tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62114174229876846542024-03-04T21:03:11.827-08:00How to fail your driving testPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-61333339204128034142015-05-11T04:26:00.000-07:002015-05-11T04:26:08.848-07:00How to not fail when you thought you had!Date: May 2015<br />
Place: Wallasey<br />
Reason for fail: N/A<br />
<br />
Jack left the test centre, got onto the main road, and a few seconds later, encountered a pedestrian crossing. The lights were flashing amber, and there was slow moving traffic.<br />
<br />
He slowed right down, and as things started moving again, he brought his clutch up too quickly, and stalled.<br />
<br />
Jack's reaction was to hit the brakes. In his mirror, he could see the vehicle behind him have to stop quickly.<br />
<br />
"That's it", he thought. "Game over."<br />
<br />
Convinced he'd failed, Jack continued around the test route. Since he'd already failed, he just got on with it and didn't try too hard.<br />
<br />
Half an hour later, he pulled into the test centre, and the examiner said "That's the end of the test. I'm pleased to tell you that you've passed."<br />
<br />
Jack's jaw dropped. He'd stalled, and the person behind him had to brake. Why hadn't he been given a serious fault?<br />
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<br />
<br />To answer that question, we need to go back to a previous post.<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1667032497"><br /></a>
<a href="http://howtofailyourdrivingtest.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/righting-wrongs.html">http://howtofailyourdrivingtest.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/righting-wrongs.html</a><br />
<br />
On that occasion, the stall occurred at a roundabout. Once again the panic response to the stall was to brake, and once again people behind had to brake. But look at what was marked on the test sheet...<br />
<br />
<b>Reason for fail:</b> Serious fault, Use of Mirrors - Change speed<br />
<br />
Jack thought he'd failed because he could see in his mirror that the person behind had to slow down. And that meant he hadn't failed. He checked his mirror as he was stopping. So instead of getting a serious fault for not looking in his mirror before suddenly stopping, he got a minor fault for moving away under control.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-33485196182820441902014-11-14T17:32:00.000-08:002014-11-14T17:32:00.477-08:00washoutToday, Jill failed her test, because she drove through a puddle and splashed a pedestrian.<br />
<br />
The mark she got was a serious fault, awareness and planning.<br />
<br />
Puddle. Nearby pedestrian. See and understand. Slow down and/or move out towards the centre of the road.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-64392612018720269212014-03-04T08:00:00.001-08:002014-03-04T08:00:26.806-08:00roundabouts or thereaboutsI must admit, I'm struggling to understand this one.<br />
<br />
My pupil, Joe, was asked to follow signs for Shopping Centre and Freeport as he approached the roundabout below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfAvgMK-XniJ5dphMAvwOXgjOJEUwjrcUhA8Rix9O1eoyvmzbNjoAhTe8qw0zoU6P6arscLu0adX8JwI-uq5YGR26xqAyM3TNQDR5C4PY1xV1m2WQQOjAzM5nESqpWFml8xTfF1oJ5UK4/s1600/12+quays+above.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfAvgMK-XniJ5dphMAvwOXgjOJEUwjrcUhA8Rix9O1eoyvmzbNjoAhTe8qw0zoU6P6arscLu0adX8JwI-uq5YGR26xqAyM3TNQDR5C4PY1xV1m2WQQOjAzM5nESqpWFml8xTfF1oJ5UK4/s1600/12+quays+above.jpg" height="314" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is how it looks from above.<br />
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And this is how it looks on streetview.<br />
<br />
When you see it from above, it's slightly off to the right. The signpost as you approach the roundabout clearly shows it as a right turn.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, Joe read it as a straight ahead. He kept left and didn't signal. He joined the roundabout safely, and affected no other road user adversely. As he passed his previous exit, he checked his mirrors and signalled left, keeping a good road position as he left the roundabout.<br />
<br />
The examiner marked this as a serious fault (junctions, turning right)<br />
<br />
Fair enough?<br />
<br />
Well how about this roundabout?<br />
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<br />
Once again, it shows two views. In the first view, you'd be approaching from the right, and would take the second exit, towards the top left corner of the picture. This roundabout features in the independent driving sections of several of the test routes from Upton Test Centre. I've sat in the back and seen people deal with it as a straight ahead (keep left, don't signal on approach, apply left signal as Meols exit is passed) and I've seen them deal with it as a right turn (approach towards centre of road, apply right signal on approach, check to left, change to left signal, change road position to left as Meols exit is passed) and neither method has drawn even a minor fault.<br />
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Finally, here's a third roundabout...<br />
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<br />
On this one, if you were asked to follow the signs directing you towards the M53, how would you go about it?<br />
<br />
It's signposted as the second exit, and it's off towards the right, yet almost anyone that uses it will treat it as a straight ahead. <br />To do so otherwise means putting in two wholly uneccessary lane changes on a busy roundabout.<br />
<br />
Until yesterday, I'd taught people that as long as what they did was coherent (ie, they didn't position left and signal right for example), and didn't cause a problem to other road users, then it was acceptable.<br />
<br />
Now I really am not sure how to proceed. Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-55802963464837482032013-10-14T16:21:00.001-07:002013-10-14T16:21:56.527-07:00How to fail it twice.Tomorrow, one of my clients will take their driving test.<br />
<br />
This person was unlucky enough to fail about 2 months ago, at the end of August A couple of weeks later, he texted me to let me know that he'd booked another date, and I wrote it in my diary. The middle of October.<br />
