just failed my driving test :(

AtreuS · 1 Aug 2006 at 13:49

[TW]Fox said:
It's a totally daft concept, thats why.

Driving Examiners are not paid on commission, they get paid exactly the same whether they pass everyone or fail everyone, irrespective of how much the test centre 'makes'. There is therefore NIL incentive for them to fail people to get more money. They dont see any of that money, and its not as if the test centres get closed and they all get sacked if they dont generate enough profit!

Use a little common sense, and you'll see there is no reason for quotas to exist.

Quotas exist purely in the mind of the inept, who use them as a crutch becuase it's easier to face up to a mistake and learn from it. Unfortunately, this makes it a compounding problem becuase you'll never correct something if you can't admit you made a mistake.

*sigh* as i remember he said it was something to do with the funding from local goverment.... ie if they had x number of pass fees per year then they got x number of testers and funding. So if they failed some people they produced more fees so got higher funding and so on. Did i ever say the examiners got more money? no i didnt. Maybe the funding has changed over the years, mabe it hasnt but pardon me for taking the word of an actual examiner over hearsay on the internet. I stand by my statement that where i came from they USED TO have quotas. End.

Kazzan · 1 Aug 2006 at 13:50

Basically I think if you're not test standard you can get a lucky run and pass, but if you are test standard then it's quite hard to fail.

Driving on the road is about so much more than what your instructor teaches you. The situation AtreuS described could probably have been sorted by body language and eye contact. If he reverses out of his drive and sees a scared learner who brakes for him, he's probably going to take advantage of that and put the responsibility of sorting the situation out on you. If however he pulls out and sees a stern "What the **** are you doing in my right of way *******?" face then chances are much higher that he will take responsibility for the situation and get out of your way.

I've read lots of "I failed because of someone else" stories, and it's weird because while I've only probably driven 100 hours on the road I've never had anything like that happen to me, plus I drive in Guildford so it's not like there is a shortage of bad drivers. I guess it's similar to how one of my non-driving friends seems to almost get ran over every month or so (and blames it on the drivers), yet I don't remember ever being almost ran-over by a car in my life.

You can control the behavior of others with eye-contact and body-language a lot more than you might think. While you're waiting for your re-test go out into busy town centres on a bicycle. Hopefully you'll learn how to get other drivers to do what you want so you don't die

[TW]Fox · 1 Aug 2006 at 13:50

AtreuS said:
Maybe the funding has changed over the years, mabe it hasnt but pardon me for taking the word of an actual examiner over hearsay on the internet

Pardon me for taking common sense and logic over hearsay from some bloke who claims to have once spoken to an examiner.

Andr3w · 1 Aug 2006 at 13:52

I failed on something silly as well matey, just keep your head up and go and book another test!

AtreuS · 1 Aug 2006 at 13:53

[TW]Fox said:
Pardon me for taking common sense and logic over hearsay from some bloke who claims to have once spoken to an examiner.

as opposed to "some bloke" who claims to know differently citing his only evidence as his spocklike logic? We agree to disagree then... :cool:

AtreuS · 1 Aug 2006 at 14:01

Kazzan said:
The situation AtreuS described could probably have been sorted by body language and eye contact. If he reverses out of his drive and sees a scared learner who brakes for him, he's probably going to take advantage of that and put the responsibility of sorting the situation out on you. If however he pulls out and sees a stern "What the **** are you doing in my right of way *******?" face then chances are much higher that he will take responsibility for the situation and get out of your way.

As it happens i did give him the "what on earth are you doing in my right of way" look but he wasnt having nay of it. The guy was about 70ish and just reversed into the road like he was driving a go-kart. I stopped with plenty of space for him to drive back and let us all past but he simply refused and started ranting and shaking his fist, maybe this wasnt the first time this had happened and he was annoyed at the roadworks. As far as i could see i did exactly as i was supposed to yet was failed for it. I followed the rules of the road correctly and still failed the test. At no point did the examiner have to interviene in the situation, i did all the driving and handling of the situation so in effect i was under total control and dealt with it calmly and rationally- yet still fail. I did the retest a few weeks later and passed without a single mark down and have been driving for about 15 years now with zero incidents. Just always stay calm and be confident and the test should go smoothly. Good luck to the OP on his next test!

paradigm · 1 Aug 2006 at 14:07

I'm fed up of this argument now:

direct.gov.uk - a GOVERNMENT website said:
Driving test standards:

All examiners are trained to carry out the test to the same standard, they do not have pass or fail quotas. So as long as you demonstrate the standard required you will pass your driving test.

