Failed driving test

placeholder · 19 Jul 2008 at 21:15

AcidHell2 said:
On the test a lorry flashed me and I didn't go so failed for not making progress. Seeing as the highway code says he was just making me aware of him it's hash. But there's absolutely sod all you can do.
Good luck on the next one.

Thats just wrong. If you'd gone you could have been failed too!

Frapple · 19 Jul 2008 at 21:22

Failed my first one because two vans were double parked, so I stopped to let a bus through...he went through just fine as far as I'm aware, didn't have to slow down or anything.

Apparently I didn't leave enough enough room???

jackthezipper · 19 Jul 2008 at 21:33

Vixen said:
That's the problem with driving tests, you have to learn how to pass the test, not how to drive if you were on your own. I got a minor on my test because the guy picked a really awful place for my reverse around a corner and made me block the road. As soon as I was straight, I went to move off because there were cars queuing up behind me, but he gave me a funny look so I asked and he insisted that I go further back. At least I passed though.

Yeah mine made me do my reverse park at a T Junction and there were cars on two sides of me. I queried before starting if I should move off and do it sometwhere else but he just said do it (sounded ****** off at me). Also gave me a minor for observation on it even though I seen the cars and checked they had stopped etc.. Still passed though.

As for the OP. It is harsh, just remember don't use your hands, or flash your lights either.

Mark A · 19 Jul 2008 at 21:48

I got first hand experience of what hand signals to pedestrians can cause on one of my lessons.

We were in the left hand lane stopped in traffic, a guy in the middle lane was moving slowly, a woman was stood in front of us wanting to cross and the guy in the middle lane stopped and gave a hand signal for her to cross. She hurried forward not to keep him waiting and a guy in the right lane knocked her down. The guy wasn't going fast so she just got knocked to the ground but was still quite shocking.

My instructor made me laugh tho his first reaction was to turn to me and say "see thats why you shouldn't hand signal pedestrians to go"

.

shifty_uk · 19 Jul 2008 at 21:52

I'm hoping to take my test at some point next month, after reading all of these it seems unlikely that most pass the first time.

Mark A · 19 Jul 2008 at 22:00

A lot do mate, a few of my friends have. Its just anything can happen so you need to be prepared. All depends on the instructor and what mood he/she is in as well.

stigggeh · 19 Jul 2008 at 22:04

shifty_uk said:
I'm hoping to take my test at some point next month, after reading all of these it seems unlikely that most pass the first time.

I thought that too but passed first go, they aint as bad as people make out. I am sure you get a few picky examiners but i drove really bad on test compared to my usual lessons and still passed.

My instructor said that 99% of the people he teaches expect to fail once or twice, he said its tough to get them out of that mentality. He was a great instructer too.

p.s check the dsa site its something like 40% pass rate isnt it. ?

poopots · 19 Jul 2008 at 22:20

Failed my first test with one major and one minor, Wrong lane in 4 lane motroway.

Passed my second one though, the examiner was nice and chilled out. Unfortuently she used to be a man and i'd often sniggle to myself when she/he spoke.

Vixen · 19 Jul 2008 at 22:36

shifty_uk said:
I'm hoping to take my test at some point next month, after reading all of these it seems unlikely that most pass the first time.

I knew more people who passed first time than failed. I had some ridiculous minors but still passed. Like I said earlier in the thread, learn how to pass the test, not how to drive like everyone else.

Blackvault · 19 Jul 2008 at 23:37

poopots said:
Failed my first test with one major and one minor, Wrong lane in 4 lane motroway.

Passed my second one though, the examiner was nice and chilled out. Unfortuently she used to be a man and i'd often sniggle to myself when she/he spoke.

Funny, considering you aren't allowed on the motorway as a Learner or if you are your only restricted to 45mph which is dangerous.

Blackvault

Raymond Lin · 19 Jul 2008 at 23:57

Blackvault said:
Funny, considering you aren't allowed on the motorway as a Learner or if you are your only restricted to 45mph which is dangerous.

