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Original poster

Reasons you didn’t pass your driving test

90 replies

TonTonMacoute · 10/09/2018 18:20

DS a bit down as he took his test today, and didn’t pass. Apparently the reason he failed was because he was on a dual carriageway, inside lane, quite busy and not that fast, when everyone in the outside lane suddenly braked and slowed right down. He was penalised for undertaking.

It did seem a bit unlucky, but his teacher said they are very picky these days.

I was wondering if anyone else, or their DCs, missed out for one error like this.

OP posts:
myhousesmellsofIKEA · 10/09/2018 18:23

That is quite unlucky OP, not me, but my brother failed because he went round a parked car when there was oncoming traffic. It was a wide road and there was plenty of space, but it wasn’t what the examiner wanted to see.

tentontruck · 10/09/2018 18:24

That does seem unlucky. I failed my second test for doing 33 on a 40 stretch of road. I should have sped up to show i knew the speed limit had changed. I was gutted at the time.

Failed my first for turning into a one way street down the wrong end, reversing up a kerb, and nearly hitting a milk float. Nerves were shot to pieces.

Passed third time. Smile

overandunder9 · 10/09/2018 18:26

Someone on a mobility scooter pulled out in front of me, causing me to have to swerve. Apparently that was the wrong thing to do! I can’t remember what the examiner’s advice was (20 years ago). I do remember my instructor commenting that whatever I did would have been ‘wrong’.

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Driving & parking
MulticolourMophead · 10/09/2018 18:26

My brother failed as he pulled up behind a lorry to wait for an oncoming car before passing, but that car pulled off down a side road jus before he'd have reached the lorry. Unfortunately, the examiner couldn't see this car and DBro was failed for hesitation, as in not pulling out to go round the lorry. Real bad luck on his part.

Meanwhile, I passed first time.

JungWan · 10/09/2018 18:27

  1. driving too slowly and hesitantly

  2. saw daniel day lewis and rebecca miller and commented on that to the driving tester and he failed me for that

  3. driving too fast

  4. halle fuckin' looja

Whatififall · 10/09/2018 18:27

Asked to turn right at the lights, indicated, waited for a gap, moved over into right hand lane then into filter lane. Failed as I was too aggressive in my moving over, said I forced my way into the right hand lane.
My driving instructor was in the back seat and was furious. He said if I’d sat in the left lane indicating but not moving I would have failed for holding up traffic. He wanted me to appeal the fail. I didn’t, can’t remember why now but think I had some notion that I’d end up blacklisted for complaining

itssquidstella · 10/09/2018 18:31

Failed to notice the limit had changed from 20 to 60 (tbf that was quite rubbish of me) and failed to overtake the cyclists ahead of me, meaning I was overtaken by the car behind.

Alwayscommuting · 10/09/2018 18:32

1st test, white van man wouldn't let me join the dual carriageway.

Today was attempt 2, I had 1 minor and failed for missing a 20 sign because I was looking at the damn sat nav! Even the examiner was gutted for me.

Biggreygoose · 10/09/2018 18:33

Traffic lights failed completely as I approached doing 30ish (speed limit of the road was 40, was slowing down incase the lights changed like a good boy) . Could see all arms of the junction. No oncoming traffic. Car very close behind.

Took decision to drive through instead of breaking heavily and endangering the driver behind.

Failed.

Explained the decision, examiner just shrugged.

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 10/09/2018 18:36
  1. Needed help from the examiner to take the handbrake off
  2. Quite a few minors
  3. Bumped a parked car
  4. Forgot to start the car & coasted to the bottom of the hill (nerves)
  5. 4 minors
  6. Didn't notice a green arrow so hesitated to move forward at a junction
  7. 4 minors
  8. A miracle (I passed) Smile

I did get a new teacher between 7&8 as well. I've been driving for 25 years now and have never had any points.

Sympathy for DS though.

ErrolTheDragon · 10/09/2018 18:38

I failed my first test because I cocked up reversing round a corner.

Statistically, apparently people who pass second time are the safest drivers.

Bed luck, OPs DS - that sounds like a normal occurrence Confused

CryptoFascist · 10/09/2018 18:38

Failed first test because I was sat waiting to enter a roundabout behind another driver. The other driver took ages to pull away, it was only then that I realised he had a map unfolded over his steering wheel!
Apparently I should have gone into the other lane and passed him. Probably would do that now after a few years driving experience but at the time I was 17 and had only been taking lessons a few months.

AndreasFault · 10/09/2018 18:39

failed for missing a 20 sign because I was looking at the damn sat nav!

