Passing your driving test first Time
It goes without saying that you want to pass your driving test quickly and first time?
Yes of course you do, however remember, “it takes time to do things quickly”!
It’s important that you listen to the advice of your instructor. Otherwise, it could take you much longer to get through.
This post has been put together for you as part of our series on “How to pass your driving Test”?
It’s based on various faults and issues. Test examiners report these to us at local test centre “surgeries”.
Here are our last minute driving test tips:
1: Moving Off and Stopping
Signalling
Ask yourself, does anyone need to know what I am doing?
If there is- tell them with a signal.
However, you should not signal to fast moving priority traffic behind, you wait.
You have probably seen motorists waiting to pull off. They sit at the kerb with a signal on. This can make a motorist behind them believe that the vehicle is going to pull out in front of them. As a result, that motorist may brake sharply.
When you’re stationary, you have no priority. If you signal to fast moving traffic behind, you might slow another motorist. If they change speed or swerve, it’s a fail.
2: Signalling
Parked cars
You should not signal to pass parked cars.
If you have been taught by Mum or Dad, they may have taught you to do this?
They may have been trained to do this, back in the day.
However, parked cars are everywhere now and doing this would lead to all sorts of misinterpretation issues
Lorries signal to pass parked cars. A motorist behind cannot see through them. So, they must apply logic as to what is going on.
3: Meeting situations
Stationary obstructions, on your side of the road
If you are going to make oncoming traffic change speed or direction; hold back.
Don’t be too hesitant. If you think that you can get through without affecting oncoming traffic, slow right down or stop first. Then, assess the situation. Show the examiner that you’re not the sort that goes careering into the unknown!
You can pass without slowing down the priority traffic. If you are only a drain’s width from parked cars, reduce your speed. Keep it at no more than 10 MPH. The rule is ” less space, less pace”.
You must not cause oncoming traffic to change speed or direction. If you do…it’s over.
If you’re unsure, slow down or stop until you are sure that you can go with causing priority traffic inconvenience.
4: Overtaking
On a Driving Test, only do it if safe, legal and necessary.
On a dual carriageway plan well ahead, looking as far up the road as you can.
You cannot sit behind a slow-moving lorry at 50 MPH and a dry day, with a good traffic flow.
This would be a necessary overtake.
In this case, you would first check your mirrors. When it’s safe to signal, make sure you won’t slow traffic in the lane you intend to enter. Then, signal and move into the lane.
Once you have passed the lorry and can see its headlights in the centre mirror, check the left mirror, if safe, signal and move back to lane 1
On a single carriageway, cyclist only on test (usually)
5: Parked cars on both side of the road
In this case, oncoming motorists share equal priority
You should not speed up to beat them, it is dangerous and you’ll frighten the examiner!
You and the oncoming motorist will have to work out which one of you will go first, by co-operating.
If they slow down, you have eye contact, they flash their lights and it’s safe to go…………then go!
If you don’t go, you could get into a “Mexican standoff”. This could result in failing your test by not responding to another motorist’s signals.
As you know from your training, the flashing of headlights actually means “I am here.” Do not flash your headlights yourself, or you will get a driver fault.
6: Roundabouts
Approach every roundabout, as if you were approaching a red traffic light, hoping it will change ‘
So, you are planning to stop-looking to go.
7: Instructions
Whatever the examiner tells you to do, your response should start with a mirror check. The only exception is the emergency stop, no mirror check necessary to stop.
8: Moving Off
Do not attempt to move off without checking your right blind spot first.
If you find yourself in the middle of the road after an emergency stop, check your surroundings carefully. It’s essential to check the left blind spot as well.
9: Pulling up/Parking
Make sure that you do not pull up next to a car/van/lorry, as you will block or narrow the road.
10: Vision
Of all the “last minute driving test tips,” this one is very straightforward. It’s easy to leave the house without your glasses!
Don’t leave home without them
You will fail your Driving Test instantly, if you can’t read the car number plate at the prescribed distance.
We hope that you like our “last minute driving test tips”, more can be found on our page “How to pass your Driving Test”