Blackvault

I know you are not supposed to go on the motorway but as a learner i've been on dual carriage ways, did 70mpg, 45pmh???? where did you get that from? That means its 100% town driving, no national speed limit roads.

2StepSteve · 20 Jul 2008 at 00:08

Don't let it get you down.

Book the test again and go for it again.

Indy500 · 20 Jul 2008 at 00:15

Heh, sounds like you guys didn't have much fun. I got to drive my instructor's Focus TDI for the test...

(he eventually changed it for something more docile)

Mark A · 20 Jul 2008 at 00:24

Errr i drove my instructors Focus TDI

.

Blackvault · 20 Jul 2008 at 00:32

Raymond Lin said:
I know you are not supposed to go on the motorway but as a learner i've been on dual carriage ways, did 70mpg, 45pmh???? where did you get that from? That means its 100% town driving, no national speed limit roads.

Must just be Northern Ireland then :rolleyes:

When also are restricted to 45mph for one year after passing the test. Aww well.

Blackvault

Indy500 · 20 Jul 2008 at 00:32

Mark A said:
Errr i drove my instructors Focus TDI .

You did? Sorry, I must have missed the post

The anti-stall feature caught me out a few times, heh.

Blackvault said:
Must just be Northern Ireland then When also are restricted to 45mph for one year after passing the test. Aww well.

Blackvault

I really don't see the logic in that at all...sounds like a money-spinning law if I ever heard one.

Shotgun_ned · 20 Jul 2008 at 00:35

Unlucky mate

.

Learning how to pass the test is just the start anyway. You don't start really learning until you're out and about driving by yourself.

M0T · 20 Jul 2008 at 02:33

I failed my first test for forcing another car to take evasive action. He took me up a narrow road that was completely parked all down one side with no passing points apart from about 3/4 of the way up. I drove up it followed by another car and got to about 3/4 when a single vehicle coming the other way decided to drive past the passing point instead of stopping and waiting. The other driver realised that I couldn't go anywhere so drove up the curb (literaly completely on the curb), which was evasive action apparently.

The thing was the examiner told me it would have been fine if the other car had pulled in at the passing point that they chose to pass. So I failed my test because an impatient driver coming the other way decided to fully drive up a curb instead of pulling in at a passing point. He couldnt explain to me how this was my fault so I was slightly miffed. This was a month after they cancelled my first test because the examiner was 2 minutes late for the start of the test, so my opinion of examiners is not exactly good.

yak.h'cir · 20 Jul 2008 at 03:03

Bad luck! I'd be pretty annoyed about that as even though you're not supposed to we all know that everyone will use hand signals to pedestrians/other drivers whilst driving

I was lucky and passed my test first time with only 1 minor! Unfortunately that same day I crashed my mums car into the back of a land rover that was reverse parking

EvilDreams · 20 Jul 2008 at 03:12

I failed my first test (with a whopping 14 minors IIRC) at a roundabout. There were part-time traffic lights on the roundabout with markings on the road to let you know that after the lights, you had to come out to the outside of the roundabout early to take a certain exit. When I got to the lights, they were red and the roundabout was basically solid with traffic, obscuring the markings, and so I had no idea how I was going to get to this exit.

I said to the examiner "I'm going round again" as I didn't have a clue where I was meant to be going as I had never done this roundabout before (which the instructor apologised for as it was on a lot of the test routes), but when I got round again it was the same situation, and I ended up in the middle lane, signalling left to move out to the outside too late, and the examiner cancelled the signal to tell me I couldn't just cut across like that. Right enough, but if the roundabout had been quiet I would have done just fine

I suppose we all think we failed unjustly, but the test has so many inconsistencies it really needs looking at. Whether you pass can depend on the weather, the route the examiner chooses, random traffic and pedestrian behaviour and the time of day amongst many other things. A large amount of it is just luck.