Kerb = Driving Test Instant fail ?

Supercell

Have my driving test tomorrow and am terrified i'm going to hit the kerb on the three point turn part of the test as am driving this car two weeks and am not 100% confidant about its length.

If the turn is heading towards kerbing, will i get a fail for taking more forwards and backwards motions than strictly should be necessary, I reckon erring on the side of caution is better than kerbing?
If I do kerb is there any point in asking the tester if I can try that again ?

Abelloid

When I did my test the 3 point turn was on a narrow road and I had to do 5 point turn, passed no problem,
just try to relax and concentrate on what your doing and not the examiner.

Stephen

Give yourself plenty of room, you can take as long as you like (within reason) to do the maneuvre, and as mentioned above you don't have to do it in three points. Try not to dry-turn the wheel too, they don't like that much.

Creamy Goodness

no hitting the kerb does not mean instant fail.

i hit the kerb, just bearly on the turnabout and i still managed to pass they'll be looking more at your observation and how well you can control your car at slow speeds.

Stark

You could have had more lenient tester. The tester can give you a Grade 3 fault if you hit the kerb. The OP is best erring on the side of caution and doing a 5-point turn if needs be.

Supercell

Thanks guys, think i'll err on the side of caution and make more turns than really may be necessary to avoid kerbing, am bricking it!!

Time for bed, tomorrow is the day!

Creamy Goodness

Stark wrote:

You could have had more lenient tester. The tester can give you a Grade 3 fault if you hit the kerb. The OP is best erring on the side of caution and doing a 5-point turn if needs be.

yes, that is true, i'll be the first to admit i did have a lenient tester was a great laugh in the car with me and made me feel less nervous.

just remember that it's not a three-point turn, it's a turnabout use as many as you feel necessary but keep 5 or under. watch for cars both sides when in the middle of the road and whilst your changing into reverse.

Dilbert75

Good luck - and remember that pass vs fail is cumulative. In other words, unless you do something really bad, you have to accumulate a number of smaller errors to exceed the limit.

Remember a test is just a check of your skills - if you've put in the spadework learning to drive properly, just go drive properly and you'll have no problems.

Kimbot

YOu don't have to do a 3 point turn you just have to turn the car around 180 degrees so you can go back and forward as much as you like!!

Tobias Greeshman

Since it's no longer called a 3-point turn, the turnaround is no longer limited to 3 maneuvers any longer, so if you feel the need to do it in 5 maneuvers, then that's fine. As for hitting the kerb, it depends on the tester, you will gain marks for it (possibly a grade 2). Another thing to remember is there's padestrians using a path near the kerb (if there's a path there), wait till they pass. If you hit the kerb with padestrians on the path (even if they're a good bit away), you will get a grade 3 and fail instantly.

mike65

....me waits with baited breath!

Mike.

MrJones

instant fail if you mount the kerb.
you might get a grade2 fault(allowed 8) if you hit the kerb.all depends on the
test instrcutor.
just relax

Longfield wrote:

Have my driving test tomorrow and am terrified i'm going to hit the kerb on the three point turn part of the test as am driving this car two weeks and am not 100% confidant about its length.

If the turn is heading towards kerbing, will i get a fail for taking more forwards and backwards motions than strictly should be necessary, I reckon erring on the side of caution is better than kerbing?
If I do kerb is there any point in asking the tester if I can try that again ?

Supercell

Well I failed, didn't hit the kerb, but he gave me a grade two there anyhow under "competantly" section.

All in all I got 1 grade one and 19 grade twos mostly in the positioning section.
I honestly havent a clue why he did that, my instuctor prior to the test never ever corrected my road positioning so am at a total loss there.

So very disappointed, more fustraited than anything else as have no idea about pretty much most of the marks the old guy testing me gave me.

I didnt speed, reversed around a corner fine, did the "turnabout" without hitting the kerb and got no marks for right of way signs etc etc, pretty much all position and totally at a loss why.

Anyhow, am not making any excuses, I failed plain and simple and need a better instructer to correct whatever i'm doing wrong positioning wise.
Bah humbug!

Atomic Pineapple

I failed my first driving test on positioning too, it was about not keeping left enough or something like that.

If your nervous doing the test your half way to failing anyway, nothing shows more than a nervous driver, next time your doing the test dont tell anybody your doing it, then just go and do it and if you fail no one knows about it....less pressure on you this way.

reapply straight away and get a few lessons and get it done again, it doesnt sound like your doing too much wrong, just try to relax when your doing it.

mike65

An instructor really should be compelled to discuss why he/she failed a driver, I tend to think its pot luck most of the time. Also try and get a test early in the day - by afternoon the tester is pissed off!

Mike.

Supercell

Thanks draffodx, as bitterly disappointed at failing and more determined than ever to pass next time, nerves have a lot to do with it got 4 grade two clutch markes, partly that i'm driving this car two weeks and nerves are the cause of that.

