PDA

View Full Version : Driving Test!!!



306 Cosworth
21st June 2007, 14:41
Gotmy driving test this coming Monday and am looking forward to it but also very nervous, i'm soooooo desperate to pass!! Has anyone on hear take their driving test recently? What was it like, what was your examiner like and how did it go? Will let you all know the result come Monday morning (9:37am I start :s )

Viktory
21st June 2007, 16:08
Had mine last October. Went very well :) Passed with flying colours hehe. My examinator was very nice, he was a little motorsport interested so that helped break the ice a bit. I guess I was a little nervous before, it's pretty hard not to be. But it wasn't bad at all.

Drew
21st June 2007, 16:51
Just take it easy that's the only piece of advice I can give you :p :

Brown, Jon Brow
21st June 2007, 17:35
306 - this isn't the time or the place!! :mad:

http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118070

306 Cosworth
21st June 2007, 18:22
ooops sorry BJB have you got your test re-booked? Just had a driving lesson and did a mock test and got 2 faults so am pretty confident about Monday :D Just gotta treat it like a Driving Lesson! (But more expensive!)

Brown, Jon Brow
21st June 2007, 18:25
It's re-booked but this time i'm doing it in my own car.

jim mcglinchey
21st June 2007, 18:42
Heres a little tip, it may sound very pessimistic, but if you have your re-test booked even before you do your test, then you wont have to wait as long for it and if you pass then just cancel the re-test.

tannat
21st June 2007, 19:46
What dod they ask you to do for your test?

I understand it is a bit more difficult across the pond....

Brown, Jon Brow
21st June 2007, 20:09
The test will include an eyesight check (if you fail this, your test will not continue). The eyesight test requires you to read a number plate that is a certain distance away.
After the eyesight test you will be asked two vehicle safety check questions. You will then be examined on your general driving and on two reversing exercises. The reversing exercises will be chosen from:

* reversing around a corner
* turning in the road (AKA 3 point turn)
* reverse parking (Reverse into a parking bay or a parallel park)

You may also be asked to carry out an emergency stop exercise.

You can make up to 15 driving faults and still pass the test (16 or more results in failure). However, if you commit one serious or dangerous fault you will fail the test. If at any time your examiner considers you to be a danger to other road users your test will be stopped.

fandango
21st June 2007, 22:43
I stalled the engine on my test. It was at a stop-sign at the top of a hill on a T-junction going onto a two-way road. I still passed with no faults at all. Would I have failed or had a fault in other countries?

fandango
21st June 2007, 22:44
Btw good luck to all who have their test coming in the near future... :) :up:

Drew
22nd June 2007, 00:23
I stalled the engine on my test. It was at a stop-sign at the top of a hill on a T-junction going onto a two-way road. I still passed with no faults at all. Would I have failed or had a fault in other countries?

They generally allow you a stall or two, as long as it's not persistent :)

306 Cosworth
22nd June 2007, 17:42
I think you can get off with stalling it once on a quiet junction and sometimes they put it down to nerves.
BJB that's the perfect description of the driving test, just hope I don't get a parallel park in my test, I hate them! :mad: :p :

AndySpeed
23rd June 2007, 16:25
I was lucky because I wasn't very good at bay parking at the time, but my examiner didn't choose for me to do it :D
also don't do what I did and nearly take off the wing mirror against a truck, even though I still passed first time.

It's all luck really, so here's hoping that you get some good luck!

BDunnell
23rd June 2007, 16:33
And if you get nervous beforehand and don't reckon you'll be able to go through with it, you can always pay someone to impersonate you — http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6231892.stm

Brown, Jon Brow
23rd June 2007, 21:10
I think you can get off with stalling it once on a quiet junction and sometimes they put it down to nerves.
BJB that's the perfect description of the driving test, just hope I don't get a parallel park in my test, I hate them! :mad: :p :

I can do the parking maneuvers every time, I did a parallel on my test. Up until my test I could do the reverse round a corner perfect, but because I wan't to make sure I didn't hit the kerb I forgot about rear observation and didn't give way to a van behind me. :bigcry:

I would still prefer reverse round a corner over 3 point turn because the turning circle in my Punto isn't brilliant, but I still refuse to do it as a 5 point turn.

