Doing a driving test in a Yaris

GB15

My sister is planning on getting a Yaris but she has her driving test coming up. Is it true that a test can't be done in a Yaris because the tester can't see the speedometer from the passenger seat?

OldmanMondeo

GB15 wrote:

My sister is planning on getting a Yaris but she has her driving test coming up. Is it true that a test can't be done in a Yaris because the tester can't see the speedometer from the passenger seat?

I heard that they put a mirror, like wht is used to keep an eye on kids in the back of the car, so they can see the speedo. Leagaly I don't think they could not let her sit the test. The car is roadworthy and NCT'd, Taxed, insured etc.

cold_filter

if they were to have such a rule they'd have to inform everyone doing their test

Jimoslimos

Did my first test in a yaris (and failed!:( ). Speedo wasn't visible, no mirrors etc. I did have 4 Grade 2 faults for progress on the straight, covers a multitude I know but part of me always wonders whether any of those were for speeding/driving too slowly and if so was the examiner justified since he couldn't see my speedo.

jame5_b

i did my test in a yaris and failed. i also got some grede 2 faults for progress on the straight. it could be that the tester didnt know my speed so thought i was going to fast or slow. i wont be doing it in a yaris the next time...

$Leon$

Jimoslimos wrote:

Did my first test in a yaris (and failed!:( ). Speedo wasn't visible, no mirrors etc. I did have 4 Grade 2 faults for progress on the straight, covers a multitude I know but part of me always wonders whether any of those were for speeding/driving too slowly and if so was the examiner justified since he couldn't see my speedo.

They're not judging your speed relative to the legal limits. They judge them relative to what you could be safely doing given the road conditions.
So if you were driving through a narrow town street with cars parked either side and alot of pedestrians about in poor weather conditions and poor light at slightly less than the 40 km/h speed limit they might fail you for driving too fast.

cold_filter

$Leon$ wrote:

They're not judging your speed relative to the legal limits. They judge them relative to what you could be safely doing given the road conditions.
So if you were driving through a narrow town street with cars parked either side and alot of pedestrians about in poor weather conditions and poor light at slightly less than the 40 km/h speed limit they might fail you for driving too fast.

Agree with that, driving through housing estate at a few kph under limit failed...

Driving in torrential rain and went to fast for conditions on roundabout, its all relative... im happy to say im fully qualified now after doing the test in my gf's car!

Jimoslimos

$Leon$ wrote:

They're not judging your speed relative to the legal limits. They judge them relative to what you could be safely doing given the road conditions.
So if you were driving through a narrow town street with cars parked either side and alot of pedestrians about in poor weather conditions and poor light at slightly less than the 40 km/h speed limit they might fail you for driving too fast.

Yeah I'm aware that this might probably have been the case but given the lack of transparency in the marking who knows?

Example; during that test I was on a stretch of road doing 30, in my mind it seemed I wasn't making enough progress but I was sticking rigidly to the speed limit. Depending on how the speedo in the yaris is calibrated it may have been slightly slower than 30 in a different car. A quick glance from the examiner would confirm this in any other car but the yaris. Hence bringing in an element of guesswork (and thereby error) into an already subjective test.

Anyhow it doesn't really matter to me now since I've passed but I would be interested to know whether statistics are kept on pass rates of different cars.

Stark

Considering few drivers stick to 50kph on long wide stretches and it can often feel like you're crawling along if conditions are clear, the examiner probably looked at traffic around the car, noticed you lagging far behind and assumed you were doing under the speed limit. You're probably best doing around 55kph if you're in a Yaris and he can't see the speedo.

Wishbone Ash

A tester, who is doing tests day in, day out, will have a good idea of what speed you are doing regardless of whether he can see the speedo or not.

The speedo in most trucks can't be seen from the passenger seat or from a seat behind in the case of a bus test.

Jimoslimos

Wishbone Ash wrote:

A tester, who is doing tests day in, day out, will have a good idea of what speed you are doing regardless of whether he can see the speedo or not.

But what's to say that this tester wasn't recently qualified. Would you trust his judgement on speed as much as somebody with a few more years experience. As pointed out the speedo doesn't tell you whether your speed is appropiate for the conditions but it can tell the examiner that you are observing the speed limit.

testicle

Alfas are the same, from the logic that the speed, and other information are of absolutely no business to anyone else other than the driver.

ninty9er

My parents have the new model Yaris and the speedo is visible from the passenger seat....it's all relative...with an analogue speedo they're viewing it at an angle so they don't know what speed you're doing either!!

Random

I did a test in a Yaris no bother. THe tester did put his seat back a massive amount but I still don't think he could see the speedo.

I failed the test, but nothing to do with the car.

Wishbone Ash

Jimoslimos wrote:

the speedo doesn't tell you whether your speed is appropiate for the conditions but it can tell the examiner that you are observing the speed limit.

When the examiner follows a motorcyclist in his car, he may judge the motorcyclists speed using his car's speedo. They could be calibrated differently.

I don't think that speed in overly important during a test. (In saying that, I failed the bike test first time around for exceeding it!)

blooeyes

i did my test back in Nov in a 2000 yaris and passed, didnt notice examiner do anything with his seat or anything.

colm_mcm

I did mine in a Yaris back when they were launched, and passed.
There is a seperate speedo available from Toyota that the instructor can see, but only driving schools could justify the cost.

hellboy99

I was onto the Test centre and have been told it's not an issue.

Wishbone Ash

Just as a matter of interest, the legal requirements re a speedometer:

27. An efficient speedometer, so placed and constructed as to be easily read at all times by the driver of the vehicle, shall be fitted to every vehicle other than a works truck, or a vehicle incapable of exceeding 30 miles per hour (or 20 miles per hour, in the case of a large tractor) on a dry level road under normal atmospheric conditions.

(Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations 1963)

colm_mcm

I reckon a Yais is capable of 30mph