driving test question

[Philz0r]

my girlfriend just got home from her driving test to tell me she failed.

she told me on her test, down one of the streets she was driving down there was a lorry taking up the whole street and had its stabilizer legs thinngies out with his hazard lights on and it was on a hill.

the driving examiner told her to wait a moment while he thought about what to do.

he then told her to drive on the pavment past it, baring in mind this wasnt a 1 way street and there was no reason for him not to ask her to do a 3-point turn.

she said all 4 wheels were on the pavment while she passed, as she crept past and back onto the road she failed to notice a car comming from her right and the tester applied the brakes and she obviously failed.


i had a quick google of the law on driving on pavments

145:You MUST NOT drive on or over a pavement, footpath or bridleway except to gain lawful access to property, or in the case of an emergency.


so basically my question is, was the tester aloud to tell her to drive on the pavement? im not questioning the observation, just the pavment driving

 

[Frozennova]

Sounds like he was testing her tbh. She should have questioned him asking her to drive on the pavement, just because your instructed to do something doesn't mean you should always do it.

 

[MikeHiow]

Sounds like he was testing her tbh. She should have questioned him asking her to drive on the pavement, just because your instructed to do something doesn't mean you should always do it.

Tripe. If an examiner asks you to do something - you'd do it.

If it was a one way street, it sounds like there was no other option so he hasn't really done anything wrong by asking her to drive on the pavement.

 

[Philz0r]

it wasnt a one way street.

 

[Mr^B]

How was there a car coming from her right? Did it drive straight through the lorry?

If that was me, I would have refused to drive on the pavement.

 

[sanofi]

Tripe. If an examiner asks you to do something - you'd do it.

If it was a one way street, it sounds like there was no other option so he hasn't really done anything wrong by asking her to drive on the pavement.

Indeed, there are no trick questions in the driving test. Examiner asks you to do something, especially in this difficult situation, they are usually trying to make it easier on you.

However, I feel for her as these unexpected circumstances can really affect your confidence and awareness to the point that you forget what you have been taught, especially for a novice driver. That being said, the reason for failing was her fault as she didn't see the car on the right.

 

[Philz0r]

sorry, she drove on the right hand side pavment and there was a T junction at the top. but this lorry was right on the T junction.

no doubt her lack of observation was her fault. just questioning the lorry bit

 

[sanofi]

Best not to dwell, learn from this experience, book another test asap (keep looking for cancellations) and do it again while the iron is hot.

 

[Maccapacca]

Best not to dwell, learn from this experience, book another test asap (keep looking for cancellations) and do it again while the iron is hot.

This, you can kick and scream and shout all you like, I think the best you'll get is a long winded process for getting a refund of the test fee, book a retest quick

 

[Philz0r]

eugh next nearest test is 19th september for her

 

[sanofi]

eugh next test is 19th september for her

I'm sure if she checks the website everyday, there will be cancellations or new spots opening up that were reserved for taxi tests etc.

 

[unKn0wn]

If the tester touches the pedals at all its an instant fail. Sounds like she failed for failing to notice the car, hence the tester's intrusion. Not actually driving on the pavement.

What does the exam sheet say she failed on?

 

[mattyfez]

The instructor should not have advised her to mount the pavement in the first place. Very mitigating circumstances if you ask me. That said I don't know what if any recourse you may have, although it's certainly worth making a complaint about, as you say, the instructor could easily have told her to turn round and take a different route...

 

[Berger]

Third hand information leads me to believe that the experienced examiner was correct, and your friend with no license was wrong.

 

[Philz0r]

Third hand information leads me to believe that the experienced examiner was correct, and your friend with no license was wrong.

would you drive on the pavment if you seen this at the bottom of your street today or would you turn around and go another route?

 

[Berger]

would you drive on the pavment if you seen this at the bottom of your street today or would you turn around and go another route?

Can't say without being there, after all you are only giving us third hand information which will be biased towards your friends view and possibly incorrect.

 

[Frozennova]

Tripe. If an examiner asks you to do something - you'd do it.

If it was a one way street, it sounds like there was no other option so he hasn't really done anything wrong by asking her to drive on the pavement.

Ok I was wrong then, however its the sort of thing I would question as it doesn't seem good practice to ask a new driver to perform such a maneuver.

 

[mattyfez]

Maybe driving tests should be recorded, it would give the learner chance to go over their failures, and prevent any ambiguity in the instructors scoring