MadCat
23rd June 2007, 21:46
A friend from school had his test and had to do a parallel park. He was the second person in the five years our instructor (we had the same one) has been teaching that has got one. He failed because of it.

306 Cosworth
23rd June 2007, 22:34
Only the second person in 5 years! Blimey he was unlucky then, really hope all I get is 3 Point Turn )Can do them perfick!) and Reverse around a corner :D

Drew
24th June 2007, 00:42
And if you get nervous beforehand and don't reckon you'll be able to go through with it, you can always pay someone to impersonate you — http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6231892.stm

There's my summer job sorted, then.

BDunnell
24th June 2007, 00:47
There's my summer job sorted, then.

That's the sort of enterprise that made this country great.

306 Cosworth
24th June 2007, 18:57
Hmmmm could be an option if I had the money, but will have to see how tomorrow goes :uhoh: Just under 15 hours left!

Bezza
24th June 2007, 19:31
I only passed third time, first one was down to inexperience (failed because of lack of mirror usage!) and the second was due to being hungover (not clever).

However I reckon I'm a much better driver having had the extra practice before passing. I'd confidently say that I am a very good driver. It amazes me how many bad drivers there are out there - how the hell do they pass their test?! Also, why do only crap drivers own BMW's?

stevie_gerrard
25th June 2007, 01:25
Good luck with it 306 cosworth, hope it goes well, ive got mine booked for soon, as long as you remain confident, you will be fine :)

306 Cosworth
25th June 2007, 12:13
Passed with no problems at all am well pleased, and I only got 2 Minors! :D :D Was pissing it down for the whole test!

Mark
25th June 2007, 12:14
Well done!

306 Cosworth
25th June 2007, 12:50
Cheers Mark, just gotta get a car now :(

Viktory
25th June 2007, 12:58
congratulations! Now be a responsible driver and take care on the roads :)

Donney
25th June 2007, 12:59
Congratulations!!!!

306 Cosworth
25th June 2007, 13:15
I will try Viktor, keep the rally driving to the stages ;)

Daniel
25th June 2007, 14:14
Passed with no problems at all am well pleased, and I only got 2 Minors! :D :D Was pissing it down for the whole test!
Good stuff :) Get yourself a 306 turbo diesel and it's all good :D

Brown, Jon Brow
25th June 2007, 15:10
Cheers Mark, just gotta get a car now :(

Get one of these ;)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb43/jmatthewb/BTCC%20Oulton/IMG_9958.jpg

Daniel
25th June 2007, 15:29
Why do that when a 306 dt is just as good for a lot less coin ;)

I have two questions for you Jon.

How much did you pay for it?

How much is it worth now? ;)

306 Cosworth
25th June 2007, 15:35
Wish I had the money for one of them, found a nice P Reg 1.4 Vauxhall Corsa for £995, gonna have a look at it tomorrow hopefully.

Brown, Jon Brow
25th June 2007, 15:35
Why do that when a 306 dt is just as good for a lot less coin ;)

I have two questions for you Jon.

How much did you pay for it?

How much is it worth now? ;)

£6,200 (with 3 year warranty and free road tax, list price is over £8,000)

Priceless ;)
Read post 58
http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118466&page=3

Daniel
25th June 2007, 15:39
£6,200 (with 3 year warranty and free road tax, list price is over £8,000)

Priceless ;)
Read post 58
http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118466&page=3
List price :laugh:

No one pays list price. Without even haggling I can get your you Punto for £6600 so at a push that's what it's worth.

So anyway how much is your car worth now considering I could go and get one for £6600 with no trouble at all?

Realising that Jon got suckered into thinking he saved £1800?

Priceless

Mark
25th June 2007, 15:50
btw, road tax has to be included in new car purchases by law, so don't fall for the 'free road tax' squiz ;)

Daniel
25th June 2007, 15:51
btw, road tax has to be included in new car purchases by law, so don't fall for the 'free road tax' squiz ;)
Priceless (the road tax that is because it doesn't cost anything with a new car :p )

Brown, Jon Brow
25th June 2007, 15:55
So anyway how much is your car worth now considering I could go and get one for £6600 with no trouble at all?




