Passing driving test - you need to be quite lucky

Would you agree that alot of people who take the driving test, need to be a bit lucky to pass?

Obviously there are a few really good drivers who could take the test again and again and pass, regardless of their luck. But I think the majority need to be lucky, not only in terms of the conditions around you

(ie you may make the wrong decision on a roundabout if you see a gap in a roundabout that is not too big or not to small, or you may make the wrong decision when overtaking a bus using the oncoming traffic lane because you see the lane is clear, but a car turns into it from a junction that was obscured from view by the bus.)

but also in terms of how the examiner reacts to your mistakes. Though Im sure the examiners are all trained to a high standard, they are only human after all, and what one examiner may class as a minor, another may class as a serious.

btw I'm biased becasue I failed yesterday.

Reply 1

Ryan

10

Yes it does depend greatly on luck aswell as your driving skill.

Reply 2

pghstochaj

11

Not really, I disagree, as a driver you face such "unlucky" circumstance each and every mile you travel. Leaving my test centre I had to pull out onto a majorly busy road and turn right, it could have taken 5 seconds or 10 minutes, in reality that would be fine, in a driving test of course it makes you nervous.

Never overtake a bus if you're not 100% sure for example. Every single bit of driving is full of mistakes, it's about how you handle everybody else's mistakes and how you handle theirs.

Reply 3

davemarkey

2

if u can, try to avoid overtaking a bus - the bus drivers see that u r a learner and they want u to mess up

Reply 4

Cortez

17

pghstochaj

Not really, I disagree, as a driver you face such "unlucky" circumstance each and every mile you travel. Leaving my test centre I had to pull out onto a majorly busy road and turn right, it could have taken 5 seconds or 10 minutes, in reality that would be fine, in a driving test of course it makes you nervous.

Never overtake a bus if you're not 100% sure for example. Every single bit of driving is full of mistakes, it's about how you handle everybody else's mistakes and how you handle theirs.

That is rather true. Like people going in the left lane to turn right at a round-a-bout and cutting in front of you - tit :rolleyes:

Reply 5

TheWildChild

11

i agree. when i had my test, i knewi was an ok driver, but just occasionally made stuuupid mistakes. its when you think how easy it is to fail that you get nervouse about it. now if in a test you coem across a situation that youve never come across before, then your not gonna know what to do. all down to luck what situations you coem across...

i was lucky though :wink:

Reply 6

Daveo

16

I agree there are elements of luck involved in the test. It depends on which situations present themselves during your test, you may get stuck in traffic and not have to do much for a large portion of your test or you may be faced with multiple hazards however the test is designed to assess how well you cope with such things.

Reply 7

Ilovepuremaths

I agree with that. Although when driving you encounter different circumstances all the time, your driving test is relatively short and you only have one shot at a lot of things. So yes, luck is required.

Reply 8

Arminius

14

i Have my first driving test wednesday.

I feel well prepared, i have about 30 hours of lessons and 60 hours of practice im my parents car, so i think compared to the average person i have had more experiance.

theres so much to remember though, and it would be so easy to fail for one silly decision, or a nervous mistake...

wish me luck.

Reply 9

Malik

12

Agree totally, I passed with 14lessons( I booked early and forgot to cancell it). So my instructor was like might as well give it a try your not getting your money back, so I went and passsed with 3minors. I had to take another 5-6lessons after I passed because I still in my eyes a "learner". I would just like to think I had a lucky day.

Reply 10

Leigh

15

I agree that there is some luck involved. You could not get to a single junction with another car, or you could have aggressive drivers honking their horns at you on every manouvere. I don't however agree with some of your examples; the possibility of a car turning into your road from a junction concealed by a bus, while you would have to be unlucky for this to happen, you would be in the wrong if you did overtake while there was a concealed junction. Some things can't be avoided, others, like poor observation can.

I failed my first test on a nervous mistake 3 minutes in, drove fine for the rest of it, was quite lucky actually, did a lot of sitting in queues. Have my second test next friday, hopefully will be just as lucky this time, and should be more confident this time, so should pass.

