---
title: "Attitude: Courtesy, Tailgating & Road Rage"
url: https://www.thelicensedesk.com/theory-test/attitude/
updated: 2026-09-26
---

> Source: https://www.thelicensedesk.com/theory-test/attitude/ — last reviewed 2026-09-26. Markdown version generated at build time from the same content the page serves.

DVSA theory test topic guide

# Attitude: Courtesy, Tailgating & Road Rage

Consideration for other road users, following distances, priority and courtesy.

[Practise 45 Attitude questions](/theory-test/attitude/practice-test/)

Quick answer

Understand the Attitude topic: tailgating, headlight flashes, horn rules, giving way to buses and emergency vehicles, and patience with other road users.

## What does the Attitude topic test in the theory test?

Attitude questions test whether you drive cooperatively and calmly. You will be asked about following distances, headlight flashes and the horn, giving way to buses and emergency vehicles, holding up queues, and how to respond when someone else drives badly. The right answer is usually the patient one that lowers risk for everyone.

Rule 147 of the Highway Code sums up the topic: be considerate, be patient, remember anyone can make a mistake, and do not get agitated or involved when someone behaves badly. If you feel wound up, it advises you to pull over and calm down before carrying on.

## When are you allowed to flash your headlights or sound your horn?

Flash your headlights or sound your horn only to let other road users know you are there. Rule 110 bans using a headlight flash for any other message or to intimidate, and rule 112 limits the horn to warning others while you are moving. Neither is a way of saying thank you, hurry up or go ahead.

| Rule | What it says | Exam trap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rule 110 | Flash headlights only to show you are there | Flashing to let someone out or say thanks |
| Rule 111 | Never assume a flash invites you to proceed | Pulling out because a driver flashed you |
| Rule 112 | No horn while stationary on the road | Hooting at a queue that is not moving |
| Rule 112 | No horn in a built-up area from 11.30 pm to 7 am, unless another road user poses a danger | Picking a time window that sounds similar |
| Rule 112 | Never sound the horn aggressively | Using it to tell off another driver |

## What should you do if someone is tailgating you?

Stay calm, ease off gently and open up the gap between you and the vehicle in front. More space ahead means you can slow down gradually if something happens, so the tailgater is less likely to run into you. Never brake sharply to warn them, speed up to escape, or wave them past.

Rule 126 defines tailgating as leaving a gap too small to stop safely if the vehicle in front brakes, and calls it dangerous and intimidating. It also sets your own minimum: at least a two-second gap on high-speed roads and in tunnels, at least doubled on wet roads.

Two related rules help here. Rule 168 says that if a driver overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you, drop back to restore a two-second gap. Rule 235 says that in fog you should not speed up to get away from a vehicle that is too close behind you.

## How should you treat slower or less experienced road users?

Give them time and space. The Highway Code asks for patience with older drivers, whose reactions may be slower (rule 216), and with learners and new drivers, who may not anticipate events as well (rule 217). Hurrying anyone by revving, edging forward, sounding the horn or following closely is always wrong.

The January 2022 update added the hierarchy of road users. Rule H1 says those driving vehicles that can cause the greatest harm carry the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they pose. For attitude questions, that means:

-   **Cyclists:** leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking at speeds up to 30 mph, and more at higher speeds (rule 163).
-   **Horse riders:** slow to a maximum of 10 mph and pass wide, allowing at least 2 metres (rule 215).
-   **Pedestrians crossing:** give them plenty of time and do not harass them by revving your engine or edging forward (rule 194).
-   **Drivers who pull out on you:** slow down and hold back; do not drive too close behind to intimidate them (rule 147).

## Should you wave pedestrians across or signal other drivers to go?

No. Rule 195 says you should not wave, flash your lights or use your horn to invite pedestrians across a zebra crossing, because another vehicle may be approaching and not stopping. Stop, wait and let the pedestrian decide when it is safe. The same thinking applies to beckoning drivers out of junctions.

The problem is that your signal can only speak for you. A driver overtaking in the next lane, or a motorcyclist filtering past, has not agreed to stop. If a pedestrian or driver trusts your wave, you may have sent them into danger.

## How should you react to buses, emergency vehicles and queues behind you?

Help them if you can do so safely and legally. Give buses priority when they signal to pull away from stops (rule 223), let emergency vehicles pass without breaking traffic rules (rule 219), and if you are holding up a long queue, pull in where it is safe and let the traffic go by (rule 169).

Key details for each:

-   **Emergency vehicles (rule 219):** look and listen for flashing blue, red or green lights, sirens or flashing headlights. Do not brake harshly on the approach to a junction or roundabout, and avoid mounting the kerb.
-   **Buses and trams (rule 223):** also watch for passengers getting off and crossing the road.
-   **Being overtaken (rule 168):** keep a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary. Never speed up or obstruct the driver trying to pass.
-   **Single-track roads (rule 155):** pull into a passing place on your left, or wait opposite one on your right. Give way to vehicles coming uphill when you can.