<br />
A few days ago, he finally got in touch to book a lesson this evening, for an hour.<br />
<br />
Then this morning, he sent another text, cancelling this lesson. After not driving for 2 months, he will attempt to pass his driving test, pretty much from cold. I wonder what will happen?<br />
<br />
It's possible of course that he will pass. Since I've not been in touch with him, he could have spent many hours practicing privately, or having professional tuition from someone else. I suspect though that he expects to just carry on from where he left off, and to somehow meet the standard of driving required.<br />
<br />
Well good luck with that mate.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-23880070921879617572012-11-12T02:33:00.000-08:002012-11-12T02:33:05.648-08:00My God!!!! There's a car coming from the right!!!Date: October 2012<br />
Test Centre: Upton<br />
Reason for fail: Control - Steering.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Cassie failed because she steered into the kerb as she approached a roundabout near a place called Thurstaston. Really though, the issue isn't what she was doing with her hands, it was what she was doing with her eyes.<br />
<br />
When you arrive at a junction (a roundabout is a junction!), ideally, you'll have done everything you need to do before you get there. If you arrive at the right speed, in the right road position, in the correct gear, then when you look right and decide whether it's safe to go or not, it will be easy for you. To sort all that stuff out, you need to look where you're going.<br />
<br />
The reason Cassie looked right instead of where she was going? Well because she was nervous. That's just what nervous drivers tend to do. And then, if there's a car coming from the right, they tend to just keep looking at the oncoming car, and panicking. And that's just what Cassie did. So she bumped into the kerb because she'd drifted out to the right as she approached.<br />
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Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-21356839245048105272012-10-09T17:17:00.001-07:002012-10-09T17:17:36.892-07:00Documents<b>Date: </b>August 2008<br />
<b>Test Centre</b>: Wallasey<br />
<b>Reason for fail</b>: N/A<br />
<br />
My previous post reminded me of something that happened a couple of years back.<br />
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<br />
I turned up at my pupil's house on test day to find him tearing his hair out. James had all his stuff together a few days earlier, then come the day itself, his license was just nowhere to be found. I spent about 45 minutes with James, trying to help him look.<br />
<br />
James had a toddler son, and thought the license might have been picked up by tiny fingers. We looked in all the obvious places, and all sorts of obscure ones too. We looked in the fridge. In the washing machine. In the bins. Down the back of the sofa.<br />
<br />
But eventually we had to admit defeat. I went home and James failed to turn up for his test. I didn't have the heart to charge him for my time. He did lose his test fee though.<br />
<br />
At the test centre, an examiner would have walked out into the waiting room, called James' name out, got no response, waited for the mandatory five minutes, then gone back into the office and put the kettle on.<br />
<br />
The license never was found. James had to apply for a replacement, and had to pay to rebook his test. Fortunately, he passed on that next attempt.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-33853821864510910752012-10-09T16:28:00.002-07:002012-10-09T16:44:01.792-07:00A chain of circumstancesDate: October 2012.<br />
Test Centre: Wallasey<br />
Reason for fail: Reverse Park (road) - Control<br />
<br />
Sharon failed her test yesterday. I was sititng in on the test, and watched as the examiner allowed her a generous amount of time to get the car close to and parallel with the kerb, but eventually, after repeatedly failing to get within about 4 or 5 feet of the kerb, he asked her to drive on.<br />
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<br />
Sharon also got another serious fault right at the end of the test for lack of observation at a junction, but I'd like to focus on the reversing exercise for this post.<br />
<br />
The story here goes back to before the test even began. I'd just washed my car prior to picking her up for her pre-test lesson when I got a message from Sharon asking what documentation she needed to bring along with her. Since I was only a couple of minutes away, I didn't answer. I just went to pick her up. She and her boyfriend were in a state of turmoil. They'd turned their house upside down, but could not find the paper counterpart to her license. They thought it was at her Mum's house, and her Mum was busy looking for it and would call if she found it.<br />
<br />
When you present yourself for a driving test (or your theory test for that matter), you <b>MUST</b> bring both parts of your driving license. The photocard and the paper counterpart. If you're one of those rare birds that has an old style license without a photocard, you <b>MUST</b> provide photographic evidence of your identity, such as a passport. Without this your test will not go ahead.<br />
<br />
Driving tests can be nerve racking things. It pays to make sure you have all your documentation available well before your instructor knocks on your door. The last thing you need is to be frantically scrabbling around for your documents at the last minute.<br />
<br />
Anyway, Sharon was pretty sure it was at her Mum's and we went out on the pre test lesson. Sharon was actually driving quite well, all things considered.<br />
<br />
Twenty minutes in, her phone rang. We parked up and she answered it. It was her Mum. The license had been found, but we'd have to go and get it. She couldn't come to us. And so off we went from New Brighton to Moreton. And then back to Wallasey test centre. To get from Wallasey to Moreton takes only about 15 minutes. To get there and back takes around half an hour.<br />
<br />
So that was the pre test lesson. Normally, I'd have given the reversing exercises a quick once over and if there was a problem, we'd do a bit of work on it to try to sort things out, but this time, there just wasn't time.<br />
