Am I in the wrong for trying to explain something to my driving examiner

So I took my driving test today and failed on two serious faults, (one I sort of feel is a 50/50 one). At the end of the test I let the examiner tell me I failed and why, except this is where opinions are divided. I need to stress I was polite and respectful at all times.

I said politely “can I just explain something.” My examiners reply was and I found it very rude tone of his voice. “I don’t want to hear it!” Now as far as I’m concerned there was no need for that reply when he could have politely said I’m not discussing it or talk to your instructor for example. So i thought right since you’re being rude I’m going to press on. Just a note had he been polite I wouldn’t have bothered to ask.

I failed on this reason and fair enough I realised after I made the error I messed up.



I was following the satnav along a winding county road it was a left turn I was supposed to make, but the satnav didn’t say to turn until pretty much last minute and I had to break hard. I tried to explain that the satnav told me last minute, because I was having to drop my speed from a 50mph zone to 30mph as well as trying to manoeuvre around the bends so I was concentrating on that.. All I got from him was “oh you were asleep at the wheel you weren’t concentrating there was nothing wrong with the satnav,”

The second issue is 50/50



I was at the traffic and it had one of those bike bays you need to wait behind, there was a car infront of me at the traffic lights when they were on red. It went to green the car infront moved up waiting to turn right so I waited behind the bike line. The car turned and then I quickly turned as well just as the traffic lights turned to amber (right after I turned). I tried to explain that from MY point of view there wasn’t enough room but my examiner said this, “oh there was plenty of room for two or three cars now the cars behind you had to wait,” the traffic lights were 50/50 in my view only because I wasn’t causing a danger to other road users.

Now am I in the wrong for trying to explain why I saw things differently I wasn’t disputing the result, I just wanted to be able to say well this is why I made a mistake but I know now where I’ve gone wrong for next time. I’ve rebooked my next exam but am worried I might get the same examiner again.

What was your objective in explaining why you drove the way you did. What were hoping to achieve?

They have limited time between tests and it’s not a debate at the end of the day.

I imagine that a lot of people argue the toss and can well understand why they want to head off those kind of discussions.

I don’t think you were in the wrong per se, but it’s just that what you had to say would have been no interest to them whatsoever.

I understand that completely but if he was just polite about it, and worded it better, since I didn’t raise my voice or anything I’d sort of expect the same politeness back. Obviously if I’d have been rude then that’d be a different story

Surely relying on the satnav to notify you when you're approaching a junction is poor form regardless of whether you did so successfully or not, at least as a new driver...?

I wasn’t I was on a straight bit of road. Were I live is The Wirral, one side is built up with towns and retail parks and the other side is mostly country lanes, I heard the satnav say in x amount of yards take the next left, now I was concentrating on my speed and mostly the sharp bends and corners, instead of the satnav. Since I was coming off a 50mph road to suddenly dropping down to 30mph. The reason I breaked so sharp at about 20mph (no cars around) was because the satnav said take the next left, which was hidden behind near enough by a farm building. So I’m trying to concentrate and visually look for the left, but I don’t live in that area so I didn’t know the road layout, so I didn’t see it until I was right on top nearly and that was visually looking

They'd usually be signage warning you of bends, reductions in speeds or hidden junctions where traffic might be pulling out. I'm not having a go, but from the examiners POV you can't be so focussed on the satnav that you miss stuff.

Yeh I understand that, it’s just the attitude that’s got me more annoyed. I understand people swear and are arrogant to them, but if someone is polite to you then you should just be the same back, a simple polite can I just explain something, doesn’t give someone the right to have a bad attitude. Had he said I don’t have time or you can tell your instructor I wouldn’t have bothered trying to explain it

But how many seemingly polite exchanges devolve into someone arguing that the result is incorrect or whatever? From their POV, just shut it down and get on with your day.

Honestly, it's not worth getting annoyed at. They are a famously grumpy breed.