## What mistakes do learners make on attitude questions?

The commonest mistake is choosing the answer that feels friendly or assertive rather than the one the Highway Code supports. Courteous gestures like waving or flashing can put people in danger, and “teaching a lesson” answers are always wrong. Look for the option that stays calm, keeps space and lets others make their own decisions.

-   **Braking to warn a tailgater.** This risks a collision behind you. Increase the gap in front instead.
-   **Reading a headlight flash as “go ahead”.** Rule 111 says use your own judgement.
-   **Speeding up while being overtaken.** Rule 168 says keep a steady course and speed.
-   **Running a red light for an ambulance.** Rule 219 says keep complying with traffic signs.
-   **Pulling into a passing place on your right.** Wait opposite it instead.
-   **Getting involved with a bad driver.** Annex 8 says never show off or compete with other drivers.

## Where should you go next?

Try the [Attitude practice test](/theory-test/attitude/practice-test/) to check what has stuck. Then revise [Vulnerable Road Users](/theory-test/vulnerable-road-users/), which shares many of the same rules, and [Alertness](/theory-test/alertness/). When you feel confident, take a full [mock theory test](/mock-theory-test/) or return to the [theory test topic list](/theory-test/).

## Ready to test yourself on Attitude?

45 free Attitude questions in the official four-option format, each with an explained answer and the Highway Code rule it tests — with a timed test mode.

[Start the Attitude practice test](/theory-test/attitude/practice-test/)

## Frequently asked questions

**### What does the Attitude topic cover in the theory test?**

Attitude tests whether you drive with consideration for everyone else: keeping a safe gap, using headlight flashes and the horn only to warn of your presence, giving priority to buses and emergency vehicles, letting queues pass, and staying calm when other drivers make mistakes instead of reacting or retaliating.

**### When are you allowed to flash your headlights?**

Rule 110 of the Highway Code says you should flash your headlights only to let other road users know you are there, never to send any other message or to intimidate. Rule 111 adds that you should never assume another driver's flash is an invitation to proceed.

**### When must you not sound your horn?**

Rule 112 says you must not use your horn while stationary on the road, or in a built-up area between 11.30 pm and 7 am, except when another road user poses a danger. Use it only while moving and needing to warn others of your presence, and never aggressively.

**### What should you do if a driver is tailgating you?**

Stay calm, ease off gently and increase the gap between you and the vehicle in front. That extra space lets you slow down gradually if needed, so the driver behind is less likely to hit you. Do not brake sharply to warn them or speed up to get away.

**### What should you do when an emergency vehicle approaches with blue lights?**

Rule 219 says do not panic. Think about the vehicle's route and help it pass while still obeying traffic signs. Pull to the side and stop if necessary, but avoid stopping on a bend, the brow of a hill or a narrow section, and do not mount the kerb.

Sources

-   [The Highway Code — General rules, techniques and advice for all drivers and riders (103 to 158)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/general-rules-techniques-and-advice-for-all-drivers-and-riders-103-to-158)
-   [The Highway Code — Using the road (159 to 203)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-159-to-203)
-   [The Highway Code — Road users requiring extra care (204 to 225)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/road-users-requiring-extra-care-204-to-225)
-   [The Highway Code — Introduction and hierarchy of road users (rules H1 to H3)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/introduction)
-   [The Highway Code — Annex 8: Safety code for new drivers](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/annex-8-safety-code-for-new-drivers)

Sources last checked on 26 September 2026. Found an error? Email us — fixes are logged on our [corrections page](/corrections/).

## Which other theory test topics should you revise?

All 14 topics feed the same 50-question test, so revise every one. Then sit the [full free mock theory test](/mock-theory-test/) under the real time limit.

-   [Alertness](/theory-test/alertness/)
-   [Essential Documents](/theory-test/essential-documents/)
-   [Hazard Awareness](/theory-test/hazard-awareness/)
-   [Incidents, Accidents & Emergencies](/theory-test/incidents-accidents-emergencies/)
-   [Motorway Rules](/theory-test/motorway-rules/)
-   [Other Types of Vehicle](/theory-test/other-types-of-vehicle/)
-   [Road & Traffic Signs](/theory-test/road-and-traffic-signs/)
-   [Rules of the Road](/theory-test/rules-of-the-road/)
-   [Safety & Your Vehicle](/theory-test/safety-and-your-vehicle/)
-   [Safety Margins](/theory-test/safety-margins/)
-   [Vehicle Handling](/theory-test/vehicle-handling/)
-   [Vehicle Loading](/theory-test/vehicle-loading/)
-   [Vulnerable Road Users](/theory-test/vulnerable-road-users/)