Drivers fail retest

 

A recent survey has shown that half of qualified drivers say they would have problems with at least one part of the driving test should they take a retest, and just over 10% would fail the test completely. Out of the people surveyed parallel parking came out as the manoeuvre most likely to make people nervous, with around a third of women admitting that it causes them problems. When surveying the men, around 9% said they would find it difficult sticking to speed limits and driving at an appropriate speed.
That doesn't make for great reading and I can certainly believe these statistics considering some of the reckless and impatient driving I see on a daily basis whilst out on driving lessons. Driving should be seen as a skill for life, and passing the test is really only the first step to becoming a safe driver. Unfortunately many people choose to drive in whatever way they want once passing the test, discarding correct procedures. Maybe an occasional retest would be a good thing......?

DSA guide on preparing for the practical test.

Further to an earlier post I made about what to expect on your practical test, I've come across these two videos, made by the DSA, that will help you in preparing for both the theory and practical tests. This is all information that your driving instructor should be giving you but of course sometimes it's a lot to remember so helpfully these videos will come to the rescue!!

Remember click the following  link if you are looking for driving lessons in kent, or if you need help with any aspect of learning to drive. It doesn't matter if you're learning with another driving school, we're always happy to help out if we can!

What's in the driving test?

There seems to be a certain amount of confusion amongst new drivers about what exactly the driving test involves, so I've decided to try to take some of the mystery out of it!

When you arrive at the test centre, you're going to need to have brought both parts of your provisional licence - the photocard and counterpart - and a copy of your theory test certificate. Failure to bring both parts of your licence would result in you not being able to take the test and losing the test fee, currently at £62. Once your examiner has checked this, you'll be required to read a numberplate from a minimum distance of 20 metres, again failure to be able to do this will result in a cancelled test. Once this has been completed you'll walk over to your car, where the examiner will ask you one "show me" and one "tell me" question. These questions relate to the maintenance and operation of your car, and each is worth 1 minor markdown should they be answered incorrectly (a candidate is allowed no more than 15 minors on their test).
Once these have been answered, the examiner will ask you to move off out of the car park. Your driving test should last between 35 - 40 minutes, although this can differ depending on traffic conditions. For the most part, your examiner will be giving you step by step instructions on which roads to take and where to turn at junctions.  However, for roughly 10 minutes, you will be asked to do the 'independent driving' part of the test, where you'll be asked to follow roadsigns or a diagram to a certain destination. You will also be asked to carry out just one manoeuvre (Turning in the road, reversing around a corner, parallel parking, or at some test centres bay parking) and 1 in 3 people will be asked to carry out an emergency stop (it will be completely random whether you're asked to do this).
Once you get back to the test centre, the examiner will let you know the result of your test once all of the marks have been counted. As mentioned earlier, a candidate will fail a test for either a) receiving more than 15 minor faults, b) getting a major fault, or c) failing to carry out a manoeuvre adequately.

That's about it! Hopefully it's now clear what to expect on your test day. For further info or to book driving lessons in Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks, please click the link.