Serious
faults: these are things you have done
that could affect another road user if they had been there. Serious
faults
could be cutting a right hand corner or not looking behind when
reversing. One
of these on your test and you will fail.
Dangerous
faults: These are faults that actually
cause another road user to brake or swerve. One of these on your test
and you
will fail.
Examiners are
trained to watch you until you look in the
mirror after giving a direction.
Your
examiner
has probably already made an assessment of
your ability before you pull away by looking at the way you do the
pre-start
checks.
Examiners
don't
like boy/girl racers - keep your driving smooth,
gentle and predictable. Remember what I said about a cup of coffee on
the dash.
If
you can't
read a chosen number plate by the third
attempt, the examiner will go back in and get a tape measure to measure
out the
exact distance required. If you can't read it then you will fail your
test.
Taking the
wrong
direction and going off route is not a fail
as long as you have MSM for the direction you are going.
You
will only
ever be asked to reverse into a parking bay
at the driving test centre. If a test centre does not have its own car
park
then you will not have to do the bay park manoeuvre.
People who
fail
on emerging usually do so because they haven't
looked both
ways
sufficiently before crossing
the line
The
emergency
stop is only performed on one in three tests
- most people fail on the emergency stop because either they don't
brake hard
enough or they don't react quickly enough or do not check the blind
spots when
moving off again.
If you get
stuck
in a traffic jam you will still have drive
the whole test route - you will just have a longer test (lucky you).
Getting
both
show me tell me questions wrong will not fail
you - you will just get one minor fault.
It is very
difficult to fail on a manoeuvre if you have the
confidence to stop, take your time look all around and shuffle forwards
and
backwards if necessary.
Stalling
the
car
on test is usually only a minor fault unless
it is somewhere dangerous.
You
can be on
the lines on a bay park manoeuvre and still
pass. You can finish at an angle as long as you are not over the line
either
side. As long as you are not 100% in the bay you can shuffle forward
and
backward to correct your position.
Hitting
the
kerb lightly
on a turn-in-the-road will not fail you, and the turn doesn't have to
be done
in 3 movements
When reversing
around a corner you can stop as often as you
like.
If
you reach
the
end of a one way street and are supposed
to turn right, and you suddenly realise you are in the left lane: You
can
salvage your test by checking mirrors and changing your indicator to
left, and
then turning left. This should only give you a minor fault if done
safely.
Four minor
faults within the same category will normally
fail you. .
Examiners
like
confident drivers - show him/her that you
know what you are doing
You
can fail
for
not using the windscreen wipers, lights
screen de mister if they are needed.
Mounting
the
kerb with your back wheel when turning left is
usually only a minor fault.
If
a manoeuvre
is going wrong, or you don't like the way it
is going, don’t panic you can shunt forwards to correct it. BUT check
all
around before you do.
On
the
parallel
parking manoeuvre you can finish with the
wheels on full lock right. You don't have to straighten them.
Your examiner
will tell you which lane to get into at a
roundabout by the direction he gives - “take the third exit right”
means get in
the right lane and indicate right.
If
your
examiner
mentions a direction (left or right) then
indicate that way.
Examiners
should
allow you to cross your hands on the
steering wheel.
You
can change
from 3rd gear directly to 5th gear when
accelerating.
You can fail
for
not driving up to the speed limit (
eg.driving at 45mph in a 60mph limit)
Steering
whilst
stationary (dry steering) is not a fault but it is bad
driving
practice as it’s not good for the steering rack or your tyres.
Your
instructor
(me) is assessed by the
standard and
ability of his pupils that he takes to the test centre.
