No one is perfect and it’s quite hard to accept that as a learner driver, considering the essence of passing your practical test is proving you are, for all intensive purposes, a ‘faultless driver’. No matter how good a person is they will almost certainly get at least one minor fault on their test. For the most part these aren’t too bad but get too many and your guaranteed failure.

Driving Test Errors

With practical test applications spiking in the past year but success rates being less than 42% clearly some advice is in order. As a result the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) released a list of the most common driving test errors. Heed these words and save yourself a couple of points.

SIGNALLING

Whether you’re turning left at a junction or signalling to pull over you must indicate. Most learners forget this fundamental observational warning. One of the most common driving test errors is the learner forgetting to use their signal when exiting a roundabout or forgetting to cancel the indicator after leaving it. OUR ADVICE: Keep an ear out for that ticking; should your indicator still be on? Remember, if you’re turning off a road you should be indicating.

MOVING OFF

Don’t fail before you even start. Most learners are already nervous before they get in the car. After filling out forms and taking an eye sight test it’s time to get down to the driving portion. OUR ADVICE: Those first few seconds of motion give the instructor an idea of your level of confidence as a driver. Be sure to pull out safely, check all your mirrors and don’t depart if you suspect any hazards.

MIRRORS

Speaking of mirrors, don’t forget to check them! They are there to ensure you are not putting yourself or others in danger. Before moving off, do your 6 point check (Over the shoulder, left wing mirror, rear view mirror, road ahead, right wing mirror and blind spot). When changing lanes, always make sure to check (centre, wing mirror and blind spot). A common error is the learner panicking and dangerously switching lanes without properly checking. Be calm – wait - check your mirrors - INDICATE and then manoeuvre OUR ADVICE: Always assume there is someone behind you, even if there isn’t you’ll get a minor for not checking.

REVERSE PARKING

Even the most skilled driver struggles with the reverse park and would rather go head first into a space. In a test you don’t always have a choice. This is a tricky one as there are lots of issues that could happen and let’s be honest - it’s quite difficult. Not checking mirrors or having to make too many corrections due to poor positioning or clutch control. OUR ADVICE: Take it slow. Moving too quickly will cause you to reverse too far and you’ll end up having to make too many corrections.

JUNCTIONS

This can be very dangerous as junctions tend to have blind spots where drivers can’t see others approaching. This is an area where a mistake can be not only a 'minor' but a 'dangerous' error. OUR ADVICE: On approach, slow down and leave yourself enough time to observe any approaching cars. If you are turning indicate early to warn drivers of your intentions. This will stop the approaching car from having to unnecessarily stop or change direction and will save you a 'minor' error. At InsureLearnerDriver we understand that practice makes perfect and the more practice you get the less likely you'll incur one of these common driving test errors. Lessons are however expensive and may not give you enough experience. Our learner driver cover scheme allows you to get temporary, 3^rd party insurance, whilst learning to drive. If you know someone that is under the age of 30 and learning to drive, you can get temporary learner cover for them to drive your car or their own.