<br />
What caused her to fail was as much as anything, a lack of organisation.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-21603506573378021132012-10-07T05:06:00.000-07:002012-10-07T05:06:08.510-07:00How to turn a drama into a crisis!<b>Date of Test:</b> August 2012<br />
<b>Test Centre:</b> Upton<br />
<b>Reason for fail:</b> Turn in Road, Observation; Move off, Safely.<br />
<br />
Carrie Ann was nervous. She always is when what she's doing is put under scrutiny. She's never liked tests of any kind, and the Driving test was something she'd been dreading.<br />
<br />
Still despite her fear, she was prepared to have a go, and so it was that in August 2012, she presented herself at Upton driving test centre for her second attempt.<br />
<br />
Generally, she coped well with the drive but two things happened that caused her to fail.<br />
<br />
Firstly, she did the reversing component of the turn in the road by looking out of her front windscreen instead of looking where she was going. This meant she was far more likely to bump into the kerb, but more importantly, if anything had been behind her, like a pedestrian or cyclist, she would not have seen them. She picked up a serious fault for observation.<br />
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<br />
I was sat in the back for this one, and I could see the examiner's test sheet. He didn't actually mark the fault until the end of the test, so I hoped he might just mark it as a minor fault. Perhaps if the second thing hadn't happened, he would have.<br />
<br />
The second thing was a right turn at the end of a one way street in Irby.<br />
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Carrie Ann was unsure of herself here. Moving to the right hand side of the road often feels wrong even though it's the correct thing to do if you're turning right. But, slightly hesitantly, she got herself in the right place. The junction offers good visibility to the left, but it's not quite as open from the right.<br />
<br />
Carrie Ann moved forward far enough to get a clear view to the right. The road was clear to her left, but there was a bus approaching from the right. This bus was a fair distance away, and there was a gap for her to get into. She attempted to move away, but had forgotten to change into gear one. As she brought her clutch up, the car stalled.<br />
<br />
Carrie Ann panicked and pressed her brake pedal. This caused her to stop in the middle of the road, and forced the bus to have to stop. Eventually, she got the car running, put the car into gear one, made sure it was safe to move off, and off she went.<br />
<br />
Most people have a misconception. That misconception is that you move away by bringing your clutch up. But what you should really do is get your footwork sorted before you move away. Us instructors call it setting your gas and finding your bite. Pressing the accellerator provides the engine with the power it needs to move a ton of metal from a standing start. The clutch controls that power. So when you move away, you do it by keeping your feet still. Releasing the handbrake will make the car move smoothly forward, even if you're in second gear.<br />
<br />
But everyone stalls from time to time. If you want to really cause a problem to other people with your stall, you should slam on your brakes as well.<br />
<br />
Alternatively, what you can do is put your clutch down and start your engine. If you stalled because you brought your clutch up, make sure it's still safe to go, and just move away without bringing your clutch up. If you stalled because you were in the wrong gear, put the car into the right gear, make sure it's still safe to go, and move away withough bringing your clutch up.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-13903856697290560322012-08-11T15:15:00.000-07:002012-08-11T15:15:18.423-07:00One of the BIG rules!If you've somehow ended up in the wrong lane, and you don't have the time and space to safely move into the lane you want to be in, go the wrong way.<br />
<br />
On your driving test, if you do happen to go the wrong way, you won't get a fault for it, unless you try to go the wrong way up a one way street, or onto a motorway or something. It just counts as a misheard instruction, and the examiner will then modify the test route or ask you to make a couple of turns to get you back on the same route.<br />
<br />
In life, forcing your way agressively and late into a different lane is generally considered bad driving. It's generally safer to go the wrong way, then turn around in a side street or something.<br />
<br />
This can also be a get out of jail card of sorts.<br />
<br />
Here's how:<br />
<br />
You're travelling down a street, and have been asked to turn right at the end of the street. You position yourself just to the left of the centre line, but as you get to the give way lines, you realise it's a one way street, and that you should have positioned yourself right over to the right hand side of the road.<br />
<br />
At this point, you're failing your test. If you turn right, you'll get a serious fault. And rightly so. It's a dangerous thing to do. You could get someone coming alongside you on your right, and suddenly you're both attempting to emerge side by side into the same bit of road.<br />
<br />
The solution is to change your signal, and turn left instead. Your road position is now correct for the manouevre you're undertaking. You will still get a fault marked on your test sheet, but it will be for an incorrect signal on approach. this is generally a minor fault, although it too can sometimes be serious if it adversely affects other road users.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-71293294078902295392012-07-20T11:11:00.000-07:002012-07-20T11:11:40.771-07:00The dreaded Hill StartDate: July 2012<br />
Test Centre: Wallasey<br />
Reason for fail: Move off - Control<br />
<br />
Poor Bill. A mandatory part of the driving test (unless you live in Cambridgeshire) is the Hill Start.<br />
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<br />
Bill has done hill starts many many times without incident. Yet on his driving test, instead of moving off forwards, he rolled backwards into the kerb. The examiner has marked it as a serious lack of control.<br />
