New Learner - My Online Diary

[driving2day]

I have finally booked my driving test.

It's odd because when I am talking off-topic with my instructor I normally end up doing something which is not making me focus e.g. going at speed when I need to slow down on a tight road etc. but last week I suppose I was ranting about something and we were talking about similar topics the whole lesson but I drove really well.

My instructor has been telling me to book for some time so I should have been taking my test now but what is worrying is that my instructor has not told me about show me tell me, nor have we done emergency stop (did this with my previous instructor). Actually the only thing we have is independent driving where I had very few minors but a major which was going to 1st gear from 5th at a roundabout which I knew about.

I'm not sure I am prepared for the test and with about 5 lessons left should I know all of the above right now? I don't know but I thought the last month would be full practise. With my previous instructor I did less than 20 lessons and she was already telling me about show me tell me and had given me papers to prepare for the next lesson on the car, and emergency stop had been practised a number of times all in preparation for the test. I feel now a lot of time is being wasted but on top of that if I should have booked my test then why had I not started doing test things from a long time ago?

I have a lesson soon and with about 5 lessons left I need to prepare properly. What should I ask of my instructor as I feel I need to inform on lesson plan myself now as I do not want to fail because of lack of preparation, it's different if it's poor driving on my part but I'm hoping it won't be that.

[fungus]

Try not to worry too much about the tell me show me aspect of the test. You will get a driver error mark if you get one of the two questions wrong, but you will not get a serious error for it. You can, or could find the questions and answers on the DSA website which you could print out. Type tell me show me, or safety questions car, in the search box.

As far as the emergency stop is concerned, remember if your car is fitted with ABS, which I would imagine most driving school cars would be, brake firmly and rapidly, brake, then clutch, in quick succession. If the ABS activates, you will feel a pulsing through the brake pedal, do not release the pedal. When you have stopped apply the hand brake if necessary. When told to drive on, make a full 360 degree observation starting with the left shoulder and finishing with the right shoulder, signal if necessary, and move off if safe. Remember not to check your mirrors when the instruction to stop is given. If the instruction to stop is given as you are passing a junction, do not delay the stop, the examiner has checked that it is safe. I have had this happen, and the girl failed because she hesitated and did not brake until she had passed the junction.

Generally, look well ahead and keep scanning. Only carry out an instruction if it doesn't affect another road user, eg. do not change lanes if not safe. You will not fail for taking a wrong exit, but you will fail if your actions adversely affect another road user. Remember the examiner will find another route back .

[driving2day]

Thank you fungus for your reply. You have taught me better than what I thought I knew. I didn't know to do a 360 observation, I assumed only a mirror check on both sides like when you move off normally.

I'd say including this week I have 3 weeks left and then the week after is my test. I take a one hour lesson every week. I have done one mock test only. Is there anything I should start doing now since my test is less than a month away? What would you be drumming into your student during the last 3 lessons? I can't believe how close it is. I mean I can drive but I'm not sure I can 'on my own'.

[fungus]

Hello driving2day, there is so much that you could go over, but here are what I regard as some of the things that can cause uncertainty and worry.

Make sure that you're familiar with things like traffic light procedures, eg.the meanings of the colours in the sequence. Remember that amber means STOP, you may only go on if you have already crossed the line, or are so close that to pull up could cause an accident. So always check your mirrors when approaching a green light.

Remember that green means GO if the way is clear. If turning right and you have a right turn filter as well a FULL green light, DO NOT wait for the filter light, it may only come on at certain times of the day , and if you wait you would be holding up following traffic. However, if the full green light is replaced by green direction arrows, you must only go when the arrow for the direction in which you wish to go is showing. If you are waiting on a green light and it turns amber then red before you can go, you must now clear the junction as you will be blocking the path of vehicles in the roads to your side. It does become awkward though if the stop line is set back from the junction, and you are not blocking the traffic. You could then risk a collision if you proceeded.

As regards Yellow Box Junctions, remember that it's the EXIT road that's important. If your exit road is not clear, you MUST NOT enter the box. If you are turning right and your exit road is clear, you may enter the box and wait, behind another vehicle if there is one, IF YOUR EXIT ROAD IS CLEAR.

You may be asked to perform a lane change. Remember to check the relevant mirrors and give a shoulder check before signalling. Only make the lane change if safe and you will not affect another road user. If you're in the wrong lane for the direction given and it's not safe to change lanes,GO IN THE DIRECTION THAT YOUR LANE TAKES YOU, it's not a route finding excercise and your examiner will find their way back on route. The same applies if you take the wrong exit at a roundabout, provided you've carried out the procedure correctly and safely you will not be marked for it. If the road markings on approach to a roundabout are not visible and the ahead lane is the right hand lane, the examiner should direct you into that lane.

