Majors in driving test

[hugs&kisses]

When my dad took his test about 25 years ago, hitting the kerb was not a major fault. However the other day I knocked it in mine, and was told it was an automatic fail. This was during parallel parking, there was a driveway behind the car I was parking by, and it being the same level as the road, didn't feel when I went up on it. Does anyone know why it is now a major fault as opposed to a minor. As you can guess I'm slightly sore about failing! Thanks to all

[buildersmate]

When I took my test all those years ago, they gave you a sheet indicating any major and the minor faults. Haven't you got one of those?

[jno]

blimey, I hit the kerb about one time in five (in daily driving, I mean - passed my test decades ago when all you had to do was not run over any sheep). It's hardly a big deal. I'll be interested to read any answers

[cazzz1975]

If you went up it without realising you may not have been paying attention to your mirrors, touching the kerbs is now considered a "serious" error.

did you get a fail sheet to look at?

[hugs&kisses]

Yes, on it she'd marked (in reverse park section) one box labelled R, (having a choice between R and C - not sure what that means,) put a mark in for observation and a mark in a box marked S (out of S and D) for control.

[Toureman]

It would be a major fault in your case not for hitting the kerb but by not knowing you were driving on the footpath after going up the lowered kerb.

It would be a major fault if you hit the kerb whilst driving along the road but not in doing reversing or parking.

[chas2008]

i believe its an automatic fail, my daughter failed on this a few years ago. An hour before her test she practiced reversing around a coner 4-5 times, got it spot on each time.She couldnt believe her luck when on the test he asked was asked to do that manouvre on the very corner she had been practising on - she hit the kerb!..failed, she was gutted..

[logic]

Hitting the kerb has allways been an automatic fail, or should have been, for the simple reason, it is potentially dangerous, as the impact may have fractured the tyre, this may not be a visible fracture, but it could manifest itself at high speed on a motorway for axample, resulting in a blow out.

[milly143]

It's the same reason I failed my test a few years ago. I believe the reason they class this as a major fault is because if you hit the curb, it suggests you are not in full control of the car or fully aware of your surroundings - say there may be a child stood on that curb for example. It does seem a bit silly considering the way in which most cars are left parked up and the number of attempts it takes so many people to just get in the space.