Why did you fail your driving test?

societys_child

Well, took my first my test just before my 18th birthday.
About halfway through, the examiner started banging the briefcase he had on his knee.
I thought he was having a fit.

Eventually he stopped thumping his briefcase and composed himself.
Asked me to pull in and stop 'anywhere on the left'.

He said "I think we forget didn't we?"
What? Oh . . .yeah, the emergency stop! Erm, sorry.

Said he'd probably try it again during the remainder of the test "Drive on when you're ready"
So away we went, 1st, 2nd, and as I changed up into 3rd, he slammed his briefcase so hard. . . . he wasn't going to let me forget again . .

So I'm thinking, maybe this isn't going as well as I'd hoped, but at the end, he shook my hand, congratulated me on awareness and observation, hoped I'd continue to drive in the same capable manner, etc etc. Passed first time.


Second Test. A few years later.
HGV 3. Didn't have any driving tuition but spent a couple of hours studying the many different types of braking systems you could encounter on HGVs. Was a lot of questions on those. Passed first time.

Third Test. Another few years later.
HGV 1. Had a few hours tuition, well you have to practise reversing that big bendy bit on the back, getting it straight, between them 2 lines of cones with out touching any of 'em.

Trouble is, when you go out driving the next day and have to reverse in somewhere, there's no cones . . . just brick walls or lines of cars and things. You're not allowed to touch them either.
Pleased to say, Yeah, passed first time.

And the moral is: If you make a mistake and think it's all gone wrong, don't give up, concentrate, plan ahead, it helps calm the nerves. Providing you've done nothing dangerous, you can still do it. Good luck.

lister

societys_child wrote: »

Well, took my first my test just before my 18th birthday.
About halfway through, the examiner started banging the briefcase he had on his knee.
I thought he was having a fit.

Eventually he stopped thumping his briefcase and composed himself.
Asked me to pull in and stop 'anywhere on the left'.

He said "I think we forget didn't we?"
What? Oh . . .yeah, the emergency stop! Erm, sorry.

Said he'd probably try it again during the remainder of the test "Drive on when you're ready"
So away we went, 1st, 2nd, and as I changed up into 3rd, he slammed his briefcase so hard. . . . he wasn't going to let me forget again . .

I assume not here in the UK then? Otherwise I think I would go and see a memory specialist...

In the UK examiners have never banged briefcases (clipboards onto the dash, yes, but briefcases, no.

And even if you had the odd one out who decided to go completely against all protocol, it is even less likely that they did the emergency stop without warning.

It's a common urban myth that they just spring it on you. They don't.. They will pull you up first and explain they will shortly ask you to perform an emergency stop. And when they say shortly, they mean shortly - usually 30 seconds to a minute after moving off. It has been that way since at least the late 1950s to my knowledge, and I guess probably since the first emergency stop was done on test (may even therefore be the first test).

BeenThroughItAll

takman wrote: »

My partner took her driving test earlier in the year and I was surprised to see that the local test centre had appointments at 8am everyday available. They also had later appointments a few days later, which I wasn't expecting because they are usually fully booked for weeks or even months!.

Yoof of today get to the test centre by 8am? No chance.

societys_child

lister wrote: »

I assume not here in the UK then?

You should never assume, makes you look stupid when you're wrong.

Otherwise I think I would go and see a memory specialist...

You go see one if you wish, I don't need to, I could show you the exact spot where it happened.

In the UK examiners have never banged briefcases (clipboards onto the dash, yes, but briefcases, no.

And even if you had the odd one out who decided to go completely against all protocol, it is even less likely that they did the emergency stop without warning.

Less likely doesn't mean it didn't happen. He showed me before we started driving what he would do (banged his briefcase) and explained I should bring the the vehicle to stop as quickly as possible and under complete control aka an emergency stop.

It's a common urban myth that they just spring it on you. They don't..

Yes he did

They will pull you up first and explain they will shortly ask you to perform an emergency stop.

No, he didn't

And when they say shortly, they mean shortly - usually 30 seconds to a minute after moving off.

That's not how it happened on my test, pal.

It has been that way since at least the late 1950s to my knowledge,

Your knowledge is flawed.

and I guess

. . . and now you're making guesses, lol

probably since the first emergency stop was done on test (may even therefore be the first test).

My memory's good enough to know for certain that you weren't there.

Something I didn't mention, as we walked from the offices, he pointed out a car in the distance (much further away than required) and asked me to read out the reg.
I struggled with one of the letters and admitted I couldn't make out what it was, he just smiled, looked quite pleased with himself.
As we got nearer (still about 70 ft away) I could see why, a carefully placed bolt (one of two holding the plate on) made the letter 'D' look like a 'B' from the far distance. It was his car!
No doubt you'll tell me that didn't happen either, " 'cos it's against protocol".

