driving lessons and emergency stops

[Rinnyx]

I have been doing driving lessons since Aug last year and last week my instructor told me I am close to test and that this week (Thursday coming) he wants me to start having a go at emergency stops.

I will tell him I am pregnant as I wanted to wait til I had my scan and get the all clear. (I'm 14 weeks)
I know he will be ok with this and understand but I am worried that when I go to test if I request to opt out for the stop they may say no and just fail me.

Has anyone else been in this situation or know if I can have any say in the matter even if I ask the midwife to give me some form of med note, I really want to pass as I have been doing this so long now, money is good as gone and my instructor feels I am ready but I am scared what may happen as I suffered 2 M/C last year and have been on tenderhooks with this one soon as I got a BFP!

i seriously doubt your driving instructor will stop you from making emergency stops because your pregnant, but you never know. ive never heard of it happening before, it would be like saying because your pregnant you cant be in a car, because at any point in driving the possibility exists that the driver (whoever that is) might have to make an emergency stop.

i know your nervous because of previous miscarriages, but unless on discussion with your midwife/consultant they advise you not to do emergency stops, i see no reason why you should not do them, in lessons or in the actual test. i dont believe you can actually pass your driving test without demonstrating that you can do an emergency stop (not sure though).

if your 14 weeks the risk of miscarraige has significantly decreased, im sure if you call and ask to speak to a midwife they can give you some more specific advice and reassure you

I'm not sure about the emergency stop in the test and lessons. But have you thought about getting a bump belt that way you know the seat belt is in the right postition over your pelvis and not over baby.
There are a few on ebay and prob avaliable from alot of baby shops :
cgi.ebay.co.uk/Clippasafe-Bump-Belt-/150440459016?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Baby_Maternity_Pregnancy_MJ&has h=item2306f33b08

Have you been advised that you shouldnt be doing an emergency stop? I would agree that if you cant do an emergency stop then you really shouldnt drive until after you have had the baby.
Congratulations on the pregnancy.

hi

i have been in a similar position as you. the first time i did my test i was 8 months and they never made me do one although my instructor did make me practice. They were not as full on as you think and did not cause me any discomfort. i never had to do one at the test and i failed anyway.

my second test i was only around 10 week pregnant and i made sure that i mentioned it during my test and again they never made me do one and i passed!

i doubt they will get you to do one, just make sure they know you are pregnant!

good luck!
sx

Thanks everyone

I am booked into see my midwife in 2 weeks time so I will see what she says as I know the is a 6 to 8 week wait once you book your test x

I agree with the others that say if you can't do an emergency stop then you shouldn't drive at all until you've given birth - if you were out driving and a child ran into the road in front of you, you'd have no choice but to do one - and if you haven't learned to do them safely, that could be disastrous for all concerned....

Most people I know don't even get asked to do one in the test anyway (I didn't either) as it really depends on having the right road and traffic conditions.

Good luck on your pregnancy and good luck for the test

I asked a driving examiner I know, and he said you're not allowed to ask to not do the stop, however, in an exam if you are visibily pregnant, no examiner will ask you to do it. yes you do need to beable to do it, but they only have to ask 1 in four people anyway, so low chance, for anyone

xx

I'm still driving daily at 39+1. If you cant go an emergency stop, I don't think you should be driving at all. Believe me, pregnant or not, if the need arises, you'll slam down on the brake.

I took my driving test seven times during my pregnancy .

I never got asked to do an emergency stop. I remember being told that they ask 1 in 4 candidates to do it, so from that info would guess they wil lchoose someone else to be that 1 if you are obv pg.

Good luck!

Thanks for all your input people
I have my lesson tomorrow so I will have a talk with my instructor.

rachxx I am already showing so I dread to think how big I will be when I go to test, June time is what my instructor has in mind x

Dont get me wrong I would do a emergency stop if I had to be it a child or animal ran out in front of me but I guess if I can avoid haveing to do one on lesson or test I would feel better.

I have not done a full on emergency stop tho have had to hit the brakes some what harse on lessons afew times due to other road users and people not looking and just walking out.

Lets just hope I pass as my partner really wants me passed before baby comes along tho he still needs to learn that that means he will have to share the car then haha x

Emergency stops are fine - I took lessons from about 20 weeks pregnant and passed at 35 weeks pregnant. They're a lot less of a jerk than you'd expect (and of course as everyone says you'd have to slam on the breaks in an emergency!) and it's more about practising things like checking your mirror before moving off and not stalling etc. Your baby is extremely well protected in your womb and there's no way an emergency stop is going to do any damage . I well remember how pregnancy hormones mean you don't really "know" that though (DS is now 8 weeks).

I didn't have to do one in my test btw, but by then I was so massive I think he was scared I'd go into labour if he failed me

Hey ladies

I had my lesson today, told my instructor and we had a talk tho he still got me to do 2 emergency stops but they were not as bad as I thought plus he only had me going about 10 to 15MPH.

He said I can not say no if I am asked to do a emergency stop on test but the chances are very very slim as they have to ask 1 in 5 people to do one and they would rather pass on a pregnant lady rather than run the risk on making her do one and go into labour or worse.

So I guess at least I can say I have done one now but relax abit that my chances of doing one are slim.

Going to book test next week so looking at end of June start of July time, scared does not cut it x

I did my test when I was 7 months pregnant and the examiner did not ask me to do emergency stop, though had practised. From what the other ladies say, you will not be asked to do one. Good luck in your test!

Thanks DomesticG0ddess
Just hope I pass.
I want it done and dusted but dread it coming, why cant a girl just have her cake and eat it? x

Reading all the thread, i do understand that this discussion is over but i felt that i should say something just for the benefit of information.
I just passed my driving test and i am 26 week pregnant. I didn't do my emergency stop as my instructor from elephant driving school from london explained me the emergency stop theoretically but we didn't practice it. It was because i don't wanted to practice it. And my instructor Waqi said to me that the examiner do understand the fact that i'm pregnant so they normally don't ask. But i liked one thing what my instructor said that emergency can arise at any time, so as long as you are wearing a seat beth correctly it would not harm much.