Reply 11

uzi786

9

It has a lot 2 do with luck - but also other peoples driving skills. I failed my test on Thursday simply coz a driver was signalling Left on a roundabout but didnt take it and drove on, coz I started to go (I was turning right) and I had to brake to avoid the other driver, I was failed for "not paying attention to potential hazards" even though I was looking everywhere. I got 8minors and 1serious.
****ing Pisstake

Reply 12

Sync

14

Huge amount of luck involved. Worst thing is where people flash you to go when it's unsafe, and where pricks don't signal correctly at rounderbouts. :mad:

Reply 13

lovelee-jublee

12

Also depends on the examiner. Although they are all taught to the same standard, many interpret situations differently. For example on my test I had to move into the next lane as the one I was in turned into a bus lane, but as I started to move across after checking there was a safe gap, the woman behind decided that she wanted that gap and was too impatient to wait. So I had to quickly get left and then come right again. My examiner gave me a dangerous for not seeing the woman pulling over...I was going there first!!! My instructor said other examiner's wouldn't fail you for that as when you first initiated the manouvre it was clear and you were already committed. So there's differences between examiners aswell.

Reply 14

Introspecktive..

Some elements of luck, but not much. As someone said, you have to deal with such unlucky situations by yourself once you pass, so you should be able to cope with them fine. I passed my first time, and I don't consider it lucky... because I've had similar problems when on my own and I think I've dealth with them properly.

Reply 15

Leigh

15

lil_lee

Also depends on the examiner. Although they are all taught to the same standard, many interpret situations differently. For example on my test I had to move into the next lane as the one I was in turned into a bus lane, but as I started to move across after checking there was a safe gap, the woman behind decided that she wanted that gap and was too impatient to wait. So I had to quickly get left and then come right again. My examiner gave me a dangerous for not seeing the woman pulling over...I was going there first!!! My instructor said other examiner's wouldn't fail you for that as when you first initiated the manouvre it was clear and you were already committed. So there's differences between examiners aswell.

Do you think you would have also failed if you'd have kept going into the lane you'd started to move into? If so, it's very harsh. If not, then he could perhaps claim it was bad judgement, but either way, definitely a situation plenty of people get lucky and don't have to deal with!

All examiners are trained in the same things, but they have to use their udgement; obviously they can't be taught every possible situation and how to mark it. I guess your's was just feeling miserable and didn't want to give you the benefit of the doubt :frown:

Best of luck next time! (Booked it yet? I have mine again on Friday)

Reply 16

lovelee-jublee

12

KingLeigh

Do you think you would have also failed if you'd have kept going into the lane you'd started to move into? If so, it's very harsh. If not, then he could perhaps claim it was bad judgement, but either way, definitely a situation plenty of people get lucky and don't have to deal with!

All examiners are trained in the same things, but they have to use their udgement; obviously they can't be taught every possible situation and how to mark it. I guess your's was just feeling miserable and didn't want to give you the benefit of the doubt :frown:

Best of luck next time! (Booked it yet? I have mine again on Friday)

Well he said that I should have carried on into the bus lane, but when are we ever allowed to drive in the bus lane!? If I really thought it through I would have carried on, but I was nervous and knew I'd failed at that point and he probably would have failed me no matter what way I went.

Yes I've got my second test on Monday...I'm even more nervous than I was the first time! Because I am so desperate to pass and I really hope I am lucky with the examiner.

Good luck for yours on Friday!!! :p:

Reply 17

rhythm_bandit

11

but when are we ever allowed to drive in the bus lane

The times you are not allowed to use them are written just in front of the bus lane.
As a learner, you should be using the bus lanes all the time, except in the restricted times.

Just out of curiousity, did you do route practices before your driving test, with your instructor?

Reply 18

lovelee-jublee

12

Yes we did, but not this one because hardly any examiners use it anymore!!! So that made it even worse! The liklihood I will ever get that route again is so unlikely, but I'll know what to do next time!

--------------

Oh, and that particular bus lane is in use all day, so I would have failed for continuing to drive in it!

Reply 19

SuperhansFavouriteAlsatian

I think it's not lucky to pass, but unlucky to fail, if you're good enough. Otherwise, it's entirely fair. Fact is, if you know what you're doing, you will pass. Simple as that. You'd have to be VERY unlucky not too, like have a kid run in front of your car or something. If i was an examiner though, i'd give you bonus marks for hitting kids.

Passing driving test - you need to be quite lucky

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