No idea, but I suppose your going to tell me.

Some 1.2's on AutoTrader are on for over £7,000 with over 4,000 miles :s
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/cars_search.jsp?searchform=&modelexact=1&lid=search_used_cars_full&photo=1&state=none&sort=5&hassearched=Y&make=FIAT&min_pr=75&source=0&model=GRANDE+PUNTO&max_pr=&miles=40&agerange=&mileage=1&postcode=pr3+0tf&bodyid=0&fuelid=0&colour=&transmissionid=0

Well it has around 600 miles on it so you tell me.

I'd take my car any day over a diesel 306.

Mark
25th June 2007, 15:58
Well I for one think you got a bloody good deal. Don't listen to the aussie. He's only jealous ;)

Daniel
25th June 2007, 16:05
No idea, but I suppose your going to tell me.

Some 1.2's on AutoTrader are on for over £7,000 with over 4,000 miles :s
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/cars_search.jsp?searchform=&modelexact=1&lid=search_used_cars_full&photo=1&state=none&sort=5&hassearched=Y&make=FIAT&min_pr=75&source=0&model=GRANDE+PUNTO&max_pr=&miles=40&agerange=&mileage=1&postcode=pr3+0tf&bodyid=0&fuelid=0&colour=&transmissionid=0

Well it has around 600 miles on it so you tell me.

I'd take my car any day over a diesel 306.
Jeez I wonder if those people will get 7 grand for their car if you can buy a new one for £6600? :confused: Would you buy a used car for 7 if you could get a new one for 6 and a half?
Perhaps you're not familiar with the laws of economics or you're just plain naive and believe everything that a salesperson says. But your car has gone down in value since you drove it off the dealer's property. If you can go and sell your car for 7k (or 8????) then go and do it but you won't get nearly that amount of money. The salesperson would have waited for someone to come along and pay 7k if the car was worth that much new and would have made another 800quid but he/she didn't because it's only worth what you ended up paying for it ;)

Daniel
25th June 2007, 16:06
Well I for one think you got a bloody good deal. Don't listen to the aussie. He's only jealous ;)

I'll keep my 406 thanks :)

Cheap
Comfortable
Quick in comparison to a 1.2 Punto
It's got air con
Did I mention it's cheap? Only cost me £975 and is probably still worth around that at the moment :)

Brown, Jon Brow
25th June 2007, 16:25
Forgot to say 306. Well done :up:

Daniel
25th June 2007, 16:39
Wish I had the money for one of them, found a nice P Reg 1.4 Vauxhall Corsa for £995, gonna have a look at it tomorrow hopefully.
Didn't see your post there :) Also have a look at 106's :) I was considering getting a 106 or a 306 when the 406 came into my life :p

Brown, Jon Brow
25th June 2007, 16:43
Don't buy anything French because they have a reputation for being unreliable and expensive to repair when they break.

(Brown, Jon Brow sees 'unreliable' in his post and reminds himself that he drives a FIAT :uhoh: )

Daniel
25th June 2007, 16:54
Don't buy anything French because they have a reputation for being unreliable and expensive to repair when they break.

(Brown, Jon Brow sees 'unreliable' in his post and reminds himself that he drives a FIAT :uhoh: )

Don't listen to someone who's only just got his licence :)

I've owned 2 Peugeot's and a Fiat and 2 of the cars were well over 20 years old when I got them and both were bulletproof. The only breakdown I ever had was a 27 year old wire breaking off the coil.

Treated properly any car will last well. Buy whatever you enjoy driving and whatever looks clean, drives well, doesn't make noises or blow smoke and has a service history.

A BMW that's been abused can be less reliable than a well treated Peugeot or a Renault or a Fiat or whatever....... So don't just shop by badge.

