Driving Test Failure

Maggie_Greenwood

I passed in my late 30's first attempt this time around with 3 minors. I did make a mistake though on my test which nearly saw me fail.

Two lanes of traffic, one a bus lane with restricted operating times. I turned right onto this road and I went into the right hand lane, rather than the left lane. Then I noticed a blue light ambulance behind me, so I signalled and moved to the left to allow the ambulance to pass and remained in the left hand lane for the remainder of that road.

The examiner told me if I had not moved over I would have failed, the ambulance kind of saved me!

I was lucky to have a really nice friendly examiner on the day, apparently according to my instructor he was one of the nice ones.

Its nearly 12 months since I passed and I am now a confident driver who rarely makes a mistake - thanks to IAM a course I started within weeks of passing my test. I remained shocked though at some of the people on the roads with driving licences, my dashcam is the best thing I have bought, along with my own car.

System

A driving test doesn't cost an awful lot more than 2hrs of lessons, so in my opinion its no financial disaster, and you probably learn more in a test than a lesson

Tammykitty

baza52 wrote: »

have a go https://www.gov.uk/take-practice-theory-test

49/50 - got the light colour at the level crossing wrong.


Like many of the other posters, I thought I had failed my driving test very early into it, did an emergency stop on the road out of the test centre, and thought it was far too slow, but it wasn't.


Did have quite a few minors though - about 10 I think.

droopsnoot

Car_54 wrote: »

They should already be fully aware of the contents of the Highway Code, but it's obvious from posts on this and other forums that many (possibly most) are not.

True, but how many people keep up with changes in the Highway Code, and what is it that prompts them to do so? For example roundabout lane discipline - I recall the coloured diagrams about which lane to be in, but it seems now that the "rules" have gone away and the HC talks about "whichever is most appropriate" or some such non-advice.


I know the correct answer is that drivers should take the initiative to keep up with changes, especially now the HC is available on line at no cost, but I wonder how many actually do.


Oh, and 47/50 when I finally got the site to go past the first 10-15 questions without timing out. I don't know the speed limit for towing a trailer, and it seems I shouldn't change my own wheel on the hard shoulder of a motorway any more. And a silly mistake about trying to get down a hill without using brakes.

AdrianC

droopsnoot wrote: »

True, but how many people keep up with changes in the Highway Code, and what is it that prompts them to do so?

I can think of one who doesn't seem to...

For example roundabout lane discipline - I recall the coloured diagrams about which lane to be in, but it seems now that the "rules" have gone away and the HC talks about "whichever is most appropriate" or some such non-advice.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-159-to-203
Expand the "roundabouts" section, 185 and 186.

I know the correct answer is that drivers should take the initiative to keep up with changes, especially now the HC is available on line at no cost, but I wonder how many actually do.

Indeed...

Red-Squirrel_2

NBLondon wrote: »

??? I can't visualize that - it would either have to flyover the first lane or approach from the central reservation. The only place I've seen that is in the US where the services were placed between carriageways instead of duplicating on each side.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/danger-of-motorway-junction-highlighted-1196290

walwyn1978

Fair play Lister. My instructor at the time (mid 1990's) told me that hitting the kerb meant failure and I believed him. Every day's a school day on here...

droopsnoot

AdrianC wrote: »

I can think of one who doesn't seem to...

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-159-to-203
Expand the "roundabouts" section, 185 and 186.

That diagram actually seems to support my original view that "straight across" is the left hand lane, and specifically NOT the right-hand lane.


But I was talking generally, and including myself - I certainly haven't spent any time keeping up with changes in the highway code and I wondered whether that was because I'm different to everyone else, whether everyone else naturally checks stuff like this every couple of months.

Car_54

droopsnoot wrote: »

That diagram actually seems to support my original view that "straight across" is the left hand lane, and specifically NOT the right-hand lane.


But I was talking generally, and including myself - I certainly haven't spent any time keeping up with changes in the highway code and I wondered whether that was because I'm different to everyone else, whether everyone else naturally checks stuff like this every couple of months.

I think Adrian was responding to your statement "For example roundabout lane discipline - I recall the coloured diagrams about which lane to be in, but it seems now that the "rules" have gone away and the HC talks about "whichever is most appropriate" or some such non-advice."

You claim not to keep up with the changes in the HC, yet you tell us (wrongly) what it says!

For what it's worth, the HC still has rules, and those about roundabouts haven't changed for many years.

droopsnoot

Sort of, but the text in that link for "Intermediate exits" IMO doesn't make it clear that the left hand lane is the correct lane to take when taking the second exit in the diagram, it simply says "select the appropriate lane on approach to and on the roundabout". However it does look as if my thought that it has changed is incorrect, it's just not worded as explicitly as I think I remember it was.


But that's good, then, because I am correct in thinking that the people who use the right-hand lane to go straight across the roundabout near me are in the wrong. I was thinking I might have to put up with it.