Your reply insinuates that I'm either a liar or I'm senile, I'm neither, but thanks for your input and sharing your uneducated guesses and infinite wisdom . . .

:beer:
Take care now . .

ETA: Also remember, had to perform hand signals, until he told me to close the window - "Its freezing in here" . . .

Car_54

societys_child wrote: »

Something I didn't mention, as we walked from the offices, he pointed out a car in the distance (much further away than required) and asked me to read out the reg.
I struggled with one of the letters and admitted I couldn't make out what it was, he just smiled, looked quite pleased with himself.
As we got nearer (still about 70 ft away) I could see why, a carefully placed bolt (one of two holding the plate on) made the letter 'D' look like a 'B' from the far distance. It was his car!
No doubt you'll tell me that didn't happen either, " 'cos it's against protocol".

That is in fact exactly in accordance with the current procedures.

"The candidate should first be asked to read a number plate containing symbols 79 mm high, which is obviously more than 20 metres away. If the candidate is unsuccessful, they should be asked to read another plate and, if necessary, allowed to walk forward until it is just over the appropriate distance away. If the second plate is not read correctly, the examiner must use the official tape to measure the precise distance from a third plate."

societys_child

That is in fact exactly in accordance with the current procedures.

Really?
I'm sure that strategically adding a bolt head, the same colour as the letters, so as to change the appearance of a particular letter. is not current procedure

If done these days, you're very likely to get nicked . .

EmmyLou30

I had 10 lessons before I did my first test in the '90's and the instructor changed his car the day before my test so we drove for 2 hours before the test for me to get used to the new car. All of that wasn't an issue as it happened.....what I actually failed for was something that never even happened, a hypothetical situation that I would argue wouldn't have happened the way he thought it would anyway....20 years later and it still bugs the hell out of me that I should have passed first time and didn't because he'd reached his quota for that week or whatever.

He was clearly clutching at straws for a reason to fail my 2 minor fault test and on the last turn back to the test centre he said I'd sat a little far back at the right turn so had I not been waiting for the oncoming cars to have a gap to allow me to turn and had there been a car coming out of that junction (there wasn't) and had I hesitated (I didn't) I might have given the car coming out of the junction the impression I was letting him out!!?? Yes, still sounds ridiculous even now. A minor fault at most, certainly not a fail.

Second time (again, 2 minors so a very good test) I inexplicably took the right hand lane on a roundabout for going straight on (nerves - being failed when I shouldn't have been really knocked my confidence). But it was a 2 lane entry and 2 lane exit so while not the done thing, not technically wrong in the highway code. So another fail for something that shouldn't have been a fail.

By test 3 I was a nervous wreck after being told twice I couldn't drive :-( I passed with only 3 minors and told that it was only just as pass as I drove a bit slow so I should speed up. I would say my driving got worse on each test because of unfair failures and nerves, but you're partially at the mercy of what pass rate they've achieved that week as I have friends who rammed up over kerbs, fluffed their 3 point turns, one almost hit another car etc etc but still passed somehow.

My sister in law failed as someone careered across her path on a roundabout, she did and emergency stop, pulled away again when safe and basically did a text book example of what to do it that situation....fail. Examiner said yes you handled it perfectly and safely but I'm obliged to fail you because you did an emergency stop. So she couldn't win with that one! So unfair.

Not sure any of that helped but good luck with your test and don't let anyone knock your confidence if you know yourself to be a good driver. Took me years to get my confidence back after the unfair failures but 20 years of driving later, zero accidents, not even a scuffed hub cap, no points or anything I can confidently say I'm a good driver and I clock up 14k miles a year.

Car_54

societys_child wrote: »

Really?
I'm sure that strategically adding a bolt head, the same colour as the letters, so as to change the appearance of a particular letter. is not current procedure

If done these days, you're very likely to get nicked . .

Yes, I was responding to the suggestion that starting with a distant vehicle was wrong.

molerat

All I can say is ........




I don't understand the question

engineer_amy

First time - We had just started the test and only driven about half a mile from the test centre, when the examiner asked me to pull over to the side of the road and execute my "reverse round a corner" manoeuvre. Which I did perfectly.
However when resuming the test, I was asked to continue on and turn left. Having just lined the car up with the kerb to complete the manoeuvre, I forgot to pull away from the kerb before turning. My wheels were too close to the kerb and my rear wheel mounted the pavement as I turned the corner. Instant fail and I knew it. But I decided to continue on as I thought it would be good practice for the next time. I finished that test without a single minor, only the one major. I think I relaxed after I knew I had failed.
My second test I passed with only 1 minor (one week before Christmas at 5.30pm and in rush hour traffic), and I made sure I left plenty of space between the pavement and the car when turning corners!