Don't think that because you're buying an old car you have to settle for crap. You can get many really good cars for well under a grand. People in this country are obsessed with owning the latest and the greatest so many cars which aren't necessarily that old or that bad get sold off cheaply because no one wants them. This is a good thing for you. You'll be able to get a cracking car for your money :)

306 Cosworth
25th June 2007, 18:48
I was looking at 106's but I didn't really want to have 3 Peugeots outside our house as we've already got a 406 Estate and 406 Coupe lol My dad had a look at the Corsa today and said it's alright, just a little dent in the bonnet but it's my first car after all, it's gonna get some serious abusgae probably :laugh:

GridGirl
25th June 2007, 19:35
Jon, you do seem to think that you car is the best thing since sliced bread. It a nice first car, but its not the best car in the world. Once the novelty has worn off, things start going wrong with it, your sick of petrol prices going up, you detest washing it, and your quite frankly bored with owning it, you'll soon want something else. :p

Congratulations 306. Now you've just got to be careful during the next two years. I still don't know how my brother managed to stay point free in his first 2 years let alone not get 6 points.

Brown, Jon Brow
25th June 2007, 19:42
Jon, you do seem to think that you car is the best thing since sliced bread. It a nice first car, but its not the best car in the world. Once the novelty has worn off, things start going wrong with it, your sick of petrol prices going up, you detest washing it, and your quite frankly bored with owning it, you'll soon want something else. :p



Better than sliced bread ;)

306 Cosworth
25th June 2007, 22:53
I'd rather have a first car that you can thrash about and treat like **** basically, wouldn't take that Punto onto a gravel track, I would the Corsa, but might fit a Undertray to it.

Mark
26th June 2007, 08:58
Congratulations 306. Now you've just got to be careful during the next two years. I still don't know how my brother managed to stay point free in his first 2 years let alone not get 6 points.

Perhaps he didn't have a car which could do 0-60 in 0.02 seconds ;)

GridGirl
26th June 2007, 09:28
You've obviously never had the misfortune of being in a car that my brother has been driving Mark :p You could get wiplash with his lead foot on the accelerator pedal. :s

Daniel
26th June 2007, 11:35
I'd rather have a first car that you can thrash about and treat like **** basically, wouldn't take that Punto onto a gravel track, I would the Corsa, but might fit a Undertray to it.
That's the attitude I like to see :) :up: Find your limits in a cheap car and if you have a moment abd spin it in a lane and bend it just dust it off and replace the parts cheaply and be on your way.

Too many people want something shiny and new and stylish and you don't seem obsessed by that. Getting a new car is like paying a few hundred quid for an LV wallet or handbag. It's no better than a cheaper handbag or whatever. You just buy it because you look better than someone driving an older car. I once had a friend who saved up and saved up to buy an LV bag and when I said "is it a knockoff" you should have seen the look on her face :p . Big deal. I could care less what others think :) I was thinking I might want a new car in a few years but I've looked online and the cars I like are sooooo much cheaper 2nd hand. Plus I wouldn't feel so guilty taking it on a gravel road. If I saw a car so lovely I had to own it for the rest of my life and was so concerned about owning it from new I'd buy it new but show me a car under 20k that is seriously worth owning forever and ever and ever?

Brown, Jon Brow
26th June 2007, 11:54
My mum said that she would help me out with buying a new car, because they are so cheap compared with what they were 10 years ago. She got a brand new Clio in 1995 and it cost around £8000, that car had no features that come as standard on cheaper modern cars e.g power steering, ABS, airbags, CD payer, electric windows, central locking etc. Plus when buying a new car you have a 3 year warranty.

I think because I'm a young driver, by driving a new car I am less likely to drive like an idiot because I am worried about getting a scratch on it.

Plus when you are at a high risk of having an accident, as young drivers are, the modern safety standards of new cars are invaluable. (Punto has 5 NCAP stars)

Most of the time when you read about drivers being killed on the roads its in a car that cost them £50.

Brown, Jon Brow
26th June 2007, 12:11
Back on the topic of driving. What is the correct way to change lanes when on a dual carriageway?

Is it to wait for a suitable gap, then indicate and pull across.

or

Indicate early and then wait for a suitable gap then pull across.

Daniel
26th June 2007, 12:18
My mum said that she would help me out with buying a new car, because they are so cheap compared with what they were 10 years ago. She got a brand new Clio in 1995 and it cost around £8000, that car had no features that come as standard on cheaper modern cars e.g power steering, ABS, airbags, CD payer, electric windows, central locking etc. Plus when buying a new car you have a 3 year warranty.

