Multiple Driving Tests....

[greeneyedmonster]

Does anyone know whether in the case of someone who has had loads of driving tests, that your "card is marked" in some way? I have a relative who seems to be treated really unfairly-marked down on the most trifling faults and it makes me wonder if he'll ever pass!

[mccfluff]

he is probably a rubbish driver, but at a guess the examiners are human and perhaps could be stricter at times, maybe if they are in a bad mood or tired at the end of a long day of bad driving?

[Buenchico]

No. There's a standard test procedure.

A single 'dangerous' fault (defined as 'involving actual danger to the driver, the examiner, the public or property') means an automatic fail.

A single 'serious' fault (defined as 'could potentially be dangerous') also means an automatic fail.

Below that, imperfections in driving standards are simply 'driving' faults, with up to 15 being allowed to qualify for a pass.

Chris

[greeneyedmonster]

I dunno. He's been told by his instructor he's really good but for some reason he can't seem to hack it on the day and as I say, gets failed on what seem like trivial points. Surely all the examiners can't all be tired!

[mccfluff]

its probably nerves and he does something silly each time

it took me 5 goes! i went to pieces every time!

[tamborine]

You can book a test elsewhere, then you will know if the driver is bad.

[IggyB]

I am presuming that the driver is relaying the trivial point after the event, he may be downplaying there seriousness of the faults. Very hard to drive when nervous but practice makes perfect and all that. Might help having a mock test with a different driving instructor?

[greeneyedmonster]

I thought of that Tambourine but didn't know if his previous record is computerised and possibly makes examiners more vigilant or something?

[Buenchico]

It depends upon what you regard as a 'trivial point'. Failing to come to a complete halt at a 'Stop' sign, for example is a 'serious' fault (as it could potentially be dangerous) and therefore means automatic failure, even if the rest of the test is 100% perfect.

[greeneyedmonster]

No, it was things that I (who have been driving 30+years!) consider to be nitpicking. Just made me wonder that's all.

[boxtops]

What do you class as nit-picking, greeneyed?

[joko]

have you seen his score sheet?

if there are 16 trivials he will fail

the examiners, to my knowledge have no access to prior tests - and why would they bother to look? theyd be there all day looking up every test!

i would imagine your friend thinks they are a good driver and is downplaying what they actually did wrong because they feel aggrieved.


my took about 6 tests and was also feeling a bit peeved - but there was only one test that i was actually genuinely annoyed about - and feel i should have passed, because the examiner told me why he'd failed me and i felt it was ridiculous -
i had passed the test in every way except for right at the end when i was backing into a parking space -he said i didnt turn my head and look out of the back window OFTEN ENOUGH!
i had only done it about 4 times - he said and once or twice more and he would have passed me...
i said i was looking in all the mirrors and out the side windows too ... he said, but if id been in sainsbury's car park there could have been a child behind me - i said, well in that case i would look to suit the place i was in - as it was, i was in a deserted car park (at the test centre) which was fenced in, so i knew no-one was there, nor would anyone be able to appear suddenly - but i still looked all over, way more than was necessary in the circumstances ... he nodded and said it was too late he'd marked it now

i was fuming.

however, i went on to genuinely fail the test a further 3 times - so maybe he did the right thing...


one examiner also told me that they will fail people on genuine, but flimsy reasons if they suspect that the person just isnt really a very good driver

they are trained to assess and sometimes they can tell that a driver has just managed to get through the 35 min test by sheer luck, and that actually they are not ready to be on the road alone - but because they haven't actually done anything major wrong, they cannot just fail them - so they will find some genuine reason and exacerbate it, something that if the driver had been otherwise excellent, they could have let it go -like my backing up fail ...

he said they have no choice because they see so many people on the roads who really shouldn't be, who just managed to drive ok for 35 mins.

but they do not fail people who are good drivers, just for the hell of it.