Anyone a driving instructor, or taken their test recently? Got mine tuesday.

roundthebend

RaymondLin said:

You can never check your mirror enough, literally every time you do something, check it.  And also make it obvious, like turn your head a little, especially for the wing mirrors.  They might miss you glancing at the mirrors.

No point checking your mirror every time you do something......it gives you no time to act on the information you've gained from looking in your mirror. You need to plan ahead, when you think you may need to do something other than maintain constant speed and lane discipline, then you should check the relevant mirrors (and make other observations) in order to inform yourself about how to proceed. e.g. maybe you need to slow down sooner because you have another car close behind, or perhaps it's just the need to give a signal.

Hertz32

The woman failed me because my offside driver window fogged up and she decided that all my observations out of it were therefore invalid. 

Hertz32

Only thing wrong qith my mirrors is that reversing round a corner she felt i didnt check my right wing mirror quite enough

Hertz32

Just looking at my sheet properly now, I would have passed with a few minors had i not kept going when the light turned amber when shebthought I had room to stop, combined with the window. 

Overall, I could have passed had i driven with less fear of stopping sharper. I'll see when the next test is available and try and go for it. 
My car handling was fine, despite the numerous hill starts! Frustrating but not the end of the world.

roundthebend

Hertz32 said:

Just looking at my sheet properly now, I would have passed with a few minors had i not kept going when the light turned amber when shebthought I had room to stop, combined with the window. 

Overall, I could have passed had i driven with less fear of stopping sharper. I'll see when the next test is available and try and go for it. 
My car handling was fine, despite the numerous hill starts! Frustrating but not the end of the world.

Bad luck buddy, chalk it up as experience.
It's possible, though I obviously don't have enough information, that you were approaching the green light too quickly. If you read what I've posted earlier about planning ahead - you should expect traffic lights to change and therefore you would need to be able to stop. Which means checking your rear mirror in advance, easing off the gas, maybe even covering the brake. Only when you get to a certain distance from the lights should you decide that stopping isn't necessary and then you can risk being an amber gambler. Of course, that's a subjective call to make and you will get a difference of opinion about whether it was possible to stop or not. Chances are, that difference of opinion is only a minor fault in the eyes of the examiner, not an instant fail.

Hertz32

roundthebend said:

Hertz32 said:

Just looking at my sheet properly now, I would have passed with a few minors had i not kept going when the light turned amber when shebthought I had room to stop, combined with the window. 

Overall, I could have passed had i driven with less fear of stopping sharper. I'll see when the next test is available and try and go for it. 
My car handling was fine, despite the numerous hill starts! Frustrating but not the end of the world.

Bad luck buddy, chalk it up as experience.
It's possible, though I obviously don't have enough information, that you were approaching the green light too quickly. If you read what I've posted earlier about planning ahead - you should expect traffic lights to change and therefore you would need to be able to stop. Which means checking your rear mirror in advance, easing off the gas, maybe even covering the brake. Only when you get to a certain distance from the lights should you decide that stopping isn't necessary and then you can risk being an amber gambler. Of course, that's a subjective call to make and you will get a difference of opinion about whether it was possible to stop or not. Chances are, that difference of opinion is only a minor fault in the eyes of the examiner, not an instant fail.

The green light only allowed three cars through before turning amber, I was the fourth in the queue  

DiscoStu

Bad luck, but as you say it's not the end of the world. I know people who have taken over 10 exams.
Did she tell you what you should have done about the fogged window? Stop the car and clear it? Change your fan settings?

crunchman

roundthebend said:

It's possible, though I obviously don't have enough information, that you were approaching the green light too quickly. If you read what I've posted earlier about planning ahead - you should expect traffic lights to change and therefore you would need to be able to stop. Which means checking your rear mirror in advance, easing off the gas, maybe even covering the brake. Only when you get to a certain distance from the lights should you decide that stopping isn't necessary and then you can risk being an amber gambler. Of course, that's a subjective call to make and you will get a difference of opinion about whether it was possible to stop or not. Chances are, that difference of opinion is only a minor fault in the eyes of the examiner, not an instant fail.

Of course, once you've passed, you speed up to get through it before it changes!

Bygone_Tones

DiscoStu said:

Did she tell you what you should have done about the fogged window? Stop the car and clear it? Change your fan settings?

Wind the window down.

rlw

I took my test in an old Triumph and it snowed.  Solution was heater on full ( ho ho ) and windows down.  It were reet cold.

DiscoStu

Bygone_Tones said:

DiscoStu said:

Did she tell you what you should have done about the fogged window? Stop the car and clear it? Change your fan settings?

Wind the window down.

Or wind the window down! Haha, I've gotten too used to air con!

thecolourbox

Hertz32 said:

, I would have passed with a few minors had i not kept going when the light turned amber when shebthought I had room to stop, combined with the window. 

Bad luck mate but get back in the seat and do it again ASAP, the lights thing is just one of those things in the heat of the moment seems the right thing to do but yeah, don't rush the lights on the next one!

Though sorry to be pedantic and apologies if I have the wrong end of the stick, but it wouldn't be a combination of those two things going wrong that failed you, if both of then were majors wouldn't you have failed with either of them in isolation too? Small point though, just make sure you don't dwell on it and get back in there ASAP

Handsome_Chris

@Hertz32 , I passed my driving test the second time in High Wycombe. If they'll pass me... 

It sounds like you did alright.  First time nerves and a bit of bad conspired against you. I'd put money on you passing the next time.

celentium

You'll do it the second time. My first test I was told to take the next right. It was a no entry, I didn't see the sign and I went for it.

Tricksies.