I think because I'm a young driver, by driving a new car I am less likely to drive like an idiot because I am worried about getting a scratch on it.

Plus when you are at a high risk of having an accident, as young drivers are, the modern safety standards of new cars are invaluable. (Punto has 5 NCAP stars)

Most of the time when you read about drivers being killed on the roads its in a car that cost them £50.

The thing is my car cost me 970 and for another 220 quid I got a CD player with an iPod adaptor and a bluetooth hands free kit. It also comes with all the other equipment you talk about. I'm sure I can repair anything that goes wrong with the £5000 change :)

I'm not trying to offend you Jon as you appear to be besotted with your new car but in 2 or 3 years time when Fiat change the grille and put slightly different wheels on it and faff about with the rear lights it will be no better than any decently equipped 10 year old car on the road these days and it will be the dreaded "previous model".

In a few years time I'll happily snap up a high spec previous model C4 for not much coin and have a much better car than I'd get new.

One day the penny will finally drop and you'll understand.

Daniel
26th June 2007, 12:21
Back on the topic of driving. What is the correct way to change lanes when on a dual carriageway?

Is it to wait for a suitable gap, then indicate and pull across.

or

Indicate early and then wait for a suitable gap then pull across.

Either way really. As long as you don't cause anyone to put their brakes on and possibly cause an accident it's fine. You can't go wrong with indicating to change lanes before there's a gap though. It tells everyone that you're going to change lanes. Too many times people just pull out. Even if they're only doing 60 and you're doing significantly more. If they'd indicate you could slow down but they don't........

Brown, Jon Brow
26th June 2007, 12:26
The thing is my car cost me 970 and for another 220 quid I got a CD player with an iPod adaptor and a bluetooth hands free kit. It also comes with all the other equipment you talk about. I'm sure I can repair anything that goes wrong with the £5000 change :)

I'm not trying to offend you Jon as you appear to be besotted with your new car but in 2 or 3 years time when Fiat change the grille and put slightly different wheels on it and faff about with the rear lights it will be no better than any decently equipped 10 year old car on the road these days and it will be the dreaded "previous model".

In a few years time I'll happily snap up a high spec previous model C4 for not much coin and have a much better car than I'd get new.

One day the penny will finally drop and you'll understand.

What about all the stuff I said about safety?

Brown, Jon Brow
26th June 2007, 12:32
Either way really. As long as you don't cause anyone to put their brakes on and possibly cause an accident it's fine. You can't go wrong with indicating to change lanes before there's a gap though. It tells everyone that you're going to change lanes. Too many times people just pull out. Even if they're only doing 60 and you're doing significantly more. If they'd indicate you could slow down but they don't........

My instructor has told me to wait for a gap then indicate. But if a space never appears you will never change lanes :\

My dad told me to indicate early to warn other drivers. The problem with this is that if you have a car close behind in the next lane, you don't know if they are going to speed up and get past or give you space. It also doesn't follow the Mirror-signal-maneuver process.

Daniel
26th June 2007, 12:35
What about all the stuff I said about safety?
The most important safety device is the one I fitted inbetween the pedals and the seat :)

Daniel
26th June 2007, 12:39
My instructor has told me to wait for a gap then indicate. But if a space never appears you will never change lanes

My dad told me to indicate early to warn other drivers. The problem with this is that if you have a car close behind in the next lane, you don't know if they are going to speed up and get past or give you space. It also doesn't follow the Mirror-signal-maneuver process.

