Ten reasons for failing your driving test
1. Not acting correctly at road
junctions
Its
essential that you use the Mirrors, Signal, Position, Speed and gears routine
when you approach any kind of junction. Did you check that the new road was
safe to drive into? That's essential when your turning either left or right.
Was your speed on approach too high? If that was the case, then you might not
have been able to stop if needed.
2. Reversing around a corner
Most
learners fail on this with either their control of the car or lack of
observation. When reversing around a corner, it’s important to keep the car
moving as slow as possible. You then have time to decide when to steer at the
correct time. It’s also important that you keep looking around for any other
road users in the vicinity, and act appropriately.
3. Steering faults
Losing
control of the steering, either in normal driving or during a manoeuvre. This
can be because you have allowed the steering wheel to 'spin through your hands'
4. Reverse parking faults
Reverse
parking can be one of the hardest of the manoeuvre's to do successfully. Like
all of the other exercises, it needs very careful use of the controls to keep
the car moving very slowly, so you have time to decide when to steer at the
right time. You should also be aware of other road users and act appropriately
if you see anyone else, while you're completing the task.
5. Making proper use of the
gears
Its essential to use the correct gear for the
speed and road conditions. For example, if your approaching or driving through
a lot of hazards, then its important to drive in a low gear whereas, if there
are few hazards, the examiner will be expecting you to be in the highest gear
available. A common error is to stay in a low gear (and this will include third
gear) needlessly.
Another area where people fail on gears, is
forgetting to select 1st gear before moving off. It results in the car
stalling. This could cause inconvenience to others, or have dangerous
consequences.
6. Not using the mirrors
correctly
Why do you need to check your mirrors? Its
essential to know if there are other road user’s following behind you before you start any
manoeuvre. Roughly speaking, you should check them between 25 and 50% of your
driving time glancing in the mirrors. If you spend any more time, you are not
paying enough attention to the road.
An 'old wives' tale' says that you have to move
your head when you make the checks. The examiner is trained to check your
mirrors without you having to emphasize that your checking them,
7. Avoiding hesitation and
driving too slowly Don't expect to pass if you stop
somewhere unnecessarily. For example giving way to traffic where it’s safe to
continue without stopping.
The examiner will be expecting you to keep up with
the flow of other road users within the legal limit, providing the road
conditions allow you to. Driving too slowly when its safe to drive at the legal
limit, will cause inconvenience to others.
8. Acting correctly when
turning right
As with anything that isn't driving in a
straight line, remember your mirrors. Look at them before you do anything. Then
indicate and move to the right of the lane you are in Wait for an appropriate
gap in the oncoming traffic – you know how long it takes for you to turn right,
the aim is not to hold other people up unnecessarily. If someone flashes you
out, decide if it’s safe then move out.
9. Hesitation at junctions
Your
driving examiner will be expecting you to be able to judge gaps and the speed
and distance correctly when either pulling out, or turning right. You should
not pull out, or turn if you cause the approaching traffic to slow down or make
them swerve.
10. Moving away from stationary
positions The most common reasons for failing on this, are;
moving off in the wrong gear; forgetting to turn the indicator off if you've
used it; rolling back if you're moving off on a hill; or not looking around to
make sure its safe go.
