Queue this side please!

Date: August 2011
Test Centre: Wallasey
Reason for fail: Serious fault, Response to signs/signals - Road Markings.

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...

Mike was travelling towards Liscard along Wallasey Road. As he approached the traffic lights, they changed from green to amber.

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.

But what should he have done instead?

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.

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.