Driving test coming up...any tips?

L5

Its in a months time so ive got time to remove any bad habits i may have. I have the reversing around corner, and turn about nailed, and am a good driver in general, always check the opposite way when taking a turn for example, check mirror before indicating , take roundabouts correctly. Any other stuff i should be practicing hard on?

Also, i heard they ask questions on the rules of the road, is this the same as the book i learned off for the theory test, or a different book?

thanks

Downtime

there is a good thread around on this - will try and find it for you.

quarryman

Everyone thinks they are a good driver, that's no use. You have to follow the driving guidelines perfectly (no matter how awkward they seem) for the 45 mins of the test to pass.

Make sure you get rid of any coasting habits you may have (moving when not in gear). That was the hardest for me.

Try get some pre-tests in the area you will be doing the test. I wouldn't have passed my test without them.

Check mirrors before every maneouvre. Right mirror and rear for right turns. left mirror and rear for left turns.

Keep well back from traffic.

Anticipate pedestrians and their stupidity. Slow down when one crosses ahead of you, even if they are a good distance away. The instructor wants to see that you saw them, not that you can miss them.

Good luck.

Ri_Nollaig

make sure that if the incidator goes off u put it back on if u still need it!

its not a bad idea to have your rear-view mirror slightly off so u will have to move ur head more to view it, that way the examier can see u doing it as checking mirrors for everything is the key!

make sure u dont go over the speed limit but u cant crawl either u need to make "progress" so move up tro the gears (reach 4th gear) and keep at 50kph/30mph

if u do make a mistake ignore it! just carry on as it may not b as bad as u thought and the worse thing to do is thinking u have failed already. u have to do something really bad to get one of the pink boxes and your allowed 9 of the blue or 3 in the same line (might b wrong here) and green mean nothing.

commited

As well as checking mirrors, check over both shoulders before pulling out and all the way through the reverse around a corner and turnabout.
You should check both shoulders at least 3 times during the reverse around a corner and turnabout.
Dont accelerate hard, but dont be a slug either - they love their progress.
Also dont go to close to parked cars. And never use one hand to steer unless totally unavoidable.
Have the window open a little bit too so that you can hear the engine better and it keeps you cool, if you were anything like me I was sweating buckets!

L5

what would be the major mistakes that would fail you instantly?
i know not stopping dead at a stop line is one of them, and pulling out from a junction if its not totally safe is another. any others people can think of?
thanks

commited

lack of observation when pulling out, passing too close to parked cars, speeding etc

ravenhead

The best tip that i was given by my instructor was to move my mirror up ever so slightly so that I had to raise my head a little to see into it... It emphasises that you're using you're mirrors.. You'd be surpised how many people are failed because of it.

Best of luck with it

tk123

If you cut a corner it's an instant faill...Somebody explained it best to me last week - look around at the other people in the waiting room because half of you will fail to keep with the pass rate. It sounds like a load of crap but it's true!! Not to sound bad but I'd suggest you get a pre test because you don't seem to know what the test entails also the instructor will give you tips and sample questions etc. They'll also put you into the right frame of mind and they might notice stuff that you don't realise you're doing..

quarryman

The most valuable thing i found was the pre-tests. It really will beat the bad habits out and will help you learn the test area. I done my test in Naas and did a 4 pre-tests out there. Pretty much covered all the possible test routes. For the test there was nowhere that i hadn't already gone with my instructor.

Calling me a sissy/gay/nobjockey etc is not an insult to me COS I AM A GIRL!!!!!

you're a girl, but don't mind getting called gay, or a nob-jockey? a bit contradictory no?

tk123

quarryman wrote:

The most valuable thing i found was the pre-tests. It really will beat the bad habits out and will help you learn the test area. I done my test in Naas and did a 4 pre-tests out there. Pretty much covered all the possible test routes. For the test there was nowhere that i hadn't already gone with my instructor.



you're a girl, but don't mind getting called gay, or a nob-jockey? a bit contradictory no?

I mean when they are calling me gay because they think i'm a guy!! ANd well calling me a nobjockey is more of a fact than an insult!

L5

tk123 wrote:

If you cut a corner it's an instant faill...Somebody explained it best to me last week - look around at the other people in the waiting room because half of you will fail to keep with the pass rate. It sounds like a load of crap but it's true!! Not to sound bad but I'd suggest you get a pre test because you don't seem to know what the test entails also the instructor will give you tips and sample questions etc. They'll also put you into the right frame of mind and they might notice stuff that you don't realise you're doing..

what do you mean by cutting corners?

tk123

L5 wrote:

what do you mean by cutting corners?

