Practice session
Seat belts & vehicle safety
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The whole pool, with the answer and the explanation for each one. Practise first, then read through anything you were unsure of.
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1 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
How should you adjust your seatbelt?
- A.Snug over your chest and low over your hipsAnswer
- B.With the shoulder strap under your arm for comfort
- C.Loose across your stomach so you can move freely
- D.With the seat reclined so the belt presses less
Explanation: The belt should fit snugly over your chest and low over your hips. Never wear the shoulder strap under your arm or behind your back, or wear the belt with a reclined seat: a belt over the wrong part of the body can cause serious internal injuries in a crash. Wearing a seatbelt is the law in B.C.
2 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
You are driving with 3 passengers. Who is responsible for making sure they are all properly secured with seatbelts or child restraints?
- A.You, the driverAnswer
- B.Each passenger, whatever their age
- C.The vehicle’s registered owner, even if they are not in the car
- D.Only the parents of any child passengers
Explanation: As the driver, it is your responsibility to make sure every passenger is properly secured with a seatbelt or a child restraint system. Refuse to move until everyone is buckled up — and if a child is not in the right child safety seat, you may be ticketed and fined.
3 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
When is it illegal to smoke in a motor vehicle in B.C.?
- A.Whenever any passenger under 16 is in the vehicleAnswer
- B.Only while the vehicle is moving
- C.Only when the windows are closed
- D.Never — smoking is always legal in a private vehicle
Explanation: The guide states the rule without conditions: it is illegal to smoke in any motor vehicle while any passenger under 16 is aboard. Children are especially vulnerable to second-hand smoke in the small, enclosed space of a car.
4 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
Your car has an airbag in the steering wheel. How far from the steering wheel should you position your seat?
- A.At least 25 cmAnswer
- B.About 5 cm, so you can reach the pedals easily
- C.As close as you can comfortably sit
- D.It does not matter, because the airbag adjusts to you
Explanation: Sit at least 25 cm from the steering wheel. That leaves room for the airbag to inflate and protects you from being hurt by it. Airbags do not replace seatbelts — always buckle up as well.
5 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
Where must you never install a rear-facing infant seat?
- A.In a passenger seat with an active frontal airbagAnswer
- B.In the centre of the back seat
- C.In the back seat, behind the driver
- D.In the back seat, behind the front passenger
Explanation: Never put a rear-facing infant or child seat in a passenger seat with an active frontal airbag: if the airbag inflates, the child could be killed or seriously injured. Rear-facing seats belong in the back seat, ideally in the centre-rear position.
6 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
By law, a baby must ride in a rear-facing child seat until at least which age and weight?
- A.1 year old and 9 kgAnswer
- B.3 months old and 5 kg
- C.6 months old and 7 kg
- D.Until the baby can sit up alone, whatever the weight
Explanation: Stage 1 is a rear-facing seat, from birth until at least 1 year old and 9 kg, placed in the back seat. These are minimums: keep a child rear-facing as long as possible, within the seat maker’s height and weight limits.
7 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
A child has moved up to a booster seat. Until when is the booster seat required?
- A.Until at least 9 years old or 145 cm tall, whichever comes firstAnswer
- B.Until the child weighs 18 kg
- C.Until the child starts school
- D.Until the child turns 16
Explanation: A booster seat is for a child over 18 kg and is required until at least 9 years old or 145 cm, whichever comes first. It raises the child so the adult seatbelt sits across the bony structures of the chest and pelvis.
8 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
The only free seat in the back has a lap belt but no shoulder belt. May a child use a booster seat there?
- A.No — a booster seat must be used with a lap/shoulder belt, never with a lap belt onlyAnswer
- B.Yes — a lap belt holds a booster seat just as well
- C.Yes, as long as the trip is short
- D.Yes, if the child is over 18 kg
Explanation: A booster seat works only with a lap/shoulder seatbelt: it positions the adult belt across the child’s chest and pelvis. Do not use a booster with a lap belt alone. Buckle up even on short trips, since most injuries and deaths happen close to home.
9 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
Up to what age does the driver’s guide recommend keeping children in the back seat?
- A.12 years of ageAnswer
- B.6 years of age
- C.9 years of age
- D.16 years of age
Explanation: It is recommended that children ride in the back seat until 12 years of age. Once a child uses the seatbelt alone, the lap belt should sit low over the pelvic bones, the shoulder belt over the shoulder and snug across the chest, and the seat should be upright.
10 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
How should you adjust your head restraint?
- A.With the top at least level with the top of your head, as close to the back of your head as possibleAnswer
- B.As low as it goes, so it does not block your view behind
- C.Level with your neck, and well away from your head
- D.It does not matter, as long as your seatbelt is on
Explanation: Set the top of the head restraint at least level with the top of your head, and as close to the back of your head as possible — you may need to adjust the seat back to do it. A close head restraint can be twice as effective at preventing whiplash as one set too far back.
11 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
Where should you look up the correct inflation pressure for your tires?
- A.In the owner’s manual or on the sticker on the driver’s doorAnswer
- B.On the side of the tire
- C.Nowhere — any pressure is fine if the tire does not look flat
- D.Nowhere — inflate each tire until it feels hard
Explanation: Check tire pressure when the tires are cold, using the level given in the owner’s manual or on the sticker on the driver’s door — not the numbers on the side of the tire. Properly inflated tires increase your vehicle’s traction, and under-inflated tires burn more fuel.
12 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
You have put on a space-saver spare tire. What is the fastest you should ever drive on it?
- A.80 km/hAnswer
- B.50 km/h
- C.100 km/h
- D.The posted limit, as with any other tire
Explanation: Never drive faster than 80 km/h on a space-saver spare. Its correct air pressure is marked on its side, so keep it at that pressure while it is stored.
13 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
Your car’s side mirrors are convex. What should you keep in mind?
- A.They show a wider view but make things look smaller and farther away than they areAnswer
- B.They make vehicles look closer than they really are
- C.They remove the blind spots, so shoulder checks are not needed
- D.They show objects at exactly their true size and distance
Explanation: Convex mirrors give a wider field of view, but they make other vehicles look smaller and farther away than they really are, so check how accurate your mirrors are. Mirrors only reduce blind spots — you still need shoulder checks.
14 of 14 · Seat belts & vehicle safety
While preparing your vehicle for winter, why is it important to check the exhaust system?
- A.A leak can let carbon monoxide collect inside the car when the windows and vents are closedAnswer
- B.A leak makes the engine start faster in cold weather
- C.Exhaust leaks affect only the vehicle’s noise, not safety
- D.A leak lowers fuel consumption, so it should be left alone
Explanation: Any exhaust leak is extremely dangerous in winter, because carbon monoxide can build up inside the car when the windows and vents are closed. Other winter checks: make sure the battery is in good condition, switch to winter-grade oil and fluids, and install 4 snow tires.