Your instructor is a twit. There's nothing wrong with indicating when there is no space. Someone's either going to let you in or not. Unless he's worried about excessive wear on your indicator bulbs or something there's no need to wait for a space before indicating. If I'm driving up to someone in the left hand lane with no indicator on I'll assume they DON'T want to change lanes and that's what your car will be "saying" to everyone else on the road if your indicator is off. Your dad is right :up:

306 Cosworth
26th June 2007, 12:54
I agree with you Daniel about what you said earlier, I just want I car that I can thrash about basically :p :

Daniel
26th June 2007, 13:00
I agree with you Daniel about what you said earlier, I just want I car that I can thrash about basically :p :

Get a 106 with a nice little engine and thrash it about :) Peugeot's are not horribly unreliable cars as some people try to make out :) There's a reason why there are already 2 Pugs in your driveway you know ;)

DonJippo
26th June 2007, 13:14
There's a reason why there are already 2 Pugs in your driveway you know

Because the first one broke down :confused:

Mark
26th June 2007, 13:17
Your driving instructor was probably just talking about what you should do in an ideal situation. Normally when I'm wanting to overtake I will look in my mirrors to see if there is someone about to overtake me, if there is I will let them go, then indicate and move into the gap behind them, if a gap exists.

If a gap doesn't open up at that point you just have to wait until one appears, for the most part sensible drivers (i.e. not chavs in Corsas or BMW drivers) will not risk overtaking someone who's indicating so they will hang back and give you the gap you need.

The trick is being able to read the speed of approach of other cars, and knowing how much gap you are going to need, which is in itself a function of what your car can do, something which only comes with experience.

Daniel
26th June 2007, 13:45
Because the first one broke down :confused:
You can talk! Pino called your car "gay" :p

GridGirl
26th June 2007, 14:25
What about all the stuff I said about safety?

But if your in a big accident its still probably going to hurt whether you have 5 fancy NCAP stars or none.

Mark
26th June 2007, 14:27
But if you have the 5 stars you've got more chance of coming out alive.

GridGirl
26th June 2007, 14:45
I know that, but its still going to hurt. :p

Daniel
26th June 2007, 14:58
I'd rather not have an accident. I had all my accidents years ago and made sure they were small ones :p

306 Cosworth
26th June 2007, 17:49
Because the first one broke down :confused:

Actually my mum wrote off the other 406 we had as a fuel pipe broke sprayed fuel all over the tyres and lets just say fuel and wet road and motorway slip roads don't mix :s

But yeah they are fairly reliable cars, and had a blast in the 406 Coupe couple of weeks ago and it goes pretty well despite abit of turbo lag :D

306 Cosworth
26th June 2007, 17:51
(i.e. not chavs in Corsas


I'm no Chav :eek: :s

MadCat
30th June 2007, 23:52
Just going back to Luke wanting to get a car to thrash about, my Fiat Seicento (dont all laugh at once!) is pretty nippy. Its a 1.1 and is so small it doesnt exactly weigh an awful lot so goes pretty well ...

... although i doubt it'd do much to save me in an accident :p :

306 Cosworth
1st July 2007, 21:21
Has your car got 5 gears?

MadCat
2nd July 2007, 10:30
yep :)

306 Cosworth
2nd July 2007, 18:48
Good stuff, should be fairly economical on the motorway then :up:

Mark
3rd July 2007, 09:00
Don't all cars built in the past 20 years have 5 gears? :s

(OK excluding automatics, you pedant :p )

306 Cosworth
3rd July 2007, 17:28
Nope they don't. My mates 1litre Polo has 4 gears and so does another mates Pug 106!

Brown, Jon Brow
7th July 2007, 19:22
I went for my retest yesterday and I must say it went brilliantly well. I don't think it could have been a more perfect drive! I had a turn in the road, I think the examiner was deliberately trying to catch me out because I she made do it on a very narrow road next to a corner. But I did it carefully in 5 points. My final maneuver was the bay park in the test center car park, which again I did perfectly if I say so myself. :D I turned off the engine and I was very pleased with myself. Then the examiner said "I'm very sorry............ (I'm thinking 'why are you sorry when I've passed?' ) .............but you have failed! I was and still am furious!!! :mad:

Apparently when I turned right out of the test center car park, I pulled out in front of a burke who was speeding in a 'chaved up' 206 causing him to slow down. I am 100% certain that the 206 hadn't come around the corner before I committed to pulling out. But the examiner disagreed so I failed my test before I got onto the road. :bigcry:

Almost as frustrating was that I only got 2 minor faults and I feel that they were dubious.

* Observation not checking my blind spot when pulling away - Bollucks! I always check my blind spot !! I remember doing it every time I set off on my test.

