Reacting to a warning light while driving

Quick playbook: which light requires which response.

You will learn, among other things:

Quick playbook
How to stop safely in an emergency
Panic is the most dangerous

Shows a warning light illuminated actively during driving, which directly illustrates the lesson's focus on responding to warning lights.

Shows an overview of various warning lights on the instrument panel, good for explaining which light requires which reaction.

Checklist

Quick playbook

Red oil light → stop immediately, turn off engine
Red battery symbol → turn off electrical loads, drive directly to workshop
Red brake warning → check that the parking brake is fully off, then workshop ASAP
Red temperature light → stop, let engine cool, call recovery
Yellow engine light (steady) → workshop soon, drivable
Yellow engine light (flashing) → reduce speed, avoid high rev, workshop urgent
Yellow ABS light → regular brakes work, but no anti-lock protection. Workshop soon
Yellow TPMS (tyre pressure) → check tyres; low pressure = worse grip

Tip

How to stop safely in an emergency

1. A red warning light, oil pressure, temperature, brakes, means stop as soon as it is safe. 2. Hazard lights on immediately. 3. Signal and move to the nearest safe place: the shoulder, or the hard shoulder on a motorway. 4. Handbrake on. Leave it in gear, P on an automatic, a low gear facing uphill, reverse facing downhill. 5. Set out the warning triangle. No distance is fixed in law. The guidance is at least 100 metres, and further where speeds are higher. What matters more than the number: if your car sits beyond a bend or a crest, put the triangle before it, so drivers meet the warning before they meet the car. 6. Call 112 for serious danger such as fire or smoke; otherwise call recovery.

Heads up

Panic is the most dangerous

A lit warning light rarely signals immediate danger. Pull over to a safe spot if needed. The light's colour and behaviour, red or flashing versus yellow and steady, matter more than the exact symbol shown. If the meaning is unclear, check the vehicle's manual.

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