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Would this count as a major driving fault?

So my test is this Friday and I went for a practice drive today and I had to turn right on this 30mph road, so I was going at the right speed (27mph) and basically noticed the side road a little late so obviously I signaled and slowed down to about 15mph and then to 5 as there was a car paasing by, I was still in second gear and the car didn’t stall because I didn’t stop but as I got into the side road, the engine stalled when I tried to speed up and this was maybe 3m Into the road and 3m away from the give way line
Because I haven’t really stalled before, I basically just didn’t know how to react to this and forgot that I have to switch the engine back on and so was there was a while (like 15 seconds) trying to get the engine to start and then set off again
Because I didn’t stall in the main road and stalled in the side road, my mum said this would count as a minor but i don’t agree, I think it would become a major for control or gear
There was nobody around me so I didn’t disturb any traffic and the turning itself wasn’t dangerous or disruptive (at least I don’t think so, maybe the car behind was a lil annoyed at having the slow down and wait for me to turn) it was just the stall that happened quite close to a junction and I reacted a little slowly so I feel like it would class as a serious rather than a dangerous fault?

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Reply 1
Original post by Anonymous
So my test is this Friday and I went for a practice drive today and I had to turn right on this 30mph road, so I was going at the right speed (27mph) and basically noticed the side road a little late so obviously I signaled and slowed down to about 15mph and then to 5 as there was a car paasing by, I was still in second gear and the car didn’t stall because I didn’t stop but as I got into the side road, the engine stalled when I tried to speed up and this was maybe 3m Into the road and 3m away from the give way line
Because I haven’t really stalled before, I basically just didn’t know how to react to this and forgot that I have to switch the engine back on and so was there was a while (like 15 seconds) trying to get the engine to start and then set off again
Because I didn’t stall in the main road and stalled in the side road, my mum said this would count as a minor but i don’t agree, I think it would become a major for control or gear
There was nobody around me so I didn’t disturb any traffic and the turning itself wasn’t dangerous or disruptive (at least I don’t think so, maybe the car behind was a lil annoyed at having the slow down and wait for me to turn) it was just the stall that happened quite close to a junction and I reacted a little slowly so I feel like it would class as a serious rather than a dangerous fault?

Stalling isn't a major fault!
Reply 2
Original post by Lb2002
Stalling isn't a major fault!

It wasn't the stall itself, it was just that the stall happened within a car length of the junction and I was a little slow in getting started again, I feel like that would be classed as a serious?
Reply 3
Original post by Anonymous
It wasn't the stall itself, it was just that the stall happened within a car length of the junction and I was a little slow in getting started again, I feel like that would be classed as a serious?

I reckon you may be alright - you didn't put anyone at risk - maybe blocking the junction could be a fault but I wouldn't say major
Reply 4
I also turned at like 10mph onto a side road from a main road that was 40mph, is this too slow? This would also disturb person behind because they'd have to slow down a lot and it would become a serious fault?
Its just I feel like I'm close to passing the test and am way more prepared this time around and since I haven't been learning with an instructor, I just need all the info I can about what makes a major fault
Reply 5
Original post by Lb2002
I reckon you may be alright - you didn't put anyone at risk - maybe blocking the junction could be a fault but I wouldn't say major

Ah okay, I don't think I was blocking anyone because the side road was wide and nobody else was intending to turn into the road. Idk, its just that it took me a while to react to the stalling itself (it seemed to me like it took forever lol) so maybe I'd risk a major
the examiners in my area are pretty strict and last time I failed because I was in the right hand lane but was going maximum speed and there were too many cars next to me and I couldn't move into the left but they were still like 'I know you couldn't do much in that situation but you were blocking people behind' even tho I was going at the maximum speed lmao
Reply 6
Original post by Lb2002
I reckon you may be alright - you didn't put anyone at risk - maybe blocking the junction could be a fault but I wouldn't say major

