You’ll be marked with this fault for not making effective observation before emerging at junctions and emerging into the path of other vehicles. Always make sure it’s safe before proceeding. Not judging the gap correctly can also cause other vehicles to slow down behind you causing a serious fault.

2 Moving off Safely

When you’re moving off from the side of the road, you need to make sure you look around, check your blind spots – and that you’re indicating the right way! Remember you are not allowed to do anything that may cause another vehicle to slow down or change direction while moving off from the side of the road. I would also suggest not indicating until you know you can safely move off. 

3 Use of Mirrors

Remember that you need to use your rear view mirror and wing mirrors – and react to the information! People get caught out for pulling up with no mirror checks, increasing their speed with no mirror checks, or using their mirrors too late. Always watch the road ahead and check your mirrors in plenty of time so you can react to what you see in them if necessary. 

4 Response to Traffic Lights and Road Signs

Some of the mistakes that people make include waiting at a green filter light when it’s safe to proceed and staying at the stop line when it’s safe to move.

Other faults that count include not conforming to a red light, and stopping beyond an advanced stop line in the area designated for cyclists.

Also not paying enough attention to road signs can mean you miss clues to the road ahead including light controlled junctions and roundabouts.

5 Turning Right at Junctions

When you’re turning right, position your vehicle correctly – it shouldn’t cut the corner when turning right. Don’t rush the turn in order to beat the oncoming vehicle, if in doubt just take your time and wait for the road to be clear before turning correctly 

Also, watch out for cyclists and motorcyclists, and any pedestrians crossing the road your turning into.

6 Response to Road Markings

You’ll be marked with faults in this area for doing things like unnecessarily crossing the solid white centre lines on the road, and not following directional arrows.

Stopping in a yellow box junction when the exit is not clear also counts for this reason. So make sure you know the rules about using them. Always look well ahead to make sure other vehicles have cleared or are clearing the junction before entering it yourself. 

7 Control When Moving Off

Stalling once will not result in a fail but repeated stalling is one of the things that counts as control when moving off.

Other things that are included in this reason are moving off (or trying to!) with the handbrake on, rolling backwards when trying to move off – and not putting the car in gear and attempting to move off. Always find the biting point and remember the car will need a little bit more gas on a hill start. Don’t panic and take your time lifting the clutch to the bite and make sure the car wants to go before releasing the handbrake.

8 Positioning and Lane Discipline 

Positioning is really important especially on spiral roundabouts and junctions.

Your vehicle should be positioned correctly for the route you’re taking. If lanes are marked, make sure you’re in the middle of the lane. Avoid straddling lanes and avoid straight-lining the roundabout even where there are no lane markings as this could cause you to cut up other vehicles and end up with a dangerous fault. And don’t forget your mirror and signals when changing lanes.

9 Manoeuvres

The next reason is reversing manoeuvres. In the driving test you will be required to perform at least one reversing manoeuvre. You’ll either do a parallel park on the road, a reverse into a parking bay at the test centre, a reverse around the corner or a turn in the road.

You’ll notch up a fault in this area if you need to reposition to correct a loss of control or accuracy. A complete misjudgement or significant loss of control will count as a serious fault. Remember to keep the car moving very slowly at a snails pace, the biggest cause of a fail here is the car travelling to fast.

10 Clearance of Obstructions and Meeting Other Road Users

Judging your distance from parked cars or even the kerb can be a challenge when you have other road users driving down a narrow road towards you and the examiner sat next to you.

Getting too close to parked cars or oncoming vehicles can lead to the examiner taking control and you getting a serious fault in the process. Remember if your unsure of the space available firstly reduce your speed and if necessary stop and wait for the oncoming vehicles to clear the narrow part of the road. Again being unnecessarily over generous to the parked vehicles can also cause a problem with oncoming vehicles and lead to a fault.

11 Use of Speed and Undue Hesitation

Not driving to the speed limit  when there is no reason not to can lead to a fault. As can driving too fast for the road situation and of course breaking the speed limit even momentarily. 

Undue hesitation can happen anywhere on your driving test route in many different situations but it is more likely to happen at roundabouts or major junctions. Undue hesitation is where you don’t make the most of an opening in the traffic where you can safely pull out in time but second guess yourself and decide to sit and wait for a later gap. Undue hesitation will rarely lead to a serious fault unless you sit there for a very long time and miss many available opportunities to go.

So this is what we have come up with so far, please feel free to leave your comments or experiences of your driving tests below in the comments box. 

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