<br />
There are two ways you can struggle on a hill start, in addition to the usual ways of picking up faults when you move away from anywhere. One is that the car is more likely to stall, and the second is that unless you've prepared to go properly before you release the handbrake, the car will roll backwards.<br />
<br />
The structure to moving off is as follows:<br />
<br />
1. Prepare<br />
2. Observe<br />
3. Move.<br />
<br />
Us instructors use the acronym, POM. It's done in that order so that the last thing you do before you move is to get an up to date picture of what's going on around you.<br />
<br />
To prepare, you select the appropriate gear, provide a bit of power with your gas pedal, bring your clutch up to biting point, and get your hand onto your handbrake. If you're moving away uphill, you should make sure you can feel the car pulling fairly strongly agaisnt the handbrake.<br />
<br />
To observe, you look in your centre mirror, and check over your right shoulder. If you can't see out of your centre mirror because of obstructions, use your drivers side door mirror and check over your right shoulder.<br />
<br />
To move, keep your feet still, and release your handbrake. If you've prepared correctly, the car will move away smoothly.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-65603813311049023822012-05-14T15:10:00.001-07:002012-05-14T15:10:53.167-07:00Didn't pass. Didn't fail....Test Centre: Upton<br />
Reason For Fail: N/A<br />
<br />
This morning, at the crack of dawn, I got up, and picked up my pupil for his driving test.<br />
<br />
We went through the manouevres, and did some tight slow roads to get him dealing with things defensively, and we got to the test centre at about 8:10 am.<br />
<br />
There were 4 candidates on test, but only 3 examiners came out. One of them called me and my pupil to one side. One of the examiners had not been able to make it to work because of illness, and because it was the first test of the day, there hadn't been time to arrange cover.<br />
<br />
Since there was no examiner to conduct the test, it could not go ahead.<br />
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<b>Ouch! You could have had a lie-in!</b><br />
<br />
I could. But I'd have missed out on being paid for the work.<br />
<br />
<b>You mean your pupil had to pay you?</b><br />
<br />
Well yes. I got up at half past 6, and gave him a lesson, and I couldn't have taught anyone else in the time he was supposed to be on test, so in that situation, us instructors will expect payment.<br />
<br />
<b>But doesn't that mean your pupil lost out?</b><br />
<br />
No. My pupil will be given a free re-test, and any expenses he incurred, such as the money he paid me, and compensation if he'd taken time off work to do the test are reimbursed by the Driving Standards Agency. It was their responsibility to ensure they had an examiner available, and because they failed to fulfill their responsibilities, they had a duty to provide an alternative date, and to compensate the candidate for any losses he incurred.<br />
<br />
<b>So how do you go about claiming the money back then?</b><br />
<br />
You need to go to this webpage - <b><a href="http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DG_196463?CID=Motoring&PLA=url_mon&CRE=driving_test_expenses">http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DG_196463?CID=Motoring&PLA=url_mon&CRE=driving_test_expenses</a></b><br />
<br />
You'll find a link to a pdf document which tells you more about it and includes an application form.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_196447.pdf">http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_196447.pdf</a><br />
<br />
Simply print off the form, complete it, and send it to the address shown in the first link.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-32207192988568947472012-05-01T08:28:00.002-07:002012-05-01T08:37:11.349-07:00Poor at Parallel Parking? Practice Precise Positioning!It's been a while since I had anyone fail! This is a good thing of course, but it's also meant I've had little to say on this blog for the last few months.<br />
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<br />
Test Centre: Upton<br />
<br />
I was sat in the back for this one. My pupil, Neil, was relaxed and confident on the pre test lesson, but when it came down to the real thing, he got a bit of the fear in him. And it showed.<br />
<br />
He was asked to do a parallel park in Sparks Lane, Thingwall and ended up putting his wheels up on the pavement. The examiner let him try to sort it out for a little while, then when he couldn't correct it, asked him to move on.<br />
<br />
The mark Neil got on his test sheet was a serious fault, reverse parking (road) - Control.<br />
<br />
We'd actually done a parallel park as part of the pre test lesson. Neil did it quite well. He didn't do it in the structured way I'd taught him, but what he did do seemed to work for him so I left it at that. Shame really. If he'd made a mess of it, we would have done a bit more on it, and he might not have got it wrong when it mattered.<br />
<br />
If you do get it wrong, and touch the kerb, you haven't at that point failed your test. Generally if you try to reverse further you're going to make matters worse, so if you do touch the kerb, put the car into first gear, <b>Check it's Clear Around You!!!!</b>, and correct it by going forwards. Often, if you can fix it, the examiner will mark it as just a minor fault.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-12149687845711027012012-01-05T15:31:00.001-08:002012-10-07T04:36:34.045-07:00The clues are subtle, but they're there.Today, Laura failed her test because she couldn't work out how to deal with an unusual and complex junction.<br />
<br />
Here's how the junction looks on Google Earth:<br />
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Laura was heading up the road towards the semi-circular junction, with the ultimate aim of turning right when she reached the dual carriageway at the top of the picture.<br />
<br />
Here's how it looks on streetview:<br />
