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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:

safariboot · 11/09/2018 01:40

I would have blown through a Give Way if the examiner hadn't hit the brake. D'oh! Road markings were badly faded but still no excuse.

delphguelph · 11/09/2018 01:53

Drove on the pavement
Hesitancy
Wrong lane on roundabout to exit

Passed fifth time.

delphguelph · 11/09/2018 01:55

On another test I was too close to a cyclist apparently... I complained about the instructor that time.

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Driving & parking

FrustratedTeddyLamp · 11/09/2018 06:22

Mini round about normally has a bell on it, well a massive cone like thing. Day of ny test it had gone. Went round the mini round about and failed because...i would have hit it if it were there. FFS

plominoagain · 11/09/2018 06:28

Because I drove out of the test centre , got about 200 yards down the road , and as I turned right bounced up the kerb and hit the post box .

I now drive police cars

ConfusedMum82 · 11/09/2018 06:29

My DHs friend passed his retake a week before DH did his 1st test. He had an advisory over speed but passed anyway.
Dh failed. For going at 36 in a 40 twice.
His instructor wanted him to appeal. He didn't. He was then told in areas with high test rates, instructors I told to fail a set amount of new drivers each time and the instructor said he firmly believed that was why he had been failed.
He passed second time

C0untDucku1a · 11/09/2018 06:36

1st test i didnt see until the last second that the road I was travelling on that looked like it was a straight road, actually had white lines on to peel off to the right. Inwsnt woth the lines last second and too fast. The examiner said if id indicated to stay straight i would have got asay with it.

Second time there was a bus parking on the side of the busy road. I slowed down, put indicators on to over take it but then the bus set off again. The examiner said i wasnt quick enough to set off after the bus.

daisym00n · 11/09/2018 07:08

Failed before I left the test centre for stalling 3 times and holding up the other candidates
took the wrong exit at a roundabout.
Tried to complete a reverse parking manoeuvre without realising the car had stalled. Beyond mortified when the examiner told me I might want to turn the engine back on!

JynxaSmoochum · 11/09/2018 08:00

1st time was my first time driving at 8:40 am. I unknowingly failed within metres of the test centre as there was a lolipop lady still well on the pavement, but apparently she'd turned her sign to the road. I knew I failed later when on a new route on a residential road suffering with mud and wear and tear from a housing development and I didn't realise that there should have been give way markings and the examiner applied his brakes.

3 weeks and one lesson later I passed in a cancellation spot with only one minor and managed to maintain an immaculate driving record for my first 15 years so far...

safariboot · 11/09/2018 09:18

took the wrong exit at a roundabout

That definitely should not have been a fail. (Except if it meant you joined a motorway). Even on the independent driving section, you're being tested on your ability to drive safely and navigation errors aren't supposed to be recorded at all.

Finfintytint · 11/09/2018 09:33

My indicators failed on my first test and I did not think to do hand signals.
Second test I passed even though indicators packed in again but I remembered to use hand signals that time ( crappy Mini Metro - anyone remember them from the eighties?).

FinnJuhl · 11/09/2018 09:34

When I was waiting at the centre to take my test, the examiner unexpectedly reappeared.

He'd abandoned the previous test and walked back to the centre as he didn't feel the learner was safe enough to be on the road. Her instructor was ordered to go and fetch her and the car. Must have been mortfying for her.

ruby1234 · 11/09/2018 09:35

My DH ran someone over on a zebra crossing...

WaxOnFeckOff · 11/09/2018 09:51

DS failed for driving too close to parked cars/ the pavement. DH failed for the same reason. I remember my instructor 30 years ago saying to leave a gap of a door width and a half. I didn't know what he meant then and I still don't.

WobbleTime · 11/09/2018 09:53

It was dark. It was snowing heavily. It was rush hour. The instructor was horrible. And I nearly crashed into a bus.
I passed the second time!

UnicornPug · 11/09/2018 10:07

I failed for almost joining a motorway amongst other things. I think it took me 7 attempts and I failed on something different each time. The one I did pass, I did an emergency stop for a pigeon .

I’ve now been driving for 14 years and I still occasionally end up in the wrong lane going the wrong way. However, I have no points and although 2 of my cars have been written off, neither accident was in any way my fault.

Raines100 · 11/09/2018 10:11

I don't think I know anyone who has passed first time. I passed on my second attempt.

Managed to book my first test at the wrong place. I'd learnt in a small local town and booked my test in a much bigger, more congested town, full of hills and a confusing one way system.

The examiner was extremely grumpy and totally psyched me out. I was a bag of nerves by the end, over shot the junction at a traffic light, which I knew was a fail, and I begged him to let me abort, but he made me finish the whole test.

Turns out, he was grumpy because I'd failed in the first minute! As I'd turned out of the test centre, I should have driven in a bus lane because it wasn't in its hours of operation. I just didnt know, and no one else was driving in it either. Oh, well...

PepperSteaks · 11/09/2018 10:14

I failed six times. Can’t remember all the reasons why!

WaxOnFeckOff · 11/09/2018 10:22

I passed first time. I thought I'd failed as I clipped a kerb coming out a tight bend. Then I threw caution to the wind and overtook a tractor on the dual carriageway. I took my test in my sister's car as my instructor wasn't well. I'd only had 12 proper lessons. I hated driving and still not the biggest fan.

WaxOnFeckOff · 11/09/2018 10:24

I have DS1 just turned 18 and he passed 2nd go in March and DS2 just turned 17 and started lessons. It's costing us a fortune!

SpoonBlender · 11/09/2018 14:14

WaxOn: "leave a gap of a door width and a half. I didn't know what he meant then and I still don't."

Imagine a parked car.
Imagine that car has a door wide open.
Now allow 50% more space than you'd need to go past it.

The point is to not have parked cars open their doors into you as you pass and someone steps out.

SlipperyLizard · 11/09/2018 15:19

I was stopped at a red light fir a pedestrian crossing. The green man turned red, and my light duly turned green. As I moved forwards a pedestrian to the right of me started to cross so as to walk behind me. Apparently I should have immediately stopped even though she was clearly crossing behind me.

Think that was my 3rd test and I was doing fine until that point. The injustice made me cry.

PsammeadPaintedTheLion · 11/09/2018 15:24

I accidentally ended up in a field.

Narya · 11/09/2018 15:31

1: stopping in a box junction
2: observation while reversing round a corner

...fast forward 10 years

3: going through an amber light (and something else I can't remember)
4: observation while reverse parking (and something else)
5: doing 39 in a 30 zone thought it was a 40 zone

6th time was the charm!

Poledra · 11/09/2018 15:44

First time, failed for doing 40 on a 60mph road (my fault, didn't know the speed limit so went for the lower one)

Second time, all going well, asked to do a parallel park. Start the parking, realise I've completely fecked it up, so apologise to the examiner, pull back out and start again. Get back to the test centre, turn right into the car park pretty swiftly before the oncoming traffic as I've already failed.
Get told I've passed.
Ask the examiner if he's sure, as I messed up the parallel park? (Note to younger self: this was perhaps not the smartest thing to do :-))
Apparently, as I recognised quickly that the angle was wrong and corrected it, that was fine. Had I kept trying to saw back and forward to squeeze into the space, he'd have failed me.

Mind you, my lovely instructor thought I'd failed for the dodgy righthand turn back into the test centre!

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