Was a learning experience, only positive light i can put on it (and I hope the old fart that failed me rots in hell)......til next time

Supercell

mike65 wrote:

An instructor really should be compelled to discuss why he/she failed a driver, I tend to think its pot luck most of the time. Also try and get a test early in the day - by afternoon the tester is pissed off!

Mike.

I really wanted to know what areas needed improvement on the future and asked him nicely but the only answer i got was read the report, am still at a loss where i was wrong for most of the marks, however as said before, more training needed, am going to get this this year!

Anan1

mike65 wrote:

An instructor really should be compelled to discuss why he/she failed a driver, I tend to think its pot luck most of the time. Also try and get a test early in the day - by afternoon the tester is pissed off!

Mike.

If by instructor you mean the tester then they do tell you why you've failed - that's what the fail sheet is for. It should be clear to everybody why testers should not be required to enter into discussion with the person they've just failed. I have absolutely no reason to think that it's pot luck - there are a specific number of things they watch for, and a relevant points system. Regarding the OP, I'd imagine he's correct to blame his instructor rather than following the herd and whining about the tester.

Supercell

Anan1 wrote:

If by instructor you mean the tester then they do tell you why you've failed - that's what the fail sheet is for. It should be clear to everybody why testers should not be required to enter into discussion with the person they've just failed. I have absolutely no reason to think that it's pot luck - there are a specific number of things they watch for, and a relevant points system. Regarding the OP, I'd imagine he's correct to blame his instructor rather than following the herd and whining about the tester.

I can see your point in some regards, on others it would be nice to hear from the person that just failed you - just why.

Can understand that in certain situations this might not be possibe, but where the driver is being nice and pleasant, whats wrong with asking why you gave me so many grade two's in one section, i want to make sure it doesnt happen next time (personally belive michael schumacher would fail this old farts test at the same time)

A fail is a fail, i need further good instruction , mostly pissed that my pretest instucter mostly told me to slow down..which i did and got zero marks on speed and mostly on postition..bah..my errors should be easy to fix, pissed that they weren't before the test.

Anan1

Longfield wrote:

I can see your point in some regards, on others it would be nice to hear from the person that just failed you - just why.

Can understand that in certain situations this might not be possibe, but where the driver is being nice and pleasant, whats wrong with asking why you gave me so many grade two's in one section, i want to make sure it doesnt happen next time

I can think of two reasons why testers don't discuss results. The first is the potential for trouble, either verbal or physical. If they could discuss results at their discretion then a refusal to discuss a particular test could be taken as an insult. The only viable solution, therefore, is a blanket ban.

The second reason is that testers are not paid to give instruction - they are paid to conduct tests. If you think about it, it's the same in most independent tests from the Junior Cert on.;)

Pacifico

Longfield wrote:

Thanks draffodx, as bitterly disappointed at failing and more determined than ever to pass next time, nerves have a lot to do with it got 4 grade two clutch markes, partly that i'm driving this car two weeks and nerves are the cause of that.

Was a learning experience, only positive light i can put on it (and I hope the old fart that failed me rots in hell)......til next time

Yeah i know how you feel, i wouldn't get too worked up over it though as the testing system is a joke....

I faile mine yesterday. The idiots sent me a letter of confirmation which clearly stated "Tuesday 2nd of May 7:30 AM", so i get up at 6 and i'm there at 6:45. Hmmm no sign of a tester so i wait till 9. "Oh yeah that's ment to be 7:30 PM". I go NO phone call in advance. Rang the head office, "oh you should have gone a call". Really? i would never have though.....idiots.

I eventually failed later, as you can imagine i was quite tired being up since 6 for my test! I failed with 4 grade 2 faults all on turning RIGHT. No other faults at all, not even a grade one!

I was pritty pissed to say the least, and am looking into the appeals process! (LOL)

tk123

Hey OP if you don't mind me asking who was your instructor /were they from a driving school school? I need to reapply and do some more lessons(i'm a biker and have no access to a car) and while the guy I have is really good he's quite strict and he doesn't really put me at ease -every lesson is like a test environment. I don't feel like I have any confidence in the car and I'm wondering if a different instructor might relax me a bit - i was relieved that I failed in dec because I would have been too scared to drive by myself!!

murphaph

The 'test' is very hit and miss. It totally sucks that they won't discuss it. I was talking driving tests to a spanish girl in work today. She said that over there your instructor sits in the back seat with the tester beside you, so any genuine mistakes should be spotted by your (competent) instructor.

Here, there is nobody allowed in the car with you and the instructors aren't necessarilly competent. It's a tough world for a learner.

Longfield, don't worry about it man. On another day you might have passed, seriously. Do improve whatever he reckoned was amiss just in case and good luck on the next one.