Rascal's Learning to Drive

[johnb]

I don't know if this was / is true, but when I took my test(s) in 1967, I got the chief examiner at one centre twice. I was told that it was the practice to allocate the same examiner as it indicated some consistancy. If it is so, let' hope Robin's examiner doesn't read the forum. Although Robin hasn't said anything bad, this guy seems as though he may take umbrage, and we don't have enough of that!

I changed the term" head examiner" to "chief examiner" for reasons that certain readers will certainly understand and to avoid their comments!

[Ray]

All the best drivers fail their first test! Commiserations Robin, I well remember the disappointment of failing my first test. All will be well in the end and everything that happens on the way to a full licemce adds to your well of experience 

[LondonRascal]

37 minutes ago, Katiew said:

Rather, focus on the areas of the test that you did well and where no issues were evidenced

Thank you. And this is very true, since after this incident I was natural rather low and felt pretty sick inside. I felt 'what is the point going on' yet despite this and other things, I kept my level head.  I am pleased that I did not begin to make silly errors just because I was under pressure or feelings disheartened.  I am also pleased I have shared my journey here, from simply talking about progress to taking onboard peoples comments and today giving the news I need to keep on going for the time being to get the magical 'pink licence'.

[KatieR]

7 minutes ago, LondonRascal said:

I kept my level head.  I am pleased that I did not begin to make silly errors just because I was under pressure or feelings disheartened. 

Good on you Robin, remember how you found the strength and concentration to complete the majority of the requirements well, many others wouldn't have been able to do that.

Now carefully file that memory away somewhere accessible- it will prove invaluable in the moments before your next test!

[ExSurveyor]

Matron failed her first test,  after her second test she was due on the ward so wore her nurses uniform and passed.

Her sister failed four tests until she borrowed a nurses uniform and passed on the fifth attempt.

Robin,  what size are you

 

[YnysMon]

I’m convinced I failed the first time because the examiner thought I was too confident. Just make sure you put it behind you for the next test, don’t over think it, and you’ll sail through! (Yes sail!)

[BroadAmbition]

Lads Week, commencing this Friday - There ain't any amber lights on the river, * or examiners with biased attitude either. So today's practise driving test is already behind you.  Come a fortnight or so and you will have cracked it.

Griff

*  There are plenty of overhanging trees though on the Waveney . . . . . . . . . .   

[smellyloo]

I believe the examiner needs to be confident that you are a safe driver. If he feels you are not then there will be many things he could choose to fail you on.

A driving test isn't about ticking boxes you have to drive confidently and demonstrate to the examiner that you are a safe and competent driver.

If the examiner is not confident in your driving ability then he is doing you a favour by failing you as you will gain more experience in the run up to your next test.

Whilst I enjoy your "blogging" you do open yourself up to critism and maybe your examiner had read your blog prior to your test?

Best put this test out of your mind and concentrate on passing the next.  

[LondonRascal]

3 hours ago, smellyloo said:

Whilst I enjoy your "blogging" you do open yourself up to critism and maybe your examiner had read your blog prior to your test? 

The Examiner may very well know of me, since he lives in Potter Heigham, but reading this Forum about this - that is like when I bought Independence and people were telling me I was crazy to reveal so much detail including what my tactics were to get the price I did in the public realm in case the owner read it and thought 'I know your game now'.

I have had 24 hours to think over things and have a new tactic - treat it just like I did my theory test, turn up and see how I do without a care. This way the nerves can be put to one side because it matters not if you do well or not - re-book wait ten days turn up do it again.  So my next test is 15th November, I have some additional lessons booked in the week leading up to the test all planned to run from late afternoon into the evening so I can get some more night driving practice in.

I would agree with Ynysmon:

13 hours ago, YnysMon said:

I’m convinced I failed the first time because the examiner thought I was too confident. Just make sure you put it behind you for the next test, don’t over think it, and you’ll sail through! (Yes sail!)