Perhaps all you doubters should read THIS page!

Kazzan · 1 Aug 2006 at 14:11

I was told by a retired examiner that while they didn't have quotas they were much more likely to be supervised by a senior examiner if their pass rate deviated significantly from that of the test centre itself.

I seriously doubt that having a supervising examiner in the backseat "cramps an examiners style" enough to warrant him cheating with people's test results, but I could see how that might be enough to start the quota rumour.

commited · 1 Aug 2006 at 15:06

Breamy said:
2 months for a re take though takes the ****

Try a year over here... I waited 10months, 3 years ago. It's a pain. 2months is nothing.

Morba · 1 Aug 2006 at 16:27

Breamy said:
theres only 1 in this area

goto another area. i passed my test in an area i had never been to let alone driven.

Breamy · 1 Aug 2006 at 19:59

the nearest other area is about an hours drive just to get there

Mr.T · 1 Aug 2006 at 20:20

Phone up every morning religiously and you will get a cancellation

Morba · 1 Aug 2006 at 20:28

Breamy said:
the nearest other area is about an hours drive just to get there

hours drive or potentially 2 months wait, i know which i would choose

Trickle · 1 Aug 2006 at 20:50

Breamy said:
just annoying this stupid asian taxi driver ******* bloody cant drive so i fail my test

According to your diagram you changed lanes at the wrong - and dangerous - point on the roundabout :confused:

Fishman · 1 Aug 2006 at 22:45

you sure ? It sounds like to me he was aiming for the road on the right and was probably taught to indicate and change lane just after the exit before the one you want

wolseley · 1 Aug 2006 at 23:02

Obviously, I wasn't there, but I think the reason for the fail may be this...

Firstly, remember that a roundabout is just a normal road which happens to go round in a circle. If you straighten the road in your diagram then it is the same as the following....

You are driving down a 3-lane road in the center lane, just passing one junction and wanting to come off at the next. A car (the taxi) has just pulled out of the junction you have just passed into the left lane. You now need to move over into the left lane in order to come off at the next junction. However, the taxi which joined at the last junction is going to undertake you, so if you pull left your actions will force him to take avoiding action (such as brake). Hence you get a major fault.

Now, I know that the taxi is in the wrong to try and undertake you, but as they say - 2 wrongs don't make a right. Part of driving is making allowances that not everyone else will do everything by the book. It is always your responsibility to make sure that your manouver is safe to do, regardless of who is in the right.

It is a hard break to get on your test, but these situations are commonplace on the roads and you need to react to them correctly.

Trickle · 3 Aug 2006 at 08:10

Fishman said:
you sure ?

On a roundabout when you change lanes depends on where the exit you are aiming for is. In his diagram the exit is quite a way off. The drivers waiting to join will time their entrance accordingly. If he suddenly veers into the outside lane directly infront of them when normal drivers would stay in lane until closer to their exit then its potentially going to catch the other motorists off guard.

Mr Mister · 3 Aug 2006 at 09:32

Which roundabout was it?

Most instructors teach you to look and signal just after the junction before the one you want to turn off at.

Fishman · 3 Aug 2006 at 09:54

Trickle said:
On a roundabout when you change lanes depends on where the exit you are aiming for is. In his diagram the exit is quite a way off. The drivers waiting to join will time their entrance accordingly. If he suddenly veers into the outside lane directly infront of them when normal drivers would stay in lane until closer to their exit then its potentially going to catch the other motorists off guard.

Well,

1) I cant imagine the drawing was accurately to scale.
2) When your driving around a medium sized roundabout it doesnt take long to be at the exit you need to be at.
3) He was past his penultimate exit
4) He was turning right (?) and had to change lane to leave unless there is 2 lanes exiting, getting into position early is a good thing.
5) He was indicating left, and not suddenly veering off course and changing lane as you are supposed to.
6) Dunno about you but if there is anyone in a middle lane, im not going to try join the left lane until they have passed me as you dont know what they are going to do.