When you take a corner and basically cut into the wrong side as you go around - like if you took a corner too soon you'd cross the other side of the road where there could be on coming traffic.. You should take a drive around the test area so you'll know the roads and know where there's roundabouts etc...

el tel

Just ask the examiner 'Is that your €50 on the floor?'

viking

I did my test about a week and a half ago and I thankfully passed.

You get a sheet afterwards with the headings below on it and any faults you made are marked with different grades.

Grade 1 (Green) faults make no difference to the test result so even if you are doing your test and you see him marking something with his pen, it may only be a Grade 1 fault so don't worry.
Grade 2 (Blue) faults are more serious faults and you will fail if you have more than 4 of these for a single aspect, 6 or more under the same heading or 9 or more overall.
Grade 3 (Pink/Red) faults are described as dangerous/potentially dangerous or total disregard of traffic controls. Get 1 or more of these and its a fail.

These are the headings that the instructor is marking you against when you take your test:

1) Rules/Checks
2) Position: position vehicle correctly and in good time
(i) On the straight
(ii) On bends
...plus other subheadings
3) Observation: Take proper observation
(i) Moving off
(ii) Overtaking
(iii) Changing Lanes
...plus other subheadings
4) React to Hazards: React promptly and properly to hazards
5) Mirrors: Use properly, in good time and before signalling
(i) Moving off
(ii) On the straight
...plus other subheadings
6) Clearance/Overtake: Allow sufficient clearance to ->
(i) Pedestrians
(ii) Cyclists
(iii) Stationary Vehicles
...plus other subheadings
7) Signals: Give correct signal in good time
8) Motorcycles (subheadings only for people doing the bike test)
9) Courtesy
10) Alighting
11) Progress: Maintain reasonable progress and avoid undue hesitancy when->
(i) Moving off
(ii) On the straight
...plus other subheadings
(I got my only Grade 2 fault under this heading for undue hesitancy at roundabouts)
12) Vehicle Controls: Make proper use of ->
(i) Accelerator
(ii) Clutch
(iii) Gears
...plus other subheadings
13) Speed: Adjust speed to suit/on approach->
(i) Road condidtions
(ii) Traffic Conditions
...plus other subheadings
14) Traffic Controls: Comply with->
(i) Traffic Lights
(ii) Traffic Signs
(iii) Road markings
...plus other subheadings
15) Right of way: Yield right of way as required->
(i) Moving off
(ii) Overtaking
...plus other subheadings
16) Reverse
(i) Competently
(ii)Observation
(iii) Right of Way
17) Turnabout
(i) Competently
(ii)Observation
(iii) Right of Way
18) Parking
(i) Competently
(ii)Observation
(iii) Legally

Make sure you know under the bonnet, where oil goes, dipstick, water for windscreen washer, brake fluid, power steering. Inside the car make sure you know how to use the front/rear demister, where the rear fog light button is, how wipers work etc.

tk123

el tel wrote:

Just ask the examiner 'Is that your €50 on the floor?'

ButcherOfNog

Its simple, take a driving lesson, they'll point out anything you're doing wrong. Go home, write down the route and everything you did wrong. Practice not doing it, not just on that route but everywhere you drive.

In the test, just think about what you're doing. Think and concentrate. Might seem like the obvious thing, but what causes most fails is good drivers not thinking about what they're doing

hmmm

Always be in gear. I know a surprising number of people who have bad habits such as knocking a car into neutral coming up to a set of lights, or leaving the clutch fully depressed for (relatively) long times.

L5

thanks for all the help.
And ive had 11 lessons already, 10 from nov to march, then 1 last week so i hopefully dont have too many bad habits!
Problem is though i only get to practice at weekends, ill just have to spend 3 or 4 hours each saturday and sunday doing the test routes to get used to them

kell79

Hi, i have my driving test this saturday afternoon in Naas. Only problem is i havent had any lessons! Stupid i know but i havent had any time at all to be quite honest.. i found this thread very helpful. I can drive perfectly (i think!) its just the rules of the road and the manouvers i think i might get caught on. Anyway, brilliant advice on this site. Il let you know if i passed or failed.. :eek:

L1011

Its Naas - for the love of $whatever, please get a pretest there - even if you know it. Its a maze, traffic is never sane and the main street is a hill... You might get a cancelation before Saturday if you're lucky.

Wossack

wrong forum

unkel

kell79, please read the charter before you post again in the motors section. It is not done around here to drag up old threads

Also as others said, there is a dedicated learning to drive forum here.