I feel like the car was close to stalling as I was turning into the road but because the side road was downhill, the car just rolled down enough to get me off the main road before properly stalling and me just kind of stuck there lol
Reply 7
What exactly counts as a major anyway?
I know the basics:
Stalling on a roundabout/ a busy junction
Normal driving position
Not observing/ indicating
Not sticking to lanes on a roundabout
Obstructing- what does this mean exactly?
Getting too close to cars
Speeding/ too slow
Not stopping at give ways/ stop signs etc
Going over the stop line
Rolling back on a hill
Not checking mirrors/ blind spot/ rear window
3 minors in one box
Not being able to do a manoeuvre
Not stopping on the side in enough time to give way
Bus lane driving
Double yellow line stopping
Being in the wrong gear to do manoeuvres or turns

Anything else?
As a general rule, I was told a minor fault turns into a major if it puts someone in danger. So for example, not checking your mirror when you turn left would turn into a major fault if you almost hit a cyclist.
Stalling follows the same rules, it’s a major fault if it’s dangerous, or makes other people have to react to you. It sounds like you stalled in a side road and it didn’t affect anyone else? This means it was probably just a minor. Obviously no one can say exactly when we weren’t there.
Reply 9
Original post by Dancer2001
As a general rule, I was told a minor fault turns into a major if it puts someone in danger. So for example, not checking your mirror when you turn left would turn into a major fault if you almost hit a cyclist.
Stalling follows the same rules, it’s a major fault if it’s dangerous, or makes other people have to react to you. It sounds like you stalled in a side road and it didn’t affect anyone else? This means it was probably just a minor. Obviously no one can say exactly when we weren’t there.

Yeah I did stall in a side road with no one around, I'm only worried it is a major just because it was relatively close to a junction and it took me some time to get going again
also, I was on a 40mph road and again going at the right speed and had to turn left so I did the whole MSP routine and slowed down to about 15mph before turning, is this too slow to turn? Like there was a car behind me so they did have to slow down quite a bit so I could make the turn
I would say the stall is only a minor fault, but I reckon if you took any longer to get going again, the examiner (in a real test) would tell you how to get going and only then would it be classed as a major.

The thing I was more concerned about was the rapid slowing down when you noticed the side road a little late - only do this after checking your rear-view mirror first. If someone is relatively close behind and you slow down sharply, it'll count as a major fault and could even cause an accident.

Honestly, if you notice the side road too late and there's too much pressure, don't even go down it - just keep going straight as you were. You can't be faulted for not following the directions.
Reply 11
On my first test, I stalled on a hill start (minor road going onto a major road) it was 8am on a friday so no other cars around and it was only a minor.
Original post by mohamadjamil03
I would say the stall is only a minor fault, but I reckon if you took any longer to get going again, the examiner (in a real test) would tell you how to get going and only then would it be classed as a major.

The thing I was more concerned about was the rapid slowing down when you noticed the side road a little late - only do this after checking your rear-view mirror first. If someone is relatively close behind and you slow down sharply, it'll count as a major fault and could even cause an accident.

Honestly, if you notice the side road too late and there's too much pressure, don't even go down it - just keep going straight as you were. You can't be faulted for not following the directions.

Yeah, I did slow down a lil quickly but it was from like 25 down to like a 10, I am kind of bad at looking in the back mirror when slowing down quickly, it wasn’t like a sharp slowing down it was more of an intial sharp one down from 25 to 20 and then more gradually down to 10 before I had to stop for the other car
But yeah, I guess I’m just overestimating what mistakes make a major
Original post by ACE_DK
On my first test, I stalled on a hill start (minor road going onto a major road) it was 8am on a friday so no other cars around and it was only a minor.

Ah okay, I just wanna be absolutely sure because the examiners in my area are really strict
Reply 14
Original post by Anonymous
What exactly counts as a major anyway?
I know the basics:
Stalling on a roundabout/ a busy junction
Normal driving position
Not observing/ indicating
Not sticking to lanes on a roundabout
Obstructing- what does this mean exactly?
Getting too close to cars
Speeding/ too slow
Not stopping at give ways/ stop signs etc
Going over the stop line
Rolling back on a hill
Not checking mirrors/ blind spot/ rear window
3 minors in one box
Not being able to do a manoeuvre
Not stopping on the side in enough time to give way
Bus lane driving
Double yellow line stopping
Being in the wrong gear to do manoeuvres or turns

Anything else?

