Driving test survey

[Mr Ree]

My son has been driving for a month now, with over a thousand miles driven, and he's got his theory test on Monday.

If he passes, he'll be applying for the 'big one' asap, as in both my and his proffesional instructors opinion, he's ready for it .

Now I'm trying to find out what the most common reasons are for failure so we can concentrate more on those areas over the coming weeks.

So, what did you fail on (assuming you did) so I can see if a common reason/ trend becomes apparent.

First person I asked got the 'red card' for easing out over a stop line to get a better view of what was coming apparently. Deemed a dangerous manouver.

[dieseldarren]

First person I asked got the 'red card' for easing out over a stop line to get a better view of what was coming apparently. Deemed a dangerous manouver.

Aaah, that explains why so many people seem to pull out of side roads without looking then.

As creeping forward & getting a better view is "dangerous".

[Mr Ree]

Aaah, that explains why so many people seem to pull out of side roads without looking then.

As creeping forward & getting a better view is "dangerous".

I agree. Sometimes you have to creep forward a touch, especially at this time of the year with overgrown hedges etc, but NOT on your test it seems.

[gadgetman]

Not looking enough before/during manoeuvres. ie turning, reversing etc.

[LouisTsui]

I myself failed because of stopping for flashing amber.

I know someone failed on not putting into neutral when stopped by a school crossing guard who was letting a group of school kids crossing the road.

Position - my GF failed on stopped right behind a bus which was stopping for a bus stop, as a result not having enough space (or difficult) to overtake the bus when possible.

During reverse corner/parking - the timing to look around is important. My GF failed (again) because of a slightly late look around check. (Both me and her instructor think she was hard done by that examiner on this one....)

Don't forget shoulder check when move off!

I also know some people failed on spatial, such as leaving too much room for the right then not enough room (i.e., too close) for left hand side.

The examiner will try to do some chit chat, don't let that distract you!

As gadgetman said, observation and planning are killer.

[Babs]

Having an examiner that lies.

That was my major failing point. Passed with 4 minors with my instructor in the car...

[homedad]

Mine was back in the pre-theory days so didn't have to worry about that.

First time I failed was a total stitch up. Prior to the test i was waiting in the car park with my instructor, he pointed out an examiner who walked past and said if you get him make your mirror observations really obvious. And yes i did get him and made them really obvious, he failed me for lack of use of mirrors :confused:

Second time the examiner used the brakes a split second before i got on them when a lorry appeared around a corner in a narrow street.

Third time lucky

At least i passed my motorbike test first time.

[P13SST]

I failed my first go with 1 major no minors...

The major was because I was forced to do an unplanned emergency stop because of the idiot in the car in front. I was failed because I stopped in a keep clear road mark... Even though my only other choice was to rear end the other car... Ironically the examiner praised my actions, then failed me because of it.

I then learned he had about a 28% pass rate... and was sacked a month later.

A tip for passing is to act more nervous than you are ( as i did on my second attempt), the guy started talking away like it wasn't a test. Passed with 2 minors for checking mirrors.

[thedot]

mirror usage is quite common, because the examiner can't always see your eyes looking in them he presumes you've not looked. so i was told by my instructor to have the mirrors positioned so you have to move your head slightly to get a good view in them.

[Guest musky]

Sorry can't help never failed:rolleyes: Seriously though I know what you mean as my daughter has passed her theory and does her test in about 2 weeks - had to wait 2 months:confused: I think it will be down to the day and her examiner, if she fails she may murder him:eek:

[McG MkII]

kiss the examinors backside, i was agreeing with everything she said, even said i liked to watch womens golf:rofl: it proved good when i came to the same road my wife failed on and did the same thing as her meeting traffic, i passed. also just a wild guess but id think your son was in his teens, make him dress smart, not in tracksuit bottoms or a cap, a mate of mine who was even before his test a brilliant driver was failed to what he thought was the fact he came across as an overconfident chav, wore jeans and shirt next time, passed, said he didnt drive half as well as he did for his first test,

good luck!!

