People who complain they failed their driving test

Rosita

inforfun wrote: »

1) I am pretty sure there are better drivers than me out there and they could make me look like an Einstein in an IQ test or a complete idiot.

2) I dont really care what the reason is. In my opinion, if you fail 3 times, you had more than enough chances. A person that fails 3x shows he or she is not capable of driving a car.

1) Precisely my point. You attributed a lack of intelligence to people who continually fail driving tests which was inappropriate. A driving test can come down to someting as arbitrary as the tester's perception of a hazard which the driver may justifiably feel is well under control.

2) But why 3 times? Why not permanently put people off the road after the first failed attempt? Or the second or fourth?

Clearly you do not realise how utterly absurd it is to suggest banning people for life from driving for a failure to pass a truly laughably-inappropriate-for-real-conditions test on the third occasion?

Caliden

I recently passed my full licence test and I have to say that I wouldnt have done it if I wasn't driving on a provisional for over a year and if I didnt get 6 lessons before the test itself.
Was kind of chuffed when I was passed by the woman who was supposed to be the harshest one at the test centre on a monday morning!

Definitely not something I would have liked to repeat.

inforfun

Rosita wrote: »

1) Precisely my point. You attributed a lack of intelligence to people who continually fail driving tests which was inappropriate. A driving test can come down to someting as arbitrary as the tester's perception of a hazard which the driver may justifiably feel is well under control.

I meant that as it could be one of the reasons. And not in a way that i think that everybody who fails a drivers exam has an IQ as high as their shoesize.
I also know that things like your example do happen. But it just not possible that every failure in a exam can be put to a misunderstanding.

Rosita wrote: »

2) But why 3 times? Why not permanently put people off the road after the first failed attempt? Or the second or fourth?

I dont mind how many times, make it 5. But there should be a moment where it is: Ok, this person show x times that he or she is not capable of driving a car. Go take the bus.

Rosita wrote: »

Clearly you do not realise how utterly absurd it is to suggest banning people for life from driving for a failure to pass a truly laughably-inappropriate-for-real-conditions test on the third occasion?

Why is it absurd? It is not a God given right to drive a car is it?

I can not compare the test they do here to the one i did in Holland since i didnt take the test here.
In Holland it comes down to some driving in the city, some driving on the motorway and a few special "moves" like parellel parking, backwards around the corner, hill proof. Totaling around 40 minutes of driving.
I suppose it is not much different here?

If someone manages to show 3/4/5 times in a row that he or she is not capable of driving, there should be a moment where it is: Ok, this person show x times that he or she is not capable of driving a car. Go cycle.

I also don't object against a test every 10 years for people who have their license because lets face it, traffic did change a bit in the last 30 years.
Sure it might be a bit of a logistics hassle. But isn't that worth a few 100 less people killed on the road each year?

Just out of curiosity.... how many attempts did you need before passing?

kc66

Alanstrainor wrote: »

That is not true. Where are you getting this information from. However if one were to "mount" the kerb, that is to say that one or more wheels ends up on the kerb that IS a grade 3 fault. Hitting a kerb can warrant a grade 2 fault, but it all depends on the circumstances.
EDIT: just to say that, for one, a lot of people will try and sugar coat the circumstances of their failure, to make it seem like it was "the system" or examinor that was to blame for their failure. And to quote a poster on learning to drive recenty (apologies, cant remember who it was!).
It's not the examinor who fails you. It's the marking sheet, the examinor merely marks the sheets and adds up the result at the end.

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Another driving test myth!.

It is true, but not by definition. I worked as an instructor for a year and have seen it happen. I reckon it happens more where there is no grass, ie the footpath is right next to the road. My Father is an instructor and I just confirmed it with him. But it depends on the tester.

Jaysoose

samsemtex wrote: »

Yes i have passed the advanced course.

The road is not normally one way. In preparing for my test with an instructor the road was in its normal 2 way layout and i went down it that way. My test was 2 days later and i did the same as usual as the road was exactly the same as normal except i didnt spot the temporary no entry sign which was up very high. This is the only way down to the centre and i naturally assumed it was where i was supposed to go not knowing that the council had broken down a wall to make a temporary rear entrance. Tester made no indication that the layout was changed and told me to turn into the return to the driving centre. If i didnt know the centre i'd have passed but the fact i was a local and did know it meant i followed the usual procedure.

Either way it was the only mark i got on the test and i dont think one mistake like that should be reason enough to fail some one. Just like i dont think one mistake like that girl hitting the kerb while reversing should be reason to fail. The test should be far more comprehensive than a 40 minute drive around town.

So it has gone from being invisible to being very high....was it suspended on top of a flag pole or something.

Tester should not have to tell you how to read a sign

The mistake you made was driving the wrong way down a one way system, if the tester had passed you he would be struck off.

Dartz

There was the guy who failed his test...

Because he got rear-ended by a learner while stopped at traffic lights. Apparently, regardless of who's fault it is, any sort of accident is an automatic failure.

Braking hard to avoid hitting a badger is an automatic failure.

Splashing a pedestrian at the side of the road was an automatic failure.

These are all failures from the pages of the morning Metro.

CyberGhost

samsemtex wrote: »

And i have done advanced driving courses since so i think im well able to pass judgement on the driving standards of others.

Sam, can you please give a bit more info regarding the advanced course please?

I'm taking this a bit offtopic, but I've been wondering about the advanced driving courses a long time.

Where/how to apply, does each different school have their own "licenses" or is it something universal?

does it affect your insurance in anyway?

L1011

inforfun wrote: »

I dont think i ever met anyone who failed the test and admitted they screwed up.
It is always someone or something else to blame.

I'll admit I THOUGHT I'd failed my test and mostly at my own fault (the tester kept calling me a different name, and I managed to confuse left and right (I'm dyspraxic) three times in the space of five minutes). Got a grade 2 for all of those times but nothing else wrong... meaning I didn't fail.

I'm sure I'd be blaming him had I actually failed it!