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As you approach the junction, it's not particularly obvious how you should deal with it. You really shouldn't turn right, but there are no no entry signs to help you. Just one solitary bollard with a keep left arrow on it.<br />
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This bollard is a bit more visible in this next picture:<br />
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A bit...<br />
<br />
Laura came up to this bit too quickly, and didn't really have time to either read the complexities of the junction, or to safely assess whether it was safe to proceed. She did turn left, but it all fell short of the standard of driving required.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLs5tOrupMjbztqegOfi_dtAVWUvvq6f_rhvidW5EekLZpn0osu11rKYeZzEYn-A39baLhOnB7p5nshyphenhyphenuDMdzEOkrNt2bXHbbFSQae_Ky-HZryFCzmi6yqguu5bHKQL1GCDSmckPwT0Jsw/s1600/cway3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLs5tOrupMjbztqegOfi_dtAVWUvvq6f_rhvidW5EekLZpn0osu11rKYeZzEYn-A39baLhOnB7p5nshyphenhyphenuDMdzEOkrNt2bXHbbFSQae_Ky-HZryFCzmi6yqguu5bHKQL1GCDSmckPwT0Jsw/s640/cway3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Having turned left, she was immediately confronted by a right turn onto a dual carriageway. The central divide is narrow, and ideally, you would want to complete the manouevre in one go, rather than putting yourself in a vulnerable position, half way across the road.<br />
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<br />
This is one of the most complex and challenging junctions on any of the Wirral test routes. But it is understandable, if you break it down into it's constituent parts.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-11841608294270161022011-08-27T17:04:00.000-07:002012-10-07T04:37:19.416-07:00How to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
This is the junction of Church Street and Brighton Street in Wallasey. If you travel 100 yards further you will be right outside Wallasey test centre.<br />
<br />
This is also the junction where Pete failed his test. As he approached the lights, they changed from green to amber. Pete had time to stop, but chose to accellerate through the lights. The examiner pressed the dual brake and stopped him, because there was a vehicle coming the other way that had been waiting to turn right. If Pete had gone through, he would have left the other driver stranded as cross traffic started to move.<br />
<br />
<b>The last one was about traffic lights too, wasn't it?</b><br />
<br />
It was indeed! If you're approaching a red light, your course of action is clear. You get ready to stop. A green light is far trickier. What I advise my pupils to do is to recognise a green light as a hazard. As you come towards it, check your mirror. Don't wait for the light to change before you assess whether it would be safe to stop or not, particularly if you can see the lights have been green for a while. An amber light means stop, and although it's not always safe to brake hard if you're close to the lights when they change, if you can stop safely, you should.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-62995601285528686522011-08-18T12:28:00.000-07:002011-08-18T12:28:24.104-07:00Queue this side please!Date: August 2011<br />
Test Centre: Wallasey<br />
Reason for fail: Serious fault, Response to signs/signals - Road Markings.<br />
<br />
Mike would have passed if the lights had changed a couple of seconds earlier or later. That's just the way it goes sometimes. Here's what happened...<br />
<br />
Mike was travelling towards Liscard along Wallasey Road. As he approached the traffic lights, they changed from green to amber.<br />
<br />
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Mike checked his mirrors, and saw there was someone behind him. Because of this, he braked in a way that meant he stopped, not behind the stop line, or even in the red bit that cyclists use. Mike stopped with the nose of his car on the pedestrian crossing bit.. He knows what he should have done, and can't explain why he decided to do what he did.<br />
<br />
<b>But what should he have done instead?</b><br />
<br />
When you approach a green light, particularly if it's been green for a while, or if you don't know how long it's been on green, you should be prepared for the fact that it might change. Don't wait until it changes before you check your mirror. Check anyway, then if the light does change, you have the information you need to decide if it's safe to stop or not. Also, it's a good idea just to let the car roll through, with your feet covering the brake and clutch, rather than being on your gas pedal. If the light stays green, you can then just go back on the gas. Rolling through means the car goes just a few miles and hour slower. This feels far better from the passenger side. It shows you're aware of the hazard.<br />
<br />
If there is a vehicle close behind you, it's sometimes safer just to keep going through, even with the light on amber, than it is to attempt to stop suddenly. Mike got caught between stopping and going. His indecision took him a few yards further than he should have been, and cost him his test pass.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-75540799693991056652011-08-18T11:59:00.000-07:002011-08-18T12:01:15.944-07:00The roundabout of doom!<b>Date: August 2011</b><br />
<b>Test Centre: Upton</b><br />
<b>Reason for fail: Serious fault, Use of mirrors - change direction</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uLA0YIHIC0M3PxqhxmvCevth6o_nnj1sr55HQJ7rKMKaC_aqFlOKnYHrq7kg_DF3JerZoKDzpdIvRXhYP0EZrbVFFBzGHTplxHqn6rgB5QEh6D1uWx-D3al6Zm2yk8cW4UomyMgzr52U/s1600/sainsround.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uLA0YIHIC0M3PxqhxmvCevth6o_nnj1sr55HQJ7rKMKaC_aqFlOKnYHrq7kg_DF3JerZoKDzpdIvRXhYP0EZrbVFFBzGHTplxHqn6rgB5QEh6D1uWx-D3al6Zm2yk8cW4UomyMgzr52U/s640/sainsround.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Poor Steve.<br />
<br />
He managed to pick up two serious faults on his driving test. One of them at the same <a href="http://howtofailyourdrivingtest.blogspot.com/2011/06/righting-wrongs.html">roundabout</a> where he failed last time, although for a different reason.<br />
<br />
He did, however, manage to fail at a different roundabout for more or less the same reason that he failed on the other roundabout last time, if you see what I mean?<br />
