What is the function of the seat belt in Subject 4?
4 Answers
For the Subject 4 exam, you only need to bring your ID card; no other items are required. The Subject 4 exam paper consists of 50 questions, primarily in the form of case studies, images, animations, etc., with a full score of 100 and a passing score of 90. Subject 4, also known as the Subject 4 theory test or driver's theory test, is part of the motor vehicle driver's license assessment. After the implementation of the Ministry of Public Security's Order No. 123, the Subject 3 exam was divided into two parts: in addition to the road test, a safety and civics knowledge test was added, commonly referred to as "Subject 4," which assesses "driving ethics." Because this test is conducted after Subject 3, it is commonly called the Subject 4 exam. Officially, there is no such term as Subject 4. If you fail Subject 4, you do not need to retake the previously passed subjects (Subject 1, Subject 2, Subject 3). You can schedule a retake on your own, and no retake fee is required. There are no scheduling restrictions, but the validity period of the driving skills test permit is three years. If the applicant fails to complete the exam within the validity period, the passed subjects' scores will be invalidated.
When taking the fourth driving test, the importance of seat belts is absolutely crucial. I only fully understood this recently while helping my younger brother practice test questions—this thing can genuinely save lives. Just think about it: if there's a sudden hard brake or a collision, the body will inevitably lurch forward. The seat belt snaps tight, firmly holding you in place against the seat, preventing your head from hitting the steering wheel or your entire body from being ejected. There was a recent news report about an accident where an unbelted rear passenger was thrown straight out the window, while those wearing seat belts escaped with just minor scratches. That’s why this section in the fourth test is designed to drill into you that buckling up is mandatory—whether you're in the front or back seats. Making it a habit won’t just help you pass the exam; it’ll keep you safe on the road for years to come.
I've been driving for over a decade and have truly experienced the role of seat belts. Back when I was taking the fourth subject of the driver's license test, the textbook mentioned its three functions: first, it secures the person in the seat, preventing injuries from sudden braking when the body lurches forward; second, it disperses the impact force during a collision, preventing the ribs from directly hitting the steering wheel; and third, it prevents the person from being thrown out of the car, which could be a fatal situation. I remember once on the highway when a truck ahead suddenly dropped something, I swerved sharply to avoid it, and the seat belt dug into me painfully, but if it hadn't held me back, I would have definitely hit the windshield. Now, when teaching my son to drive, I emphasize this first—no matter how many questions you do for the fourth subject, nothing is as important as real-world experience.
The key points of Subject 4's seatbelt test boil down to two things: saving lives and preventing collisions. When I practiced, I made sure to memorize the details. For example, during a rear-end collision, it can absorb 70% of the impact force—before the airbags deploy, it's the seatbelt that keeps your body in place. The exam question bank also emphasized that even at low speeds, you must buckle up. Hitting a wall at 40 km/h generates a force equivalent to falling from a four-story building. And don't be lazy by only fastening the chest strap—the lap belt is even more crucial. Otherwise, during sudden braking, your lower body could slip out from underneath. Now it's become a habit: the first thing I do after starting the car is click it into place, as natural as breathing.
