This has been bugging me for a few weeks now.
I did my MOD2 bike test (for you car people, that's 40 minutes followed and assessed ride out on the roads
) a few weeks back. I passed, but there was a certain amount of 'debate' between the examiner and instructor about some of the minors I picked up. I'd be interested in getting your opinions, and whether you would have done anything differently.
Issue #1:
There's a section of road on the test route which narrows at each end (proper full width in the middle section) and is marked with the 'You have priority over oncoming traffic' and 'Give way to oncoming traffic' signs at each end. These:
Anyway, the instructor had taken me round this way and stated repeatedly that what the examiner expected was for you to wait at the give way line if you could see *any* traffic at all approaching, regardless of how far away it was. He explained that whilst common sense suggests you would proceed if you don't cause any other traffic to slow down or change direction, examiners at the local test centre had been known to fail people who have proceeded when they could see a car coming . Even if that car was 500 yards away (because they had disobeyed an order sign, to give way to oncoming traffic). It's a known 'gotcha' at the particular centre, and the examiners like to take people down there - all the driving instructors know about it.
I get to the part in my test, and there's traffic coming. I wait. The last car goes past me, and I see another one in the distance approaching. I wait some more. All in all, I wait about 45-60s before I go. We get back to the test centre and I find I've picked up a minor for hesitation. This particular examiner was quite new to the area, and didn't seem to be aware that other examiners were failing people for proceeding when they could see oncoming traffic.
Anyway, I sat in the corner quietly whilst my instructor and examiner debated the highway code and what was 'correct' and what was 'sensible'. My instructor's main issue was the fact that you can't have a test center with some examiners failing people for doing one thing, and other examiners giving out minors for doing the other thing.
What would you have done? What does the law actually say you should do?
Issue #2:
The examiner asks me to pull over during the test. I look and see a cycle lane. I think "I'm not pulling into a cycle lane, because I've been taught not to". I ride on, go about another 1-1.5 miles and then pull over. Get back to the centre to find I've picked up a minor for 'bad planning' - the examiner was expecting me to pull over straight away, on the basis that the cycle lane had a 'broken line, not a solid line'.
Again, what would you have done? Does the type of painted line bordering a cycle lane make any difference to whether you can pull over in it or not?
A bit rambly, apologies. Be good to hear everyone's thoughts.
I did my MOD2 bike test (for you car people, that's 40 minutes followed and assessed ride out on the roads
) a few weeks back. I passed, but there was a certain amount of 'debate' between the examiner and instructor about some of the minors I picked up. I'd be interested in getting your opinions, and whether you would have done anything differently.Issue #1:
There's a section of road on the test route which narrows at each end (proper full width in the middle section) and is marked with the 'You have priority over oncoming traffic' and 'Give way to oncoming traffic' signs at each end. These:
Anyway, the instructor had taken me round this way and stated repeatedly that what the examiner expected was for you to wait at the give way line if you could see *any* traffic at all approaching, regardless of how far away it was. He explained that whilst common sense suggests you would proceed if you don't cause any other traffic to slow down or change direction, examiners at the local test centre had been known to fail people who have proceeded when they could see a car coming . Even if that car was 500 yards away (because they had disobeyed an order sign, to give way to oncoming traffic). It's a known 'gotcha' at the particular centre, and the examiners like to take people down there - all the driving instructors know about it.
I get to the part in my test, and there's traffic coming. I wait. The last car goes past me, and I see another one in the distance approaching. I wait some more. All in all, I wait about 45-60s before I go. We get back to the test centre and I find I've picked up a minor for hesitation. This particular examiner was quite new to the area, and didn't seem to be aware that other examiners were failing people for proceeding when they could see oncoming traffic.
Anyway, I sat in the corner quietly whilst my instructor and examiner debated the highway code and what was 'correct' and what was 'sensible'. My instructor's main issue was the fact that you can't have a test center with some examiners failing people for doing one thing, and other examiners giving out minors for doing the other thing.
What would you have done? What does the law actually say you should do?
Issue #2:
The examiner asks me to pull over during the test. I look and see a cycle lane. I think "I'm not pulling into a cycle lane, because I've been taught not to". I ride on, go about another 1-1.5 miles and then pull over. Get back to the centre to find I've picked up a minor for 'bad planning' - the examiner was expecting me to pull over straight away, on the basis that the cycle lane had a 'broken line, not a solid line'.
Again, what would you have done? Does the type of painted line bordering a cycle lane make any difference to whether you can pull over in it or not?
A bit rambly, apologies. Be good to hear everyone's thoughts.