<br />
Steve has been nervous throughout his training, and although he's now relaxed as a driver, he's still nervous when under test conditions.<br />
<br />
This time, he was asked to turn right at the Sainsbury's roundabout. A car came from the right and turned left rather late. Steve was spooked, and stopped with the nose of the car stuck out into the roundabout, causing other vehicles to have to move around him.<br />
<br />
To compound this, he then stalled, which moved him even further on to the roundabout, before finally moving away.<br />
<br />
As he was heading back to the test centre, during the "Independent driving" part of the test, Steve was asked to go straight ahead at the roundabout he stalled at on his previous attempt.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2REJ-J3gI_EGEc8eQVdD4t6cJIOStg0x9FTQanW1rVO17Oe324HAAl6k_x47pqO567cKAKVptuJ9Furpf2eeEPLn_uMbfMHsCi1ckGgYTCHeAaaBMJ1n_0zjbIUielXDQ0asNkwSxZXC/s1600/stallaboutfail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2REJ-J3gI_EGEc8eQVdD4t6cJIOStg0x9FTQanW1rVO17Oe324HAAl6k_x47pqO567cKAKVptuJ9Furpf2eeEPLn_uMbfMHsCi1ckGgYTCHeAaaBMJ1n_0zjbIUielXDQ0asNkwSxZXC/s640/stallaboutfail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Steve joined the roundabout correctly, but somehow got mixed up about which way he was going. He moved right without checking his mirror, then moved back to the left, and then turned right (from an incorrect road position)<br />
<br />
<b>Uh oh! But how could Steve have done it better?</b><br />
<br />
Both of these faults were down to nerves.<br />
<br />
Nervous people rush. They approach things too quickly to be able to judge properly. If Steve had approached the first roundabout more slowly, he'd have had more time to assess what other road users were doing, and would not have panicked. If, after stopping, he'd moved away smoothly, instead of trying to do what I call "fleeing the scene of the crime", he might have got away with a minor fault.<br />
<br />
As ever, if you're in the wrong position, just go the wrong way. You're not trying to get the examiner to his wedding or anything. He just marks your driving, not your ability to remember instructions. Even if Steve had been asked to turn right, once he had positioned himself to the left as he joined, the safest thing to do would be just to go a different way to what he'd been asked.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-89519725468256282112011-06-24T16:24:00.000-07:002011-06-24T16:25:20.892-07:00You're not allowed to go that way!Date: May 2006<br />
Test Centre: Wallasey<br />
Reason for Fail: Serious fault, Response to signs/signals - Traffic signs<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTE1jK2eu1xoOE71S_txbGIwbiUYRRY3BfVlyaPHDxwvMY5vNM63W0h0Orka27Xz703Q_4lf3ht4ZuHXLCrTf0DIJ1sNG8-8_uvCNuLHVxVipKwmK5KG92zafV37Y8ukkthnd2GK0hKO4/s1600/m53fail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTE1jK2eu1xoOE71S_txbGIwbiUYRRY3BfVlyaPHDxwvMY5vNM63W0h0Orka27Xz703Q_4lf3ht4ZuHXLCrTf0DIJ1sNG8-8_uvCNuLHVxVipKwmK5KG92zafV37Y8ukkthnd2GK0hKO4/s640/m53fail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Normally, it doesn't matter too much if you go the wrong way. As long as you do it correctly and safely, it doesn't really matter if you don't go the way you've been asked to go.<br />
<br />
But there are exceptions. Attempting to drive onto a motorway is one of those exceptions. Attempting to enter a one way street from the wrong end will be looked upon in a poor light too.<br />
<br />
In this case, Lindsey had come over from Liverpool for lessons because she was nervous about the heavy city traffic, and thought Wirral might be less intimidating. She was nervous on her test and got flustered as she approached a busy motorway intersection roundabout.<br />
<br />
The examiner gave her a serious fault because she should have known that as a learner she wasn't allowed to drive on a motorway.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-73090240939991669832011-06-19T08:04:00.000-07:002011-06-19T08:04:00.981-07:003 point turnDate: March 2006<br />
Test Centre: Ellesmere Port<br />
Reason for fail: Serious fault, turn in road - observation<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtixu3SGzOgNkAIDRIYcWwd1t3gtFiS7UAroz8LlPBk8YbC4ibPVTlGkIMZ5u3KxewXzgt5_eIb9eSZk66pyklWYnVhYoBMbWJg7QeFQbZczalSE3Gitp1HJaQLrW4MCxFW6Z3ejWU_v2W/s1600/3ptwillowdalefail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtixu3SGzOgNkAIDRIYcWwd1t3gtFiS7UAroz8LlPBk8YbC4ibPVTlGkIMZ5u3KxewXzgt5_eIb9eSZk66pyklWYnVhYoBMbWJg7QeFQbZczalSE3Gitp1HJaQLrW4MCxFW6Z3ejWU_v2W/s640/3ptwillowdalefail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Michael pulled up on the left here, and the examiner asked him to turn the car around to face the other way.<br />
<br />
Michael did it properly until just before he'd finished. He'd completed reversing, and got ready to move forward, but didn't check to see if it was clear to his left before he went. There could have been something coming, and the examiner had to give him a serious fault.<br />
<br />
<b>So if Michael had looked left he'd have passed his test?</b><br />
<br />
In this case, apart from a handful of minor faults, that missed observation was the only thing he did wrong, and he would have passed if he'd taken a moment to look.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-50137942426388139512011-06-19T07:26:00.000-07:002011-08-18T10:54:00.707-07:00Righting wrongs<b>Date: </b>January 2011<br />
<b>Test Centre:</b> Upton<br />
<b>Reason for fail:</b> Serious fault, Use of Mirrors - Change speed<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2REJ-J3gI_EGEc8eQVdD4t6cJIOStg0x9FTQanW1rVO17Oe324HAAl6k_x47pqO567cKAKVptuJ9Furpf2eeEPLn_uMbfMHsCi1ckGgYTCHeAaaBMJ1n_0zjbIUielXDQ0asNkwSxZXC/s1600/stallaboutfail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2REJ-J3gI_EGEc8eQVdD4t6cJIOStg0x9FTQanW1rVO17Oe324HAAl6k_x47pqO567cKAKVptuJ9Furpf2eeEPLn_uMbfMHsCi1ckGgYTCHeAaaBMJ1n_0zjbIUielXDQ0asNkwSxZXC/s640/stallaboutfail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
This is a fairly busy roundabout between Greasby and Upton. It has a small niche of a road off to your right, that leads into a short dead end, where people sometimes park their cars. This causes people to signal late if they want to take the exit before the one that's being approached in the picture above.<br />
