increase harm.
2.3Seatbelt and posture
The seatbelt must be used whenever the vehicle is fitted with one, and it must be well adjusted, without slack or twists.
- Correct posture lets you control the pedals, steering wheel, mirrors and controls without stretching. It also helps the seatbelt, headrest and airbag protect you as they should.
- Don't fit clips, cushions or thick clothing that leave dangerous slack. In an impact, these details change how effective the system really is.
- In tests, be wary of answers that accept wearing the seatbelt any old way for short trips, low speed or rear seats.
2.4Child restraint systems
Minors must travel in the child restraint system suited to their height, weight and type approval, following the seating positions and conditions set out in law.
- The driver must make sure the system is installed and used correctly. It's not enough for the minor to be sitting in just any device.
- The question may not ask for a figure: it may ask for the principle. A minor travels protected when the system matches their characteristics and is fitted correctly.
- If in doubt between comfort and safety, choose safety. The rule aims to reduce injuries even if the trip is short or the minor complains.
2.5The PAS response
The safe sequence follows the PAS principle: protect the area, alert the emergency services and assist without worsening injuries or creating another danger.
- Protecting means preventing further collisions before helping. Park safely, make yourself visible and assess the traffic so you don't become another victim.
- Alerting requires clearly conveying where you are and what has happened. Don't improvise rescue manoeuvres that could worsen injuries unless they are essential.
- Assisting doesn't always mean moving the injured person. In the exam, the cautious answer is usually to stay with them, avoid additional risks and wait for qualified help when appropriate.
2.6Breakdown and immobilisation
Since 1 January 2026, the connected V16 light is the official reference for pre-signalling an immobilised vehicle for those vehicles required to carry the device.
- Before helping, avoid becoming a new victim: park safely, use visibility items and don't step onto the carriageway without controlling the risk.
- In a breakdown, the priority is not to get the vehicle moving quickly again, but to reduce your own exposure and that of other road users.
- Questions often pit haste against safety. Always choose the orderly response: protect first, alert next, and only assist if you don't worsen the danger.
2.7Exam preparation
Classify each element as active or passive and say what risk it reduces. This method stops you learning lists without understanding why they appear together in a question.
- Practise cases: rear-end collision, rollover, rain, a night-time breakdown and a child occupant. In each one, decide which system prevents and which protects.
- The B theory test is 30 questions with a maximum of 3 errors in 30 minutes. It pays to master these topics because they tend to appear with very everyday scenarios.
- When an answer plays down a measure because the trip is short, it's usually suspect. Road safety applies whenever you're driving.
Step 3. Key points
If you only have a minute before the exam, revise this.
- 1.Tell active and passive safety apart with real examples.
- 2.Adjust the seat, seatbelt and headrest before setting off.
- 3.Use the seatbelt, airbag and child restraint systems correctly.
- 4.Apply PAS without putting yourself in danger or worsening injuries.
- 5.Know the official reference for the connected V16 light in 2026.
- 6.Link basic maintenance to the effectiveness of brakes, lights and tyres.
- 7.Be wary of answers that justify skipping measures on short trips.
Step 4. Exam traps
Mistakes the DGT uses again and again on this topic.
- Thinking that wearing the seatbelt any old way is enough.
- Confusing an active safety element with a passive one.
- Getting out of the vehicle without assessing the road's risk during a breakdown or accident.
- Believing the airbag replaces the seatbelt.
- Moving an injured person unnecessarily and without assessing whether you might worsen their injuries.
- Forgetting that the connected V16 is the official reference from 1 January 2026.
Step 5. Quick check
Four real exam questions on what you have just read.
Question 1/4
At a road crash with casualties, which general approach should you follow without creating new danger?
Step 6. Frequently asked questions about what to do after a road accident
- While help is on the way, an injured person is breathing normally and may lose body heat. Should they be gently covered with a blanket or clothing to prevent this?
- Yes, so that the body does not lose temperature. Yes. Maintaining body temperature helps prevent chilling: cover gently without covering the face, moving the person unnecessarily or contaminating wounds. Make the scene safe, call 112 and follow emergency-service instructions. Do not make the person walk or move them unless immediate safety or lifesaving care requires it. If normal breathing stops, tell 112 and follow their instructions; keeping the person warm does not replace urgent care.See full question
- While awaiting medical assistance for someone injured in a road crash, should you give them food or drink on your own initiative?
- No; follow emergency-service instructions. No. General first-aid guidance is not to give food, drink or medication on your own initiative, even if the injured person requests them. Call 112, reassure them and follow emergency-service instructions. This initial-assistance guidance does not replace specific instructions from healthcare professionals.See full question
- In basic CPR for an adult who is unresponsive and not breathing normally, if trained and able to give rescue breaths, what compression-to-breath ratio is used?
- 30 compressions and 2 rescue breaths. 30 compressions and 2 rescue breaths, under the 2025 basic life support guidelines. Call 112, follow its instructions and use an AED as soon as available. Give only enough air for the chest to start rising, without excessive ventilation, and resume compressions with minimal interruption. If untrained or unable to give breaths, provide compressions following the dispatcher. This is not isolated breaths for any crash casualty or a fixed 3–4-second interval.See full question
- As a general rule, if a road casualty needs hospital transfer, how should it be carried out?
- By qualified personnel with suitable equipment. By qualified personnel with suitable equipment. Call 112, report the situation and follow instructions; as a general rule do not transport or move the casualty on your own initiative. Immediate danger may require removing them from that danger without adding risks, which is not routine transport in any car. Professionals assess care and transport; suitable means reduce risk but do not guarantee freedom from complications.See full question
- When is a tourniquet indicated to control bleeding after an accident?
- When it is life-threatening limb bleeding not controlled by direct pressure. For life-threatening bleeding from a limb that is not controlled by direct manual pressure. Call 112 and follow instructions; use a suitable device according to training and its instructions. It is not indicated for minor bleeding or merely because a particular artery is mentioned regardless of severity. Record the application time and do not loosen it: removal is for healthcare professionals. Improvising with any handkerchief or rubber strip is not recommended.See full question