And I don't mean that to mean a show off, or acting like you know it all - but it is just the smoothness of the drive, keeping up to speed, planning and judging when to pull away or stop etc. I was behind a chap on his test earlier in the day and my Instructor said he is being far too cautious and risking things - for example doing about 23 MPH in a 30 MPH and when it went to a 40 MPH not speeding up much. What can happen then is people behind begin to build up and it only takes someone to get annoyed, hoot or pull out to overtake out of frustration and you've failed. Lisa who did my Mock was impressed that on country road and single carriageway A roads I was keeping up with the other traffic, in her experience pupils get nervous and so on a 60 MPH single carriageway A road might only do 45 MPH - that is the norm, it is also what Examiners get used to as well, if you are therefore different perhaps you stand out a little too much - who can say.

Since yesterday people have contacted me to say they were failed from the same Test Centre. One being asked by an Examiner to overtake in a 30MPH zone when the candidate was close on the speed limit and would have broken the speed limit to overtake. He therefore decided to stay  behind the vehicle but was then failed for this since he held up other traffic.   Another being asked to do a parallel parking manoeuvre on a busy road that served as a bus route.  As he pulled up and went to carry out the manoeuvre, he noticed a bus was approaching, so he stopped as he had been taught. The bus duly pulled up behind him and he continued the parking manoeuvre. Once he was into the 'bay' enough, the bus moved around him and carried on its way. Upon return to the test centre he found he had been failed because he held up traffic during the parking manoeuvre.

There are so many little things that can happen and mess the whole shooting match up and so much pressure is put on to passing - in my case I had paid £1,500 that included the tuition prior to the test, my test fees and use of the car on the day - not small change. Because I failed, I now have to pay another £62 for the next test, and then on top of this finance the use of the car on the day and 'pay as I go' refresher lessons at £45 each. That could all go towards things like fuel for my own car but it is what it is.

A lot of people, especially young drivers might have been gifted this as a present, or saved up over time to achieve so to learn you've failed can be devastating. My Instructor told me how some fall apart and once failed might be so put off never try again.

 

 

 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Robin,

Do not be put off, it took to my third test to pass some 46 years ago. My first test should have been cancelled because of the 4 inches of snow at the test center but wasn't, Test number two the instructors car had a new clutch put in the day before the test, sadly with even an extra hour before the test I could not get used to it, the biting point was almost to the top of the peddle. Test number 3 came like a dream and the examiner even cut down the rest time.

My instructor always said that examiners always failed a percentage no matter how they drove. At least I was never one of cases where the examiner had to dive the car back.

Better luck next time.

Regards

Alan  

[Stranger]

do i really have to comment         why slow down to 16-17 mph  the limit is  30 if you had been doing this speed you would have been through the lights before they changed on doing an advanced driving test you are expected to drive at the limit ie  30  or 50 or 70  if thats the limit do it if you approached the lights at 30 and they changed at 20 ft away you drive through 20ft at 30 is nothing  yes preempt the lights changing but dont slow this is more likely to cause an accident because other road users will not be expecting you to do this 

i would get you to stand and watch traffic and read what they are doing  at lights and yes amber means Stop ..... unless unsafe to do so  now please go concentrate on driving instead of telling all and sundry what you are doing tell us when you have passed 

[grendel]

I have twice now had an incident at stopping for an amber light, the first time I was in the company of a police car in the next lane, the lights changed and we both braked, only to find the road was sheet ice, so we sailed straight through the lights as they went red, and both spun in opposite directions, coming to rest each side on to the lane facing each other with a shocked expression on both of our faces, at which point we both looked at each other - put our hands up so as to say, what the heck happened there, and then struggled to avoid hitting each other as we sorted ourselves out to get pointed in the right direction, we had ended up with a mere inch gap between bumpers, and neither had hit a thing, and both of us had the back wheels near touching the kerb.

the other time I was not so lucky, as the lights went amber a pedestrian stepped out, I stopped, but the lorry behind had not been prepared, he had been ready to jump across on the amber, so clipped the back end of my car, shunting me forward, fortunately the pedestrian had stopped on seeing me, but the back corner of the volvo 440 I had at the time didnt come off so lightly. still cars can be fixed or replaced.

I tend to keep a watch on the surrounding traffic when approaching lights, so that in an emergency I am aware of what other traffic is in my vicinity, this I also try and do on dual carriageways when coming up fast in a lane to the rear of a line of traffic in a slower lane, I like to know where I can go if one of the other cars around me does something silly - or has a blowout like a horsebox a few weeks back.

[FairTmiddlin]

Grendel

It's known as roadcraft

Something that everyone should use. seems quite a few drivers nowadays.

