{"id":4233,"date":"2017-10-20T01:10:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T00:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diaryofanadi.co.uk\/?p=4233"},"modified":"2023-06-29T17:25:18","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T16:25:18","slug":"driving-examiners-are-aholes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diaryofanadi.co.uk\/?p=4233","title":{"rendered":"Driving Examiners Are A*holes?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I originally wrote this way back in 2010, and it was only a simple couple of paragraphs thrown out following a search term used to find the blog. Since then, I get periodic hits on the same search term: driving examiners are arseholes. I had another today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assuming that it’s a candidate who is searching, the lack of a question format suggests they are seeking like-minded people to rant with, rather than to actually ask if examiners are<\/strong> arseholes. The person using the term probably thinks they’ve been hard done by on their test after having failed, and is seeking to blame the examiner \u2013 quite possibly, in my own experience, in spite of ample evidence from their drive that the examiner was right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, it isn\u2019t beyond the realms of possibility that it is an instructor who has taken exception to one of his pupils failing their test. I\u2019ve seen more than one take to a forum to vent their anger at a test fail they disagreed with (at least two in the last month [in 2010]).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examiners are not arseholes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The purpose of the driving test is to ensure that a candidate meets the bare minimum requirement to be allowed out on the roads unsupervised. The pass \u2018mark\u2019 is actually quite low, which means that anything below it is going to result in a fail. That\u2019s the way it is, and nothing the candidate or instructor can do is going to change it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t check your mirrors a few times when you should have, you will accrue faults, but miss them one time too many and you will fail. You will fail if you miss the check even once if there is someone behind or alongside you. The same is true of blind spot checks, and observations at junctions. You will get away with poor checks up to a point, but if it\u2019s obvious you have a problem in this area you will get a serious fault (and if there\u2019s someone behind or coming towards you, you will fail immediately).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re expected to stop at amber or red traffic lights. If you could have done safely, but don\u2019t, you will fail. Furthermore, you\u2019re expected to understand how traffic lights work \u2013 green filter arrows, etc. \u2013 and if you sit there holding up traffic when you should be moving off, then you\u2019ll fail for that, too. If you completely miss traffic lights, or drive in such a way that it looks like you have, you will fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t stay in lane \u2013 demonstrate good \u201clane discipline\u201d \u2013 you will accrue faults. If you weave across lanes when someone is behind you, you will fail. If you don\u2019t realise you are doing it \u2013 and let\u2019s face facts here, if you knew, you wouldn\u2019t be \u2013 you will fail. If you change lanes without checking your mirrors first, and signalling if necessary, you will fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you pull out in front of someone, you will fail. If you did it because you thought you \u201ccould make it\u201d, you have no excuse whatsoever. If you stall you will accrue faults, and one stall too many will result in a fail. If you cause a hold up by stalling even once, you will almost certainly fail for that alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the speed limit is 30mph, it doesn\u2019t mean you can drive at 40 and expect to get away with it. Anything illegal is a fail. And if the speed limit is 60mph and the road is clear, doing 30 is causing a hold up and you\u2019ll fail for driving like that. You need to see the road signs, and be confident enough to drive according to what they tell you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you drive too fast for given situations, you are going to accrue faults. If you approach a junction or a bend too fast, or slow down too late, if the examiner uses the brake because you haven\u2019t, you will fail. Even if you think you were going to brake, if you were too late you will fail. Harsh braking will accrue faults, and one time too many will get you a fail. Do it in front of someone and you\u2019ll fail immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t stop at a STOP junction \u2013 and I mean stop absolutely dead \u2013 you will fail. It is illegal not to stop at these, and slowing to a crawl, no matter how slow it is, is NOT stopping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you mangle the gears every time you change them, you will accrue faults. If you use the wrong gear you will accrue faults. Do it one time to many and you will fail. Do it once at the wrong time \u2013 going into 1st when you wanted 3rd in moving traffic, for example \u2013 and you will fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This list is by no means complete. But the bottom line is that if you do any of those things and fail your test, it is because of your poor driving skills \u2013 not because the examiner is an arsehole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n