Make sure that observations when carrying out your manoeuvre are full 360 degrees, and look mainly in the direction of travel. Be prepared to stop if your actions will affect another road user.

Remember to keep your eyes scanning and look well ahead.

You will be told to follow the road ahead. Obey the directions on the manditory blue discs. Your examiner will tell you in good time if they wish you to turn.

Do not be afraid to ask if you're not sure of anything.

DO NOT try to look at the examiners marking sheet, and do not be put off by the examiner making marks, it may be nothing. Examiners often make reference marks on the section above the peforations rather than marking the actual sheet, only filling it in at the end of the test.

If your instructor hasn't told you, your examiner may be check tested on your test. This is nothing to worry about. You will have a second examiner sitting in. They will sit behind you, so you need to make allowances for the extra weight. This examiner will NOT be examining you, they will be examining your examiner. This only happens very occasionally. It is to ensure that the examiner is examining correctly, just as driving instructors get check tested to ensure that we're teaching up to standard.

As much as possible, try to relax, and not be put off by the examiner. They will try to put you at ease, but some are better than others at it.

[driving2day]

Thank you so much for your reply fungus! I will keep reading your post and applying it in my lessons. I know that these things, we're used to doing when learning but when the time comes it's easy to hesitate and ignore these points even though they are vital. Like reminding me to do a shoulder check when changing lanes, I think I have stopped doing that but I shouldn't. Will be reading your post a number of times.

Last lesson we were driving as normal and I kept messing up at the medium roundabouts. I always get those ones right but I felt like my instructor was interfering? I mean, I can do at 3rd gear on those roundabouts because they're open but if there's something coming round I'll go to 2, but my instructor somehow found something new to say on these. I mean, I get so happy when I see those roundabouts because I find them so smooth to go on (sad, I know) but I kept getting into dangerous situations because she was saying about turning my wheel and so on. And I was going to go at one point (it was safe in my eyes) but she broke suddenly and even after that I didn't see why. because of that, it then lead to me having to quickly change to 1 then proceed, then change to 2 (this is a roundabout I'm used to doing 3 on) and the car kept getting pulled back when I tried to change to 2 near my exit. I panicked because of the actions before that, then something similar happened on the next. Is it fair to say I should have been left to it? I don't know, but I felt when it's so near to taking a test it was unnecessary to break for me when I felt it was safe? And it sure was. I suppose it's a get over situation and move on.

[fungus]

If safe, it's usually better to be left to make you own decisions if you are at a more advanced stage. However if your instructor feels that there is danger, she must intervene either verbally or physicaly. We are all human and we make errors of judgement. Maybe she was correct, or may be she wasn't, but her judgement told her the situation was not safe. Remember the advice given in the Highway Code, "you must not cause another road user to alter speed or position." Your judgement to procede must be based on that advice. If you do get it wrong and you pull out when it is a bit tight, get out of the way.

As far as the correct gear on the roundabout is concerned, I see nothing wrong in using 3rd if the roundabout is open and reasonably straight when going ahead. I would use 2nd when turning right or left though if they are at 90 degrees, as it will give more control.

If you have to stop and pull away in 1st, it is possible, and preferable, to get to 2nd quickly by using enough gas to build up speed, then changing to 2nd when the steering is set, that is at the point where you are not actually moving the steering wheel but the wheel might be turned slightly. For instance, as you move out you will steer slightly left, then there will be a few yds. where you will not be steering. It's at this point that you change to 2nd. If you already do this, all well and good, if not, try it on a lesson but do not do it if it will affect your control and affect your drive on the test.

You mention your instructor was saying about turning the wheel. Is this whilst you are negotiating the roundabout? Is she concerned that you are not keeping centrally in your lane? Although you see many drivers straightening roundabouts, do not do it. The DSA will not accept it, even if you have checked that it's safe to do so, just as they will not accept entering a hatched area unless it's safe, and neccessary. As a general rule, drive centrally in your lane, or well to the left, about a metre from the kerb, as it says in Driving the Essential Skills, except when turning right, and remember that if you are turning right in a one way street, you should be positioned on the right of the road unless road marking dictate otherwise, or the lane is blocked.

i hope this has been a help, and all the best on your test.

