SERU staying safe questions: free practice

What the staying safe chapter covers

Section 4, “Staying Safe”, covers driver safety, hate crime, drink and drugs, de-escalation, reporting incidents and CCTV. It tells you how to spot early signs of trouble and what to do when a passenger is aggressive or unwell.

Five rules to know

• Before the journey, be clear with the passenger about where you are going, the route, how long it will take and the fare (p.18).
• Abuse or violence towards you because of race, faith, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity is a hate crime. Report it to the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency (p.18).
• Warning signs of aggression include a raised voice, tight fists, aggressive staring and a sudden change in behaviour. Trust your feelings and act early (p.19).
• You may refuse a passenger who cannot say where they are going, or cannot walk, because of drink or drugs (p.19).
• You can carry a lone worker device, or ask your operator for one (pp.18, 20).

Five sample questions

These are original practice questions written from the public PHV Driver’s Handbook. They are not real SERU questions. Pick an answer before you read the answers section below.

1. A passenger uses racist words towards you during a journey. How should this behaviour be treated?

• A. As normal behaviour in a busy city.
• B. As a hate crime that TfL urges you to report to the police.
• C. As a private matter between you and the passenger.
• D. As a problem only if you hear it twice.

2. You collect a passenger from a restaurant. What should you do before the journey starts?

• A. Start driving and explain the fare at the end.
• B. Ask them to choose any route they like.
• C. Say nothing so you do not start an argument.
• D. Be clear about the destination, route, likely time and fare.

3. At midnight a passenger is too drunk to stand without help. What may you do?

• A. Carry them to the back seat yourself.
• B. Refuse to take them in your vehicle.
• C. Take them if they offer extra money.
• D. Take them and drive faster to finish quickly.

4. You find a passenger unconscious in the back, and nobody else is nearby to help. What should you do?

• A. Drive to the nearest pub for help.
• B. Leave them and call your operator from home.
• C. Wake them with a loud noise and continue the booking.
• D. Call 999 and stay with them until the emergency services arrive.

5. A passenger is being violent while you wait for the police to arrive. Where should you stay?

• A. Somewhere safe for you, where you can still see the passenger.
• B. Inside the car next to the passenger.
• C. Far away, out of sight of the car.
• D. Wherever the passenger tells you to stay.

Answers

1. B. Offensive or violent behaviour towards a driver because of race, faith, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity is a hate crime. (hate crime, p.18)
2. D. Being clear before the journey about where you are going, the route, how long it will take and the fare helps avoid disagreements. (agreeing the journey, p.18)
3. B. If a passenger cannot walk because of drink or drugs, you have the right to refuse to take them. (drunk passengers, p.19)
4. D. If a passenger is unconscious, extremely unwell or injured and no one else can help, call 999 and stay with them until the emergency services arrive. (unwell passengers, p.19)
5. A. Move to a place that is safe for you but where you can still see the person until the emergency services arrive. (staying safe until help arrives, p.19-20)

Practise the staying safe chapter

These five questions come from our free sample. Section 4 has 15 free questions and more with a pass. See also: SERU safeguarding.

• Practise this chapter
• Free SERU Mock 1: 37 questions, 45 minutes, with scores
• Passes for the full question bank

Sources

• TfL: PHV Driver's Handbook (PDF)
• TfL: SERU for private hire drivers