<br />
Steve came to this situation on his driving test. Unsure of whether he had a safe gap, he didn't really get himself sorted out, and he stalled because he was going much too slowly for third gear.<br />
<br />
Scott abruptly stopped the car, put his clutch down and his handbrake on. He started his engine, and put the car into gear one. Then he moved away safely. The abrupt stop caused the person behind to get very close, and they themselves had to do an emergency stop. Perhaps other people further back also had to stop very quickly.<br />
<br />
<b>OK. So everyone stalls now and again. How should you sort it out?</b><br />
<br />
First thing to do was to check the mirror! Everyone gets it wrong from time to time, and if you do find yourself off the straight and narrow, you need to keep yourself safe. This means being aware of what's going on around you. Stopping suddenly may not be the best course of action, expecially approaching a roundabout, where the person behind you may well be looking right to see what's coming, instead of looking where they're going. In this case, what Scott should have done is put his clutch down, sort out first gear, and start his engine. Even if it meant going over the give way line a bit (the vehicle that caused Scott to panic had turned off to the left without signalling)<br />
<br />
People stall for two main reasons. As Scott found, the car will stall if you slow down or stop in a a high gear, and the clutch up. The other time is when people move off, either bringing the clutch up too quickly, or in the wrong gear, or without enough revs. If you can minimise the effect your stall has on other road users, you're much more likely to get away with a minor fault than if you do something that causes other people to have to react sharply.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-23570396236593544382011-06-19T07:06:00.000-07:002011-07-02T08:52:52.261-07:00Always look before you leapDate: June 2007<br />
Test Centre: Wallasey<br />
Reason for fail: Serious fault, Move off - Safely<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfsJuJRywTV34-opi8rOlAlRyqRuaKPHosrp872fO_SZrnN2Bwvwbat9C9M3UAgbBkHszMIaoRih4zjB6n_dCUwmmkIvg3-k_vDBrn41Yg_6DEsEzU9hU78XSDhXzZh2sBirIOWRAaXTj/s1600/dipsfail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfsJuJRywTV34-opi8rOlAlRyqRuaKPHosrp872fO_SZrnN2Bwvwbat9C9M3UAgbBkHszMIaoRih4zjB6n_dCUwmmkIvg3-k_vDBrn41Yg_6DEsEzU9hU78XSDhXzZh2sBirIOWRAaXTj/s640/dipsfail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
This is the sort of road where an examiner might ask you to do an emergency stop. It's quiet. You can see a long way ahead and around.<br />
<br />
The examiner asked Tim to do an emergency stop along this road. He gave the instruction, and Tim stopped promptly. The examiner then asked him to drive on. Tim got himself ready, and moved off. Unfortunately, a car was just starting to overtake him as he moved, and he hadn't checked around before releasing his handbrake.<br />
<br />
<b>So what observations should you make after doing an emergency stop?</b><br />
<br />
You won't be parked at the side of the road. You'll be well away from the kerb. So it's important that you check that nothing is coming down your inside (a cyclist perhaps) and that nothing is overtaking you. Ideally you should look over both shoulders. Tim associated that blind spot check with moving away from the side of the road, but it also needs to happen here.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-39799822192525391122011-06-18T06:18:00.000-07:002011-06-18T06:18:02.886-07:00Keep left...<b>Date</b>: May 2011<br />
<b>Test Centre:</b> Upton<br />
<b>Reason for fail:</b> Serious fault, Positioning - Normal driving<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAbraK-qba21FKUGBTJpbBZPT1e4vGI0fG_EWwkZZ-FU07ECcPwy4Kcgkrqe23Cxbn3Du40SaV0lrEqDtDVGHtdWdVUrMHbAhQtZ7xxBAqUGgX2XmfacL4pHO_GkTdRvuJjYbglVntt0V/s1600/llanefail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAbraK-qba21FKUGBTJpbBZPT1e4vGI0fG_EWwkZZ-FU07ECcPwy4Kcgkrqe23Cxbn3Du40SaV0lrEqDtDVGHtdWdVUrMHbAhQtZ7xxBAqUGgX2XmfacL4pHO_GkTdRvuJjYbglVntt0V/s640/llanefail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Liz has just gone through a set of traffic lights. She was in the right hand lane because a car was indicating left in the left lane, so she used the lights to overtake this slow moving vehicle safely. Unfortunately, she stayed out in the right lane, and wasn't going particularly quickly. When a car overtook her on the left, the examiner was always going to give her a serious fault.<br />
<br />
<b>What should Liz have done?</b><br />
<br />
She should have been looking in her left door mirror to make sure she was past the car she was overtaking, with a view to getting back to the left as early as possible. By staying out to the right, she made it difficult for herself to get safely back over, because of cars coming up on her left. It would have been better if she'd been a bit more assertive, as she would have gained the space to move over safely. Accellerating while changing lane takes you away from the danger,Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-57685636447312719132011-06-16T07:21:00.000-07:002011-06-16T07:21:13.638-07:00Is this a clue?Date: June 2011<br />
Test Centre: Wallasey<br />
Reason for fail: Reverse Park (road) - Control.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_mk04MdZdq7mGu_it3kwA-ymgc1kq5FMJQGHQl7yaZImaojv_GrEkg0pC82I4Ldz7kXQk3dvt9Tn_3_lnDNralqdlXPYWEIC6lvg-QqYJXcrWIhfnm-4ZHlEawqdVYQrw6F-iEZ5KT0i/s1600/pparkfail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_mk04MdZdq7mGu_it3kwA-ymgc1kq5FMJQGHQl7yaZImaojv_GrEkg0pC82I4Ldz7kXQk3dvt9Tn_3_lnDNralqdlXPYWEIC6lvg-QqYJXcrWIhfnm-4ZHlEawqdVYQrw6F-iEZ5KT0i/s640/pparkfail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
John was asked to pull up on the left, and the examiner asked him to pull up alongside the parked car, and to reverse into the space behind it, parallel to and reasonably close to the kerb. John did the reverse, but because a part of the kerb was missing due to a driveway, he couldn't see quite where he was up to, and finished up a couple of feet away from the kerb.<br />