[driving2day]

I don't think her concern is where I am in the lane but when I was changing gear. Well after taking your advice I haven't had that problem.

I have a long lesson today, well 1 and a half hours. This time next week I will be having my test in an hours time. How spooky! Last lesson was great, I drove really well and if I drove like that in my test it would be great. I'm not sure I will though seeing as I've not had any mock tests apart from one, and in that I made silly mistakes because of nerves I guess. I suppose I feel I should have had more mock tests to get those nerves out the way but we'll see what happened today. Can't believe it though, one week left, but it could go either way. I know I can drive, but I also know that the one time I had someone else in the car, and another time where I had a mock test, my nerves got the better of me.

[jameslb101]

To save me reading through 12 long pages, what's the story behind it taking you two years to get to this stage? How many hours of lessons have you had? Do you practise (or have the option to) in your own time?

[fungus]

I suppose I feel I should have had more mock tests to get those nerves out the way but we'll see what happened today.

I would't beat yourself up about not having had enough mock tests. I personally find them of limited use and very rarely do one, in fact one pupil was laughing so much because I was trying to role play a rather pompous type of examiner, which is not my style, I had to stop the test. To make a mock test realistic, you really need it to be conducted by an other instructor rather than your own.

All the best for your test.

[fungus]

To save me reading through 12 long pages, what's the story behind it taking you two years to get to this stage? How many hours of lessons have you had? Do you practise (or have the option to) in your own time?

It could be for a number of reasons.

I had one a few years ago who had been a year with an other instructor. It took me a further two years just to get her to pass the theory test. As for her driving, she just didn't concentrate. Whilst she was a pupil of mine, I taught her younger brother who took about 6 months from start, to passing his test. He said that she only really concentrated when she was using her computer. Scary, no?

[jameslb101]

To save me reading through 12 long pages, what's the story behind it taking you two years to get to this stage? How many hours of lessons have you had? Do you practise (or have the option to) in your own time?

It could be for a number of reasons.

I had one a few years ago who had been a year with an other instructor. It took me a further two years just to get her to pass the theory test. As for her driving, she just didn't concentrate. Whilst she was a pupil of mine, I taught her younger brother who took about 6 months from start, to passing his test. He said that she only really concentrated when she was using her computer. Scary, no?

So perhaps it was a bad idea to prepare her to pass her test, no?

Not everyone is cut out for driving, but perhaps society dictates that it's a skill we need. Having said that I know plenty who don't enjoy driving, so have made the "lifestyle choice" not to, my mother included!

[Slink_Pink]

Not everyone is cut out for driving, but perhaps society dictates that it's a skill we need. Having said that I know plenty who don't enjoy driving, so have made the "lifestyle choice" not to, my mother included!

I can also think of a few people who don't enjoy (or actively hate) driving but still force themselves to do it - a much scarier prospect!

[brianhaddon]

Not everyone is cut out for driving, but perhaps society dictates that it's a skill we need. Having said that I know plenty who don't enjoy driving, so have made the "lifestyle choice" not to, my mother included!

I can also think of a few people who don't enjoy (or actively hate) driving but still force themselves to do it - a much scarier prospect!

I agree. In fact I would say there are quite a few people out there who don't like driving and just originally set out to get a licence to enjoy the freeedom it gives.
Regards
Brian Haddon

[Gareth]

I would say there are quite a few people out there who don't like driving and just originally set out to get a licence to enjoy the freeedom it gives.

Isn't that logic out of sequence? I mean, how does anyone know whether they enjoy driving until either they start to learn or feel they have sufficiently mastered the skill.

I'm sure there are many different reasons why people start learning to drive, but isn't yearning for the freedom one of the better ones?

[brianhaddon]

I would say there are quite a few people out there who don't like driving and just originally set out to get a licence to enjoy the freeedom it gives.

Isn't that logic out of sequence? I mean, how does anyone know whether they enjoy driving until either they start to learn or feel they have sufficiently mastered the skill.

I'm sure there are many different reasons why people start learning to drive, but isn't yearning for the freedom one of the better ones?

Ok I'll reword it. They would not know if they liked it before starting but they didn't hold a yearning to drive or have any interest in driving but they needed to get a licence to get about. They learn what they need to pass the test and take it no further. But now they have the licence and freedom they want. I have talked to people who don't like driving and only learnt for the reasons I gave.
I am also sure there are many reasons to learn to drive and I do agree there is nothing wrong with the yearning for the freedom.
Regards
Brian Haddon