Get in, switch on and remove brain before letting in the clutch.

[vanessan]

1 hour ago, FairTmiddlin said:

It's known as roadcraft

Seen the dvd and got the book!

[Wonderwall]

Oh well, better luck next time .

I always thought an examiner only intervened if he felt the driver was unsafe. For him to give you what sounds like advice and coaching during your test seems bizarre .

Your not the first to fail,and you won't be the last . Should you be looking for advice , I would say you tend to over complicate things . If your instructor is putting you forward for your test he/ she must feel you are ready. Simply go out and carry out your instructions .

I taught my daughter to drive , she passed first time . Stay confident, stay calm . I really doubt the examiner has it in for you , I would be surprised if he knew anything about you, it is a tiny percentage of folk who vist this site.

all the best

neil

[LondonRascal]

21 hours ago, johnb said:

If it is so, let' hope Robin's examiner doesn't read the forum. Although Robin hasn't said anything bad, this guy seems as though he may take umbrage, and we don't have enough of that! 

I am more than happy for them to read this, indeed after a call to re-book with my Instructor today, I am the talk of the community among norfolk's largest driving school - of course I could be crafty and be having my next test at the other test centre in Norwich...

[LondonRascal]

4 hours ago, Stranger said:

if you approached the lights at 30 and they changed at 20 ft away you drive through 20ft at 30 is nothing  yes preempt the lights changing but dont slow this is more likely to cause an accident because other road users will not be expecting you to do this 

I absolutely agree with you.

However, this is not what we, as new drivers are taught to do. We are taught to approach slow and be ready for them to change so you can react and stop. It was drilled into me by three different Instructors to expect lights to change and always stop - if you cannot stop in time you are going too fast.

I ignore this usually and instead go by what is around me - behind and in front. In the case of the failure, I don't think my Examiner was looking as we approached in his rear view mirror - but I was and I knew I had nothing behind us. This is why I stopped as I knew it would not cause issue to any other road users and, it also was what I had been taught. I tried to do it all - slow down, ensure it was safe and make a choice based on the circumstances don't I wish now I had just sailed on through the amber light but if I had, would I have been failed for that..?

Next time will be doing the standard learner driver action to abide by what is expected. Drive slow and don't plan too much ahead, and certainly don't do things like back into a parking bay looking out the back window while you make adjustments with your right hand on the wheel - it's really bad as if you need to correct you must stop, use both hands to turn the wheel, then move again.

[rightsaidfred]

Robin

Without dissecting the various elements you mention a couple of things stand out, any experienced examiner will take into account your general demeanour he will also be aware of why people choose an area away from their normal location for the very reason you gave on here some time ago ie you were not confident dealing with London traffic when looking at your overall performance, if you can drive then you should be able to deal with all conditions, as for distractions they are around you all the time and something you need to be able to handle, with regard to traffic lights Amber means prepare to stop or prepare to go not stop or go, the only offence is going through a Red light although you can be prosecuted for causing an accident.

Fred

[Guest]

Sorry you didn't pass first time Robin but it is good to know the curved ball fairy is attacking you because then he is leaving me alone

[Regulo]

I got the same (grumpy) examiner twice, and failed twice. I also failed the third time. The first time it was "not making progress", despite the fact he'd put me round the gridlocked Barking one-way system. Second time, when I saw I'd got him again, I fell to pieces with nerves. Third time I got a different examiner, who seemed more interested in chatting than how I was driving, and I failed on a load of things I never knew I'd done! 

Keep at it, Robin, the independence it gives you at the end of it is well worth it. Let's face it, how many of us wouldn't be able to keep a boat in Norfolk without our own transport?

[BrundallNavy]

Any news on your second test ?? 

[Hylander]

 

Any news on your second test ??

 

Been thinking the same ,  surely must be due soon.

[unclemike]

 i do believe he said the 7th nov

[Ray]

The main thing I learned from failing my first test was to tell no one when the second one was!

[TheQ]

On ‎25‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 07:44, chameleon said:

 i do believe he said the 7th nov

That's reasonably quick, my wait for the second test was six months!!

(first test failure  energency stop in the first rainy day in 6 months, and going for 5th gear... I was in a different car it only had 4 gears...)