Satnav is part of the driving test? I had no idea. When did that happen and surely it's a massive distraction? I don't use satnav - I'll look at google maps, and jot down directions and occasionally get the kids to check times, but part of the test? That seems insane!

SwimmingKaren · 10/09/2018 18:40

I couldn’t reverse around a corner. Was driving backwards and forwards trying to straighten the car up and just couldn’t work it out. In the end I got the “drive on”. SadSmile

CryptoFascist · 10/09/2018 18:41

As for op's DS, I think that was unfair of the examiner. This happens every day on my commute on the dual carriageway. Get him to book his test for the least busy time you know of, to minimise the risk of it happening again.

Auntpetunia2015 · 10/09/2018 18:42

My Second test I failed for undue care and attention at a zebra crossing. Fair enough you’d say except I turned up a side road 150 ms before said zebra!

So I complained and described my whole route (so lucky it was literally the roads I and my friends lived on -local test centre ) a second examiner agreed I hadn’t gone near enough to a roundabout and I got my 3rd test free!

Which I passed, even though I asked the examiner to get out and wipe the steamed up back window (days before heated rear windows) it was lashing down and our wet coats was causing caos.

ifeelsoextraordinary · 10/09/2018 18:45

Errrr...first test I drove through a red light. Second test I knocked a wing mirror clean off a parked car as I drove past. I totally deserved to fail! Passed third time after about 40 driving lessons. It did make me a better driver. Had I passed first time I would have been a terrible danger on the road.

ErrolTheDragon · 10/09/2018 18:45

Satnav is part of the driving test? I had no idea. When did that happen

It's quite recent - some candidates will be asked to follow a satnav, others have to follow road signs so they all need to be able to do both.

Flapjackninja · 10/09/2018 18:50

1st time was waiting in right hand filter lane however lights changed and I had to stay in filter lane perfectly fine all legal but examiner said I should have stayed behind the lights...

2nd Was to far from the curb when making a manoeuvre. My instructor had always taught me this way so as not to damage his alloys!

3rd Passed by the same examiner who failed me the 2nd time

ConsiderHerWaysAndOthers · 10/09/2018 18:51

Sympathies for your DS, I failed my first UK driving test before for not knowing what the parking brake was (I’d only ever heard it called the hand brake) and for not moving my head dramatically enough to make it bloody obvious I was checking my mirrors. Passed second time a few days later though.

By contrast I just took my driving test in the US and it lasted 5 minutes, only 20/30mph roads, the examiner actually told me when the limit would change and the only manoeuvre was going forwards into a space in a car park that didn’t even have marked bays and backing out. Apparently they hardly ever fail anyone and if they do it’s usually for not stopping at a stop sign. I was worried as I crossed my arms going round a corner and didn’t signal when changing lanes (at the examiners request since apparently there was a bus stop further up the road) both of which would be an automatic fail in the UK but the examiner actually called my driving perfect Confused

Hope your DS passes soon OP!

dementedpixie · 10/09/2018 18:57

1st time- Speeding up to get through amber traffic light rarger than slowing down to stop
2nd - hitting kerb on reverse round a corner
3rd - passed with 14 minor errors (if it had been 15 I would have failed!)

FoofFighter · 10/09/2018 18:57

Failed my first for stalling too many times, fair enough.

On my second though, I was penalised for not overtaking a cyclist on a hill. Solid traffic on the opposite lane and there was an area with densely parked cars on our side coming up shortly. I felt I couldn't safely overtake with the appropriate space margin due to the oncoming traffic also knowing I'd hit those parked cars coming up.
Examiner felt otherwise. A minor but only got 3 and passed. It still rankles though especially after debrief with my Instructor who said I did right thing and would have been a dangerous fault if I had done it.

Astrid2 · 10/09/2018 19:03

Surely undertaking is deliberately moving into the left and speeding up round other cars and cutting in front of them? Poor guy that sucks!

I failed my first driving test 2 minutes before getting back to the test centre by getting too close to the car in front at a junction.

Second test I was an absolute nervous wreck. Hit the curb!!

Third test the car windscreen wipers broke so I had to abandon 🙈

Fourth and thankful final, I was so unbelievably nervous I cried the entire time but got 2 minors and passed! Thank feck!!!!

MyCatIsBonkers · 10/09/2018 19:06

I failed my first as crashed into a tree in the test centre car park.

ScreamingValenta · 10/09/2018 19:06

I think the only thing I did right was manage to read the number-plate correctly for the eyesight test. I failed on just about every other aspect of it.