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
The submarining effect occurs when...
Step 6. Frequently asked questions about passive safety
- Your vehicle is fitted with airbags. Is it necessary to wear a seatbelt?
- Yes, because it improves the effectiveness of the airbag. The airbag always functions as a passive safety system complementary to the seatbelt. Therefore, you must always wear it fastened, as this improves the effectiveness of the airbag, and both must always be used together.See full question
- What is the main purpose of the seatbelt?
- To restrain and protect vehicle occupants in the event of an accident. The main purpose of the seat belt is to restrain and protect vehicle occupants in the event of an accident, preventing them from being thrown out of the vehicle or against the windscreen or steering wheel.See full question
- The seat belt is a passive safety feature because:
- It reduces injuries once the crash happens. Passive safety does not prevent the crash, but reduces its consequences for occupants.See full question
- Passive safety systems include...
- Seat belts, airbags, head restraints and helmets. The passive safety elements of a vehicle are those whose main function is to cushion possible damage sustained in a traffic accident, thereby minimising the impact and consequences. Passive safety systems include seat belts, airbags, safety helmets for motorcycles and mopeds, and head restraints.See full question
- Can the seat position affect the efficiency of the seatbelt?
- Yes, it is recommended not to tilt the seat too far back. Yes. An excessively reclined backrest reduces seat-belt effectiveness and can promote submarining, where the body slides under the lap belt. Adjust the seat and belt according to the vehicle instructions, with a suitable backrest position and no slack in the belts. Such postures increase injury risk but do not mean every crash causes strangulation.See full question