* Not stopping at zebra crossing - Bollucks! If the examiner read her highway code she would know that you only stop at zebra crossings if pedestrians are on the crossing, and there wasn't any :mad:

You can probably tell that I am a 'bit' p1ssed off! But I don't think that you are tested on your driving ability. If that was the case why can people pass who get 15 minor faults? Your tested on luck!


Last night I was very close to self harm :bigcry:

CharlieJ
7th July 2007, 22:56
A few years ago, there were some news articles revealing that examiners had been told that they must only pass a certain percentage of candidates. looks like it's still happening.

Better luck next time.

Might be worth applying to take the test at a different test centre - it worked for my wife; she failed twice at one centre then passed at a different one.

Daniel
7th July 2007, 23:25
I went for my retest yesterday and I must say it went brilliantly well. I don't think it could have been a more perfect drive! I had a turn in the road, I think the examiner was deliberately trying to catch me out because I she made do it on a very narrow road next to a corner. But I did it carefully in 5 points. My final maneuver was the bay park in the test center car park, which again I did perfectly if I say so myself. :D I turned off the engine and I was very pleased with myself. Then the examiner said "I'm very sorry............ (I'm thinking 'why are you sorry when I've passed?' ) .............but you have failed! I was and still am furious!!! :mad:

Apparently when I turned right out of the test center car park, I pulled out in front of a burke who was speeding in a 'chaved up' 206 causing him to slow down. I am 100% certain that the 206 hadn't come around the corner before I committed to pulling out. But the examiner disagreed so I failed my test before I got onto the road. :bigcry:

Almost as frustrating was that I only got 2 minor faults and I feel that they were dubious.

* Observation not checking my blind spot when pulling away - Bollucks! I always check my blind spot !! I remember doing it every time I set off on my test.

* Not stopping at zebra crossing - Bollucks! If the examiner read her highway code she would know that you only stop at zebra crossings if pedestrians are on the crossing, and there wasn't any :mad:

You can probably tell that I am a 'bit' p1ssed off! But I don't think that you are tested on your driving ability. If that was the case why can people pass who get 15 minor faults? Your tested on luck!


Last night I was very close to self harm :bigcry:
If you caused a car to slow down then that's very good reason for you to be failed. Don't take it personally....

Brown, Jon Brow
8th July 2007, 00:16
If you caused a car to slow down then that's very good reason for you to be failed. Don't take it personally....

No it isn't!

Basically the reason I failed was because the 206 driver was speeding. Even if I was going 30mph he would still have to slow down because he was going about 45mph!

No common sense is seemed to be applied by examiners. Someone at work told me about the time they failed because they were driving down a street with double parked cars. A Land Rover coming towards them pulled in to let them past and this cause them to fail, because someone gave way to them. The next day she went down the road with her instructor and the Land Rover was still 'pulled in' because it was parked outside it's house!

Daniel
8th July 2007, 00:46
"Sorry I caused that fatal accident officer. I could see he was speeding but I pulled out in front of him because he was breaking the law."

Brown, Jon Brown 2007

There are generally two people in an accident. The idiot who originally caused it and the idiot who let it happen. You tried to be that 2nd person. Haste isn't a good thing in a car. Just wait till the idiot passes you and then pull out. The examiner isn't going to fail you for driving too safely.

Brown, Jon Brow
8th July 2007, 00:55
There are generally two people in an accident. The idiot who originally caused it and the idiot who let it happen. You tried to be that 2nd person. Haste isn't a good thing in a car. Just wait till the idiot passes you and then pull out. The examiner isn't going to fail you for driving too safely.

You missed a point I made in my first post. As I started to pull out the 206 was out of my vision because he was around the bend. Unfortunately, because of the laws of light I couldn't see around the bend. As I pulled out onto the road both ways were clear, when he came around the bend I was 1/4 of the way across the road so it was too late for me to give way.

So that's another £50 I have to spend/give to the DSA. I wonder how much more of my money they want to steal.

GridGirl
9th July 2007, 13:29
I dont mean this in a bad way Jon, but this is the second time you've become angry that you've failed your test and its the second time you've blamed it on another person's actions. Your the one thats responsible for you driving, and when it comes down to test conditions, what may be acceptable in everyday driving, you just can't get away with in your driving test even if the guy only had to slow for a fraction of a second.

