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Driving test failed for driving slow in wet conditions

Hi

I failed my second driving test for driving slow below 40mph (between 35 to 40mph) on a dual carriage way (60 speed road) in wet road condition. Initially I drove slowly before I assessed the road conditions. I felt that the road conditions are good so I drove in appropriate speed throughout the test.

Examiner failed me with 4 minors and 1 major for driving slowly on one occasion. He agreed that after sometime I got up appropriate speed but he still failed me.

It is unfair and annoying. Can someone please give me an advice what I can do on this unfair assessment?
(edited 7 years ago)

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Original post by showkathm
Hi

I failed my second driving test for driving slow below 40km/hr on a dual carriage way (60 speed road) in wet road condition. Initially I drove slowly before I assessed the road conditions. I felt that the road conditions are good so I drove in appropriate speed throughout the test.

Examiner failed me with 4 minors and 1 major for driving slowly on one occasion. He agreed that after sometime I got up appropriate speed but he still failed me.

It is unfair and annoying. Can someone please give me an advice what I can do on this unfair assessment?


So you were going 24mph on a dual carriageway...? Or did you mean 40 mph?
Reply 2
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showkathm
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Original post by cbreef
So you were going 24mph on a dual carriageway...? Or did you mean 40 mph?


Thanks for reply. I was driving between 35 and 40mph (I drove this speed only first 5 minutes or so after joining the dual carriage way as the road was wet), after which I drove around 50mph when I realised road conditions were good.
(edited 7 years ago)
Well of course you failed! The speed limit on a dual carriageway is 70mph and you should be joining the flow of traffic at an appropriate speed and should quickly reach and maintain an appropriate speed. 35mph is not an appropriate speed for such a road - it would be hazardous for other drivers who wouldn't be expecting such a slow-moving vehicle.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by showkathm
Thanks for reply. I was driving between 35 and 40mph (I drove this speed only first 5 minutes or so after joining the dual carriage way as the road was wet), after which I drove around 50mph when I realised road conditions were good.


Did you demonstrate confident driving at high speed for long enough?

Modern cars can deal with 50-60 mph in the wet easily with TCS, ABS, SC, Disc brakes etc... so maybe he/she sensed you weren't comfortable driving fast...?
Original post by Reality Check
Well of course you failed! The speed limit on a dual carriageway is 70mph and you should be joining the flow of traffic at an appropriate speed and should quickly reach and maintain an appropriate speed. 35mph is not an appropriate speed for such a road - it would be hazardous for other drivers who wouldn't be expecting such a slow-moving vehicle.


It's 60 but yeah, I agree.
Original post by showkathm
Thanks for reply. I was driving between 35 and 40mph (I drove this speed only first 5 minutes or so after joining the dual carriage way as the road was wet), after which I drove around 50mph when I realised road conditions were good.


"Only first 5 minutes"? xD It should only have taken you about 5 seconds to judge the road conditions. You might have been excused for driving slowly for 20 seconds or so, but 5 minutes is an enormous amount of time to be going dangerously slowly at 35-40mph on a dual carriageway.
Original post by cbreef
It's 60 but yeah, I agree.


Er no: the speed limit on a dual carriageway is 70mph.
Original post by cbreef
It's 60 but yeah, I agree.


No, its definitely 70.
What you do in wet conditions is increase your distance from the person in front, not sure what the time interval is to reach the same location, think 5 or 10 seconds.
Original post by Reality Check
Er no: the speed limit on a dual carriageway is 70mph.


Damn. I'm doing my theory right now. I was so sure the speed limit for all carriageways was the same. :cry2:
Original post by cbreef
Damn. I'm doing my theory right now. I was so sure the speed limit for allcarriageways was the same. :cry2:


:smile: well, best to learn that now rather than during the test, eh!
Original post by Vikingninja
What you do in wet conditions is increase your distance from the person in front, not sure what the time interval is to reach the same location, think 5 or 10 seconds.


Ok, I know this one. It's 4s minimum (leave 2x the standard gap). It's 10 for icy roads.
Reply 13
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showkathm
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3
The legal speed limit was 60. there are speed signs of 60 from Slough to Windsor route. Having read this, I think I can't contest with this outcome. Thanks for your comments.
For completeness, you don't need to drive at the speed limit, especially when conditions are not great. That being said, it's up to you to judge what a safe speed is, and what the instructor was telling you is your judgement is way off. 50 would've been more appropriate if you wanted to be conservative.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 15
Avatar for Advisor
Advisor
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I see this quite a lot, and it surprises me how many learner drivers drive like a snail in reaction to a bit of drizzle landing on their windscreen. Most of the time, their slow speed is a result of being unable to see, as many haven't a clue how to operate wipers and demisters properly. Windows get all steamed up and we drive at a crawl, causing chaos behind us.

Any reduction in speed needs to be realistic and proportionate. The biggest factor in deciding whether a speed reduction is needed is visibility. If the car controls are set correctly (wipers on, demisters blowing, aircon drying out the moisture), then you should still be able to see for miles and react to hazards accordingly. Empty roads may need no reduction in speed at all. Traffic in front may require an extra separation distance (four second gap instead of two) so there may be a temporary reduction in speed to facilitate this, but once the gap is sufficient, maintain the same speed as the car in front.

Providing there isn't heavy traffic in the way, there should be no reason why you can't drive at 58 to 59 mph in the wet on a road subject to a 60 limit. Only large volumes of standing water or the extremely heavy "bouncing" rain would cause the safe speed to reduce below 50 or so. Dawdling at 35 to 40 is just a silly over-reaction and would cause more danger to following traffic reaching your rear end at higher speeds in wet conditions.

I'm afraid the assessment was fair and there isn't anything you can do about it, other than drive correctly next time.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 16
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Original post by cbreef
Damn. I'm doing my theory right now. I was so sure the speed limit for all carriageways was the same. :cry2:
To be clear, the national speed limit for cars on dual carriageways is 70, but remember that lower limits can apply where shown by signs.

All around the country, there are roads which are technically dual carriageways (with a central reservation) but have signs enforcing limits of 60, 50, 40, 30 or even 20mph. Only where you see the national speed limit sign (circular white sign with the diagonal black stripe) or have a total lack of street lighting can you assume the national limit of 70.
(edited 7 years ago)
The speed limit on an NSL dual carriageway is 70 unless otherwise signed - and very few DCs are signed at 60 , vs 50 / 40 /30 for various reasons some of which are known only to the highways dept and the councillors and forced the highways dept.

so travelling at 35 mph unless both lanes were blocked by an abnormal load is likely to result ina major of hesitancy etc ///
Only where you see the national speed limit sign (circular white sign with the diagonal black stripe) or have a total lack of street lighting can you assume the national limit of 70.

Wow and this whole time, I thought that sign meant 60
Original post by cherryred90s
Wow and this whole time, I thought that sign meant 60


It means the national speed limit applies which if you had looked at your highway code since passing your test you would know varies depending o nthe type of vehicle and the type of road

cars , motorbikes, campers , certain small vans NSL is 60 /70 /70 SC/DC/M

minibuses, large cat B vans , C1 vehicles 50/60/70

speed limited goods vehicles 50 ( in England and Wales) / 56 / 56 40 / 56 /56 in scotland

PCVs on stage carriage services 50/50/50 ( if geared to allow 50) other PCVs 50 / limiter / limiter

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