[TriggerFish]

I am at the age where lots of my friends/me are passing/failing.

Most of them are failing on being in the wrong lane for roundabouts and the like. Most of my minors came from too fast, and signalling for too long. Just make sure that your son makes any observations apparant and try to move his head slighty as mentioned before. Other than that, not too much else you can do, just need to drive safely and hope the examiner is a good one!

I wish him luck!

[dieseldarren]

I failed my first test for speeding ... his word against mine

by coincidence everyone at my college that had the same examiner also failed

:rubchin:

my instructor said he failed everyone under 21,

a month later, back in the test centre, waited nervously as each examiner came out,

yup you guessed it ... same examiner ...

wait for it .....

"failure to make good progress & undue hesitancy"

in other words .. too slow.

Needless to say, I mentioned that he'd accused me of speeding a month earlier.

On balance, I should have slapped him, so being a pacifist has it's drawbacks.

To be honest from watching these cop shows on the telly, getting a licence seems a waste of time & money, as the CPS never seem to do anything to those that have been caught driving without a licence xxx times anyway.

[Matt Bodycombe]

O.K Here goes:

1) failing to cancel an indicator

2) failing to give way to an oncoming car

Hope that helps.

[ryan74]

always look with your head as well as your eyes i know that sounds odd but the examiner doesnt always see you looking. also use plenty of observation on manuvers vv important.

ps i used to be a driving instructer and alot of times its all down to what hapens on the day good look

[Mr Ree]

I am at the age where lots of my friends/me are passing/failing.

Most of them are failing on being in the wrong lane for roundabouts and the like. Most of my minors came from too fast, and signalling for too long. Just make sure that your son makes any observations apparant and try to move his head slighty as mentioned before. Other than that, not too much else you can do, just need to drive safely and hope the examiner is a good one!

I wish him luck!

I think you're the only one to have mentioned roundabouts.

If I was to point out a single weaker part of his driving so far, it would be roundabout positioning.

On his own admission he hates them, so I've offered to take him down to Milton Keyes for some intensive practice.

In all fairness, some of the very large and busier ones can be pretty damned difficult to navigate, with lanes for differing directions all marked on the road that can be very difficult to read on a busy morning/evening, especially in an area you aren't familiar with.

All very interesting comments everyone, and for that I thank you all :handshke:

The most common theme so far seems to be obvious use of the mirror, so I'll watch out for that now more rigourously.

[okeh]

My wife failed her test when

She drove past a gang of teenagers who were hanging around on the pavement

The test examiner informed her after the test

That due to their age,one of them could of run into the road without warning and she hadnt prepared herself for such an ocurence

I think that was her fourth attempt at the test before she finally passed on the sixth attempt

Her best fail was her second attempt when she produced a

A fantastic 60mph in a 40 zone

Cant remember the rest of the main fail points that she got on the other tests

[Mr Ree]

My wife failed her test when

A fantastic 60mph in a 40 zone

EEEK! :eek:

How the hell did she manage that then? :rotz:

[McG MkII]

i would have paid to see the examiners face when she managed that!!

[Clunkclick]

My test was 1978 - so no theory. Still took me three goes to pass.

From what I recall, first time fail for indecisiveness when a 40 tonne artic, without warining, did a U-turn in front of me at a T-junction totally blocking the main road and side road from which it emerged - haven't seen an event like that occur since, in 30 years of driving.

Second time, poor take-off from hill start and some other minor thing.

From general observation of drivers operating round this part of suburban NW London. I would say the following might be notable:-

Speeding, lack of observation and all-round situational awareness, lack of anticipation when approaching hazards, lack of recognition of hazards and potential hazards, lack of knowledge and planning of what to do when confronted with a hazard, slow reactions, edging-out and/or failure to stop before or on the give-way line when emerging from sideroads and the one especially favoured by some of the self regarding foxy apaches, late or no signalling when turning. And not forgetting, not making good steady headway, by always regarding stopped public service vehicles as immovable objects and a good reason to come to rest yourself, even when theres clearway ahead on the offisde - the maxim for achieving good average journey times, "Its not how fast you go, its how slow you don't go" - particularly in urban areas. And the major one nowadays, how to properly execute a right turn across the traffic at a four way junction - no one does it right now, with the consequent loss of visibility of on-coming traffic.

