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Difficulty: HardBasic Maintenance and Daily Checks

You are carrying out routine daily and pre-journey safety checks on your car. How should you properly check that the footbrake (service brake) is operating safely before you drive at normal traffic speeds?

  1. A
    Press the brake pedal firmly while stationary; a red brake warning lamp should illuminate on the dashboard to confirm working hydraulic pressure.
  2. B
    Inspect the outer shoulders of the front tyres; heavy outer edge wear confirms that the braking system is applying balanced stopping force.
  3. Test the brakes gently as you pull away at low speed; they should feel firm rather than spongy or slack, and the car must not pull to one side.Answer
  4. D
    Accelerate up to the national speed limit on an open road and brake aggressively to ensure that the anti-lock braking system (ABS) activates.

Answer

Test the brakes gently as you pull away at low speed; they should feel firm rather than spongy or slack, and the car must not pull to one side.
Brakes must be tested as you set off at a low speed. They should feel firm and responsive, not spongy or slack, and the vehicle should track straight without pulling to either side when the pedal is depressed.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the purpose of a pre-drive operational brake check.
Confirm that the vehicle's hydraulic braking system is capable of slowing and stopping the vehicle safely before reaching higher road speeds.
Faulty brakes that fail under load or pull unevenly can cause catastrophic loss of control in moving traffic.
2
Evaluate the correct physical testing procedure in accordance with UK Highway Code and DVSA maintenance standards.
Brakes should be applied lightly just after moving away at slow speed in a safe area.
This allows the driver to detect spongy pedal travel (air in fluid lines) or vehicle pulling (uneven pad wear or seized calipers) without endangering other road users.

Key Concept

Pre-journey brake operation check and fault identification
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Basic Maintenance and Daily Checks

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