This is an article written by one of my fantastic driving instructors Simon Brown
Are you ready to take your practical driving test?
Most students, as well as their parents if they are paying for lessons, are keen to take their practical driving test as soon as possible. The most common reason for failing the driving test is taking it before you are fully ready. Remember, the examiner will be deciding if you are a fit and proper person to drive, unaccompanied, through busy city centres, around schools and on motorways. They are not going to give you a licence if they are not certain that you are good enough.
Ask yourself the following questions and answer them honestly:
1 Can you operate all the controls, when required, without any prompting? This includes gears, handbrake, indicators and windscreen wipers amongst others.
C No, my instructor is still telling me
2 Can you cope with every situation you meet on your driving lessons, including rural roads, dual carriageways, roundabouts town traffic etc?
A Yes
B Most situations, but the odd thing still worries me
C No, I still need instruction
3 Does your instructor ever need to reach across and use the controls to avoid danger?
A No, not any more
B Occasionally
C Most lessons
4 Can you complete all the manoeuvres without any prompting and with full observations?
A Yes
B Usually, I still occasionally clip a kerb or come wide
C I still find manoeuvres difficult
5 Do you feel that you sometimes hold up the traffic behind you
A No, I keep up with the traffic flow
B Sometimes I may stall, or take a few seconds to get up to speed
C I feel like traffic seems to get frustrated with me, and sometimes people try to overtake me.
6 Are you comfortable handling a car at 60 or 70 mph?
A Yes, and I am happy to overtake when necessary
B Usually, I’m still a little wary of overtaking
C I’m not happy at these speeds.
If you have answered all ‘A’s, then you are probably ready to take your test. If there are one or maybe two ‘B’s in there, ask your instructor about booking the test, as the waiting lists are usually 6 or 7 weeks on Merseyside. If there are more than 2 ‘B’s or any ‘C’s, then you are not ready to take the practical test yet. If cost is on your mind, think of things this way. If you fail a test, then you need to book another at £62. You will also need lessons to correct what went wrong, and to keep fresh, so that you are ready the next time. Bearing the long waiting lists in mind, let’s assume that you take 2 hours per week for 7 weeks between your tests, totalling £280. Therefore, the real cost of a failed test is £280 + £62 = £342.
At Insight2Drive, no instructor will tell you that you are not ready to take your test when you are! Please remember that driving is a skill for life, and that the road is a very dangerous place. Licence costs money, there is no escaping this, and we all appreciate that driving lessons are expensive. But please remember that a