I would emphasise that these are my own views and in no way reflect the outlook of a DOT examiner.

Judging by the report on P.30 of this week's Private Eye, DOT's view may be somewhat skewed anyway. DOT is apparently attempting to make obtaining a MotorCycle license more diificult and part of this process involves implementing an EU directive which requires the practical part of the current Motorcycle test to be amended.

The EU directive requires that probationary motorcyclist test include two additional test elements. The first for weaving round a line of trafiic cones and secondly, a changed emergency stop which involves accelerating up to a minimum speed of 50Km/h, swerving round an obstacle and then making an immediate emergency stop. Fair enough you say. A sensible change to the test I recall, where the examiner, on public side roads, risked life and limb by jumping out, between a line of parked cars, into the road to signify that you should make an emergency stop.

Only thing is 50 KPH = 32 MPH, so is illegal on UK public roads. They apparently, can't modify the implementation of directive in UK legislation - ha ! and so are now spending £71million of tax payers money buying land and building "Multipurpose Test Centres" - presumably just-in-time for the privatisation of the service ? - this is definitely the wrong sort of "Joined-up" Government, where motorcyclists are severely disadvantaged in favour of estate agents - who would have guessed that would have happened over here - definitely not in the states where most of UK's policy initiatives are lifted from nowadays.

Better still, there is a forthcoming measure, titled 3 DLD, starting in 2013, which will deny learners with bikes of 125cc or less to ride unaccompanied.

PE reckons, with some justification, that accidents in training will increase and a large number of bikers will go illegal in the face of these measures.

So perhaps a new element of the car test will be "Special look-out for the p*key motorcyclists" .

Nick

Edited 6 August, 2009 by Clunkclick

[gadgetman]

With regard to observations, the main one and one I know several have failed for (family and people at work) is when turning left from a junction only checking the right fully. As in, for all you know you could be driving into a pedestrian or parked car.

As for failures, failed my first one 30 secs after leaving the test centre. The test centre is/was on a trading estate. Cars parked both sides of the road - too close to a parked car. Instructor spent the next 45 mins going over and over the M, leaving a hole when I got the sheet back. He was meant to be the one to pass everyone.

2nd one I passed on with the guy that only passes the girls. Almost had a hairy moment at the end with the questions (before theory - 1995) about - and this is the exact question I'll never forget it

"If you are the only man alive, heading up the M1 in a nice new lambo and the only bird (she's hot) alive beside you, which lane would you be in?" The outside lane got a "try again"

Seriously, what's the only other person alive going to do? Report me to the cops

[homedad]

Only thing is 50 KPH = 32 MPH, so is illegal on UK public roads. They apparently, can't modify the implementation of directive in UK legislation - ha ! and so are now spending £71million of tax payers money buying land and building "Multipurpose Test Centres" -

I remember reading about this a few years ago, some idiot thought that 50kph=30mph and thought that would be close enough. Just shows that the people who signup to these decisions haven't a clue what they are doing.

Anything that involves motorbikes are usually decided by people who have no interest in them whatsoever.

[okeh]

EEEK! :eek:

How the hell did she manage that then? :rotz:

60mph road that turned into a 40mph zone as it got close to roundabout

My wife decided to plough on at 60mph instead of slowing:D

[dieseldarren]

60mph road that turned into a 40mph zone as it got close to roundabout

My wife decided to plough on at 60mph instead of slowing:D

I'm sure that no-one on here would ever dream of doing such a thing after their test

[Mr Ree]

60mph road that turned into a 40mph zone as it got close to roundabout

My wife decided to plough on at 60mph instead of slowing:D

She didn't actually plough 'round the roundabout at 60 did she.....DID SHE? :P