There are only few things that are a basic major, most of these would need some weight added by having an impact on other road users, but look at a DL25, not that we use it anymore but any fault that is minor could be serious or dangerous in other situations. Your stalling incident would be serious only if a car was following (control gears- having the incorrect gear selected for speed of travel). Dancer has the right idea.
You can stall on a roundabout junction, again if there is little to no impact.
Not observing/indicating is very rare as a serious fault, only habitual. It can only really apply as a serious when on a road above 40mph.
Not sticking to your lane on a roundabout, lane discipline. If you do mirror checks and there is nobody around feel free to “straighten the lanes”, we all do it when alone.
Speeding is much more obvious, any more than 10% over. Going to slow (appropriate speed we’d be looking at half the limit or 2/3 with following traffic.
Driving position serious faults tend to be reserved for people being over 50% across the Center line, with time & distance used to assess it.
There is no fault for ‘obstructing’, but there is for judgement meeting oncoming traffic, which is normally not giving enough space for someone to come past, or awareness & planning which could be obstructing a junction when waiting in traffic.
Getting to close is 2 areas, in motion we follow ‘only a fool breaks the two second rule’, and when queuing we like to see ‘tyres on tarmac’.
Always stop at stop signs and lines, give way stop only if you’re giving way...
Have to roll back an entire car length if nothing behind, obviously different if there’s parked or queuing cars behind.
Nobody gets an outright serious fault for mirrors, only habitual. Blind spots count as move off safety and are only serious if there’s other road users in the blind spot.
Can get up to 7 mirror signalling minors but most of the rest are 3.
Obviously we need the manoeuvre to be completed.
“Not stopping on the side in enough time to give way” not sure what this means, but could this be judgement meeting oncoming traffic too?
Bus lane and double yellows are a cut & paste fail.
Incorrect gear depends how you play it, I’ve had someone do the forward park in 2nd, no loss of control or stalling so it was a pass.

Look at this;
C7D03017-68EC-48E6-B5F2-039D28DEA0C4.jpeg

Anything *can* be a serious fault. Don’t assume that anything isn’t.
Reply 15
Also can we please stop calling them “Major” and “Minor”, it gets on my nut! It’s Driver fault, Serious then Dangerous.
If you caused an inconvenience or danger to someone else, you would probably get a fail. If there was no one around, it’d probably just be a minor for control of the vehicle/use of speed/response to signs (if any).

It hasn’t happened on the real thing, no one crashed and no ones hurt. You don’t need to worry about it - just remember where the side road is! Good luck for Friday.
Reply 17
Sounds like a minor to me, but of course these things can easily turn in to a serious down to what ever else is happening at the time or repetition.
Reply 18
Original post by Bumble18
If you caused an inconvenience or danger to someone else, you would probably get a fail. If there was no one around, it’d probably just be a minor for control of the vehicle/use of speed/response to signs (if any).

It hasn’t happened on the real thing, no one crashed and no ones hurt. You don’t need to worry about it - just remember where the side road is! Good luck for Friday.


It’s control gears, having the incorrect gear selected for speed of travel, use of speed is speeding, response to signs is stop signs and ignoring lane marking signs on approach to roundabout, or anything involving a sign that isn’t superseded by a more appropriate fault marking. Only time stalling into a side rd would be response to signs is if the side rd had a sign saying “use 1st gear”, or an incline warning.
Original post by TheDE
It’s control gears, having the incorrect gear selected for speed of travel, use of speed is speeding, response to signs is stop signs and ignoring lane marking signs on approach to roundabout, or anything involving a sign that isn’t superseded by a more appropriate fault marking. Only time stalling into a side rd would be response to signs is if the side rd had a sign saying “use 1st gear”, or an incline warning.



I got a minor under use of speed for a similar situation. I know it was this pin point moment the minor was given because he told me at the end. Guess it all comes down to the assessors opinion

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