Newslink September 2023

Towards your CPD
Get the basics right, and
the rest of the test drive
could take care of itself
Do you ever get exasperated
when a competent driver fails
their test by flunking a really
simple move they were getting
right on lesson 2? Steve Garrod
wonders whether it’s a sign
you’ve not focused enough on
the basics during lessons...
I’m sure, like me, many of your clients ask
why people fail their driving test.
My usual answer is “Often for not doing the
things you learnt on day one probably”. If you
look at the number of times a candidate is
asked to pull up on the left (it can be up to
around seven times during a test) there is a
lot of room for error.
Although the reason for being asked to pull
up may vary, the main things being assessed
are the use of mirrors before signalling,
changing speed and direction, selecting a
convenient place to stop, which is not too far
from the kerb and not over a driveway or too
near a junction.
Candidates will also have to make sure
they are not causing an obstruction as well
by not stopping opposite another vehicle
(unless the road is wide enough for this not to
cause a problem) or opposite a side road or
entrance to something like a car park where it
could affect other road users.
The position also needs to be legal, so
taking account of road signs and markings
need to be considered.
Problems that also arise from a Normal
Stop also includes steering. If a candidate
mounts the pavement with the front
nearside wheel but then drives off it and
stops with all four wheels in the road, this will
be recorded as a fault for Steering. If the front
wheel remains on the kerb, then this is
deemed a fault for Position Normal Stop.
Whether it is recorded as a driving fault or a
serious fault depends on the speed and
“When they are asked to move
off, effective observation must
be taken ... this may seem
simple but all too often a
candidate is so relieved in
doing the previous task that the
basics go out of the window”
severity of the miscalculation.
When being asked to pull up on the left
before an angle start or a hill start, or another
specific task such as a manoeuvre or
emergency stop, the examiner may be more
specific about where they want you to stop.
For example, you may hear them say, ‘pull up
on the left just before the next park car…
don’t worry about the driveway or yellow
lines for this exercise.’ It still means the
candidate must use their MSM and stop
reasonably close to the kerb or dropped kerb.
When they are asked to move off, effective
observation must be taken, including the
blind spot check. This may seem simple but
all too often a candidate may stall due to lack
of clutch control on an uphill start, or having
forgotten to select neutral or first gear when
they stop and may still be in third gear.
If this happens, panic often sets in, and
they may be completely unaware of passing
traffic as they attempt to make amends for
their error.
I remember my time as an examiner when
a candidate had carried out a manoeuvre
competently and being so relieved to have
done it correctly, they completely forgot to
check their blind spot which meant I often
had to tell them to stop or use the dual
control.
There is a saying ‘It’s often the obvious we
forget’ and it really is the case with driving
tests. Taking time to work on the basics is a
real investment.
Think about carrying out a forward park in
a car park. It is essential that the candidate
does not drive though the first bay if there
are double bays in the car park. The examiner
will say ‘stop in the first bay’ and so do I
because it is all too easy to allow the car to
roll in to the second bay, which will often
result in a serious mark on a driving test.
On the run up to a driving test we, as ADIs,
can also fall into the trap of working on
complex junctions and reverse parking, both
22 NEWSLINK n SEPTEMBER 2023