Okay... all this car talk has prompted me to post this somewhat odd post - I've passed my driving theory test... (my third one - it's been three years so my last one expired) and now we're coming up to the dreaded practical. I've already failed twice, but I am a much better driver now (in fact my instructor recently asked me if I would let her use me as her spot check pupil - which is where a Driving examiner tests the instructor!)
The examiner said by the by that I was a really good driver, so I'll be doubly annoyed if I fail again! Have any of you UK drivers got any tips for how to pass?
I'm not in the Uk but I would like to add: just relax. Some of my friends here in Ny have failed just because they were nervous (and they were all good drivers).
Its a long time since I failed my tests... lol
I failed on undue hesitancy and driving too fast for the road conditions.... nerves...
the second test I thought i messed it up at the beginning and treated the rest of the test as another lesson and passed.
So... just treat it like a lesson, relax.
Thanks guys, treating it like a lesson sounds like a good idea! I used to get nervous as hell even during lessons, but now I love driving (I never thought I'd say that!) so here's hoping. :icon_neat:
relax, and your examiner will relax - I imagine it's just as stressful for them :icon_cool:
I passed a few years ago, on my second go...
and good luck! keep us posted.
I failed the first time and at the start of the second one i clipped the curb as i drove back onto the road from reversing into a side road. :icon_tears:
I thought *Oh crud*! I've failed* and carried on and did the rest of the test, at the end i waited on him saying i had failed but i passed. :icon_razz:
I think i was very nervous and when i thought i had failed i just did the stuff with out worrying and passed.
I'm not saying to hit the curb but the only thing to worry about is nervousness, they allow you more the second time as you are more nervous.
So good luck and fight those nerve's. :boxing:
Well, on my first test I nearly drove right into the path of an oncoming car and had to have the driving instructor pull the wheel to swerve out of the way... so things can only get better from there!
On my very first day of driving school, a cop sideswiped our car and knocked me off the road. He then proceeded to start screaming at me like a nutcase. I got out of the teeny lil car- and tried to make piece with the idiot. My driving instructor, a Romanian import that made me (6'2) look small got out of the car and procceeded to out-yell this police officer until he backed down.
I had never before, and never since seen anything as awesome as that(other then maybe the battle rhino in 300).
I am with you when it comes to the Rhino is 300!
Bicycles are nice... I like them....
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OK OK. I admit! Haven't even got a drivers licence. Every summer (what with tripsand all) I think that I'm going to get one. Every other part of the year I ask myself "Why?"
But I should really get to it one of these days...
If you live in a big city . there is often no need for a car.
But Fabian...... how did you do?
My practical's on 5 June... so a while to wait and practice.
It's on the forum calender :icon_cool:
Ha! Thanks... I think. :icon_wink:
I passed first time...with 15 minors! The funny thing was, the examiner said...'you were very close to that tree when you reversed into the parking space'...I nodded and agreed but didn't remember even SEEING a tree. I will say in my defence, that I do use the mirrors nowadays :icon_w00t:.
I think that driving tests are very much a mix of how you feel on the day and how lucky you are.
So...June the 5th...a day to steer clear of the roads for us then :icon_wink:.
I failed... for the third time. Ah well. The annoying thing is that I'm eager to get back on the horse, so to speak, and re-take it ASAP but I'll have to wait three months now until I get back from the States! :tantrum:
12 faults, of which 2 were serious - he really had a thing about my closeness to parked cars when driving... which has never ever been something I've been accused of. He marked me down three times for it. The other serious was failing to observe some speeding f***wits when I was doing a parallel park.
SIGH.
4th time lucky?
Sorry to hear that mate. I guess the foruth time will be the charm. It sounds like he was a tight wad.
Unlucky mate :icon_sad:.
Better luck next time though. Hopefully not with the same examiner :icon_evil:.
He was indeed a bit of a get. :icon_neutral: My instructor said he's always 'dry' and never cracks a smile.
Cheers fellas! :icon_wink:
Edit: I fixed the smiley :icon_wink: -Mike
Quote from: Fabian on June 05, 2007, 12:14:35 PM
I'm eager to get back on the horse
Maybe that's the problem. Perhaps you should start by getting in a car.
LOL, too funny David
:yeahthat: I meant to make that joke in the post ; guess I forgot. I can definitely see a progression in my attitude to driving, though, which is good. I just find the maneuveurs really difficult; I have trouble relating where the car to what I have to do with the steering wheel when it's in reverse. It hurts my brain. :icon_razz:
Better luck next time.
I have been spending some time sitting in the passenger seat while my wife drives.
She passed her test 10 years ago and hadn't driven since.. so she has just had some pass plus lessons on motorways etc....
and I am trying to teach her how to drive properly... er less like a newbie.... she has almost got the hang of the very short clutch on her car.... I just need to get her to practice parrellel parking, maneouvering into parking spaces.. get an idea of how big the car is... burning people off at the lights.. flipping the Vs to other drivers.. driving one handed.... with the arm out the window.. you know all those bad habits you get into.
I can't teach her to apply makeup while driving with her elbows - no experience in that myself... only rolliing cigs while steering with thighs.
Spend some time in a carpark practing reversing and try to get your test in a small town where the traffic is less and you can't get many speeders.
You don't have to have the test where you live you know. :icon_wink:
Oh God, that would be worse to take it somewhere else! The only reason I wasn't crud*ping myself today was that we'd driven round so much of it on my lessons. I live in a small town but the tests take place in and around Ipswich, so I had some dual carriageway driving (piece of cake), and lots and lots of roundabouts and one way systems for which Ipswich is famous or infamous.
Being rather a geek-boy, I found the best way to think about steering and reversing was to think of the car as being on the circumference of a circle. I still imagine what the car is doing in plan view (i.e., from overhead) when I'm parking - I did it this morning when I pulled into work.
If you turn the wheel to the left, then the car will follow a circle and move off to the left, either forwards or backwards.
If you turn the wheel to the right, then the car will follow a circle and move off the the right, either forwards or backwards.
I hope this helps :) It certainly cracked it for me.
Hmm... circles eh... I know in my mind what the car should do but I'm completely mal-co-ordinated in general (it's taken me 10 years to be able to even drive without breaking into a cold sweat and wanting to vomit!). I guess I'll just have to keep practicing when I get back. Thanks though!
Practise here too if you can
There won't be any opportunity really... althought the camp does have go-karts! :icon_w00t: That would be fun...