You might think that you drive brilliantly for all of 40 minutes, but believe me, in two or three years time when you have much more experience of driving you'll think back and relaise that you really dont know anything at all about driving yet. You can learn a huge amount from just day to day driving that no lesson will ever teach you.

Brown, Jon Brow
9th July 2007, 13:40
I dont mean this in a bad way Jon, but this is the second time you've become angry that you've failed your test and its the second time you've blamed it on another person's actions. Your the one thats responsible for you driving, and when it comes down to test conditions, what may be acceptable in everyday driving, you just can't get away with in your driving test even if the guy only had to slow for a fraction of a second.

You might think that you drive brilliantly for all of 40 minutes, but believe me, in two or three years time when you have much more experience of driving you'll think back and relaise that you really dont know anything at all about driving yet. You can learn a huge amount from just day to day driving that no lesson will ever teach you.

It can't be my fault though, it's someone else's. I need to blame someone.

I bet that most people who have been driving for over 3 years would fail their driving test if they retook it. Do you still feed the wheel? Do you leave enough space in a queue at traffic lights so you can see the car in front rear tyers? Do you only indicate to change lanes on a duel carriageway when the lane is clear?

How can my mate pass after he's been only driving for 2 months, I've been driving for 18 months now and I did nearly 1000 miles of town driving in the month running up to my test. I reckon that I have more experience than many other that past their test.

GridGirl
9th July 2007, 13:57
It can be your fault, you cant blame everyone else.

So what if your mate has only had 2 months of driving and passed, everyone is different. My brother passed his driving test four months after his 17th birthday. That doesnt mean he's a better driver than me.

Jon, you haven't passed your test yet. You've done all your driving supervised. You've had the back up of someone who's passed thier test for 2 years or whatever the rules are to help you if you get stuck. By all means people who've passed their test years ago, may fail it if they retook it today. What I meant was that you learn more when you drive unsupervised and learn how to read the road etc. You dont understand now, but you will in a few years time.

Brown, Jon Brow
9th July 2007, 14:00
It can be your fault, you cant blame everyone else.



Look at your sig ;)

GridGirl
9th July 2007, 14:04
Yeah but thats been my signiture on this forum since June 2000. :p

Daniel
9th July 2007, 14:31
It can't be my fault though, it's someone else's. I need to blame someone.

I bet that most people who have been driving for over 3 years would fail their driving test if they retook it. Do you still feed the wheel? Do you leave enough space in a queue at traffic lights so you can see the car in front rear tyers? Do you only indicate to change lanes on a duel carriageway when the lane is clear?

How can my mate pass after he's been only driving for 2 months, I've been driving for 18 months now and I did nearly 1000 miles of town driving in the month running up to my test. I reckon that I have more experience than many other that past their test.

Not everyone forgets everything that's taught to them. I still leave space, don't feed the wheel (stupid and dangerous IMHO and I was never actually taught to really do it, just not to cross my arms) and I never pull out in front of someone if it's going to cause them to slow down excessively. You need to alter your driving style to suit the road because the millions of motorists aren't suddenly going to change and accept it when you pull out in front of them or do other things that get on peoples nerves. If someone pulls up right on my bum at a traffic light I usually take off in second with a little bit of clutch slip, full throttle and a lot of black diesel smoke.

Brown, Jon Brow
9th July 2007, 14:34
If someone pulls up right on my bum at a traffic light I usually take off in second with a little bit of clutch slip, full throttle and a lot of black diesel smoke.

You maniac!!

You be surprised at how close people get behind learner drivers when you are stopped on a hill. The 'L' plates are there for a reason.

Daniel
9th July 2007, 15:08
You maniac!!

You be surprised at how close people get behind learner drivers when you are stopped on a hill. The 'L' plates are there for a reason.

Maniac? Do you know how slowly a turbo diesel will take off in 2nd gear at full throttle? Off cam, off boast and with no power it just pours out smoke. I said if someone's up MY bum. Not if I'm up theirs.

I would never do it to an L plater. I just wouldn't.