Nerves during driving test

Mr Arrior

Title says it all.

Ive sat the test twice before and failed both times (Tbh shouldnt have sat it as I wasn't ready).

Now I'm a lot more confident driving accompanied and I know it may sound rich but if I was given my licence right now without sitting the test then I feel id have no problems on my motoring exploits.

However, the tester next to me, makes me nervous. Im grand with my Dad or anyone else ive driven with, next to me but the whole test situation just throw me a bit.

Any advice?

doolox

Similar to the schemes run by Airlines and Airports for nervous flyers?

I have Aspergers and find the prospect of doing a driving test would be a terrifying experience if the need ever arose.

Luckily for me I was one of those much maligned motorists and licence holders who availed of the driver testing "amnesty" in 1979 for those with a second or subsequent provisional licence.

I have been driving accident free for the last 37 years so count myself lucky considering the lack of certainty that a test pass would have given me.

Some people opine that a test pass would have actually made me too cocky and over confident on the road and I do my best to keep up to date with all the rules and regs in any and all countries I have driven in.

There has never been any impediment or barrier to me in hiring a car, drawing a trailer or doing any of the things that non test passers may find put in their way...a licence is a licence for all car related things I have come across so far in my life.

In any one to one encounter with any previously unmet person in authority I can be very nervous and stumble especially when doing physical skills and tasks in an adversarial setting.. People with Aspergers can also find acquiring new physical skills takes more time and effort and they can come across as appearing to be stubborn,slow and stupid. Once the skill is successfully acquired however people with the condition can prove to be as good as or better than neuronormal people and keep their attention better on routine tasks such as driving, rarely losing their attention and concentration on the road.

Perhaps there needs to be an awareness campaign or system of some sort to make instructors and testers aware of the nature of aspergers but this could be open to corruption or fiddling results....all people need honest feedback and honest test results with no allowances or special pleading in order to ensure safety on the roads.

hairyslug

I failed my first test, what got me to relax the 2ND time around was realising that the worst thing that can happen is that I have to retake it.

Best of luck

Posy

What about a few pre-test lessons with instructors you're not familiar with to de-sensitise you from the situation a bit?

iguana

I'm the same. My sponsored driver is now with me either because I'm driving us somewhere we both want to go or because it's a legal requirement but they don't contribute to my driving in any way anymore. My driving instructor has even described it as a pleasure to be my passenger. But once I feel I'm being tested my nerves make my driving poorer. The last time I did a the test course with my instructor he pointed out that there was an unbelievably marked difference between my 'test' driving and how I drove from the instant he told me we'd reached the end of the route. I don't know what the cure is other than doing the test route with him over and over until it feels natural and maybe trying meditation or some sort of calming yoga/exercise on the run up to the test.

Mr Arrior

Ya almost feel like ya need to keep taking the test until the feel sorry for ya and just pass ya

J_R

Hi,

In my very humble opinion I believe that one of the main reasons people suffer so much from nerves is the way they perceive the test. They appear to believe it is completely divorced from ordinary everyday driving. That it is something "Special".

Driving instructors who conduct "Pretests", perhaps unintentionally, foster this perception.

What happens on a pretest. ? A fully qualified instructor whose sole job should be to encourage and teach safe driving sits back and watches a learner driver commit fault after fault without comment. At the end of forty, fifty minutes he will give them a run-down on their faults. Doing so and so will get you a grade 2, that will get a grade 3 etc etc. Message the pupil receives, in the test do not do such and such or you will fail. Otherwise its OK, if it was dangerous/illegal would not the instructor have immediately stopped me.

Worst case pupil I had with this focus on the test was a middle aged woman who had already done a few pretests/tests (Not with me). At a junction, I suddenly realised she was going to drive out into the path of a speeding van, I slammed on the handbrake (was her car) and also yelled at her to stop. Handbrake stopped us just in time, van went shooting past with millimetres to spare , once clear van driver laid his hand on the horn, kept it on until out of sight and sound.

Pupil's reaction, she turned to me (car was still stopped half way out in the road) and asked Would that have been a grade 2 or grade 3. Told her she would not have been marked ., why not ?, I replied examiner would either be dead or too severely injured to worry about the position of a stupid X on a piece of coloured paper. Found out later she told all her friends that I shouted and was very sarcastic.

Re OP. Have had good reports that a few drops of Rescue Remedy helps. Eat a good meal - if possible. Try and look on the test as an ordinary everyday drive around town. The examiner gives you the very best advice in the car He says "now drive in your normal manner".. Remember when he/she sits in he is predisposed to pass you, not to fail. Also they do allow for nerves. So, if you do make a mistake, do not panic, try your very best to concentrate on the remainder of the test, do not dwell on the mistake.

If you lose concentration, nerves take over, just pull over, take a break.

If the examiner is tapping on his ipad tell yourself he is playing Soda Saga. Concentrate only on your driving, not the examiner.