<br />
At this point, the examiner ostentatiously looked out of his window at the kerb, and asked john if he had finished. John said that he had. Then the examiner made an obvious show of looking in his door mirror, and looked at John, asking, "Are you happy with that?" John agreed, and the examiner asked him to drive on.<br />
<br />
<b>But don't you have to get it right first time?</b><br />
<br />
If you want to become a driving instructor, you have to do the parallel park on your advanced driving test, and you are expected to complete the manouevre without adjustment, but on the learner test, they're not as strict. If you find that you've ended up in the wrong place, you can drive forwards and correct things. But make sure you check around before you do. If you knock someone of his bike while doing it, you'll fail.<br />
<br />
The examiner tried to give John a big clue that he wasn't happy with his position. Unfortunately, John, mainly because of nerves, failed to pick up on it.<br />
<br />
When people are nervous, they rush.they want to get whatever it is that is making them nervous, over and done with.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-6861834181421833302011-06-11T10:10:00.000-07:002011-06-11T14:11:38.774-07:00Left? Which one?<b>Date:</b> June 2011<br />
<b>Test Centre:</b> Wallasey<br />
<b>Reason for fail:</b> Serious fault, Turning Left - Observation<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiv0BU6M4sdzb5zaD_tv-8w80gCR_N8hR15BfV7b4EPVdOr0Jz-QDT4_VLSKsir5QREfSM2oUjw0hNkHUzSdAkVLXYCuk5ZMBkyO7AvftG2Sjs5rkrV2zYouuLQo5QGX5mqiro3xx0J19/s1600/limekilnfail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiv0BU6M4sdzb5zaD_tv-8w80gCR_N8hR15BfV7b4EPVdOr0Jz-QDT4_VLSKsir5QREfSM2oUjw0hNkHUzSdAkVLXYCuk5ZMBkyO7AvftG2Sjs5rkrV2zYouuLQo5QGX5mqiro3xx0J19/s640/limekilnfail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
David was asked to take the next road on his left. There are two ways into the side road - The slip lane you can see with the parked cars in it, and a more conventional T-Junction, which is mainly used by traffic turning right into the side road.<br />
<br />
Not being that familiar with Wallasey, David saw the "T" part of the junction, and turned left there. However, since the majority of people turning left there would use the slip road bit, and join the same bit of road that David was now going into, it was important that he looked left as he completed the turn. Unfortunately, he didn't do this, and the examiner had to give him a serious fault. Shame really, as he only picked up a handful of minor faults, and would have easily passed if it wasn't for this error.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-34575330404091712942011-06-09T05:53:00.000-07:002011-06-12T15:06:54.026-07:00Look where you're going!Date: 2006<br />
Test Centre: Wallasey<br />
Reason for fail: Serious fault, Junctions - Observation<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizy92j8tGdx6SGyjw_1X_UaU9PxmmX_7ae_4qJgPqp4WHxTooLPbbnr4K841G-7JdE90hNIzFs2wCEW2DfmK-vgilVLLYUvEnJFGxzJUIfJ7f9bvoI411DFWneBaiROBT7zqdhdzqKntAY/s1600/pedcrosfail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizy92j8tGdx6SGyjw_1X_UaU9PxmmX_7ae_4qJgPqp4WHxTooLPbbnr4K841G-7JdE90hNIzFs2wCEW2DfmK-vgilVLLYUvEnJFGxzJUIfJ7f9bvoI411DFWneBaiROBT7zqdhdzqKntAY/s640/pedcrosfail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Busy town centre streets. Shops and offices. People want to go to and from here, and the islands to the left of the picture allows pedestrians to cross these busy roads one bit at a time.<br />
<br />
Steve came to this junction, intent on finding out if there was anything coming from his right. The way was clear, so he emerged, only for the examiner to press the dual brake because there was a lady with a pushchair crossing the road to his left.<br />
<br />
<b>Well I'd fail him for that too! So why didn't he look where he was going?</b><br />
<br />
It's a really common thing, both with learners and with experienced drivers. To look right is a natural thing. To look left is counter-intuitive, and I spend a lot of time getting people to focus most of their attention on where they are going. A lot of the time, that look right is useless, since all you can see is a wall or a hedge or a fence.<br />
<br />
You must check it's clear to your right before you emerge, but really, the danger comes from the left, not the right. People cut corners when turning right into the junction you're coming up to. The road you want to turn into could have a car coming down on the wrong side of the road if there are parked vehicles forcing them out. And yes, there could be pedestrians crossing.<br />
<br />
Look left, glance right.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211417422987684654.post-3145806698139649402011-06-06T17:26:00.000-07:002011-06-12T15:16:55.922-07:00It's just a shame that's all...Date: April 2010<br />
Test Centre: Upton<br />
Reason for fail: Turn in Road - Observation<br />
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Kathryn was asked to do a turn in the road. She got ready, checked it was clear around her and moved slowly across the road. She stopped, and put her handbrake on, then prepared herself, and made sure it was clear around her. As she reversed slowly back, she saw an old man walking along the pavement. Alert to the possibility that might walk out into the road, she kept still and waited until he had gone past and then continued to reverse, before putting her handbrake on, getting ready, checking around and completing the manouevre.<br />
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<b>Huh? She got a serious fault for that? Why? </b><br />
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She had been sat still for quite a long time in the middle of the road, and didn't look both ways before continuing. If a cyclist had been coming or something she might have hit them. The examiner had no option but to give her a serious fault. If she'd looked around after waiting for the pedestrian, or if she hadn't waited for him in the first place, she wouldn't have got the fault. her kindness turned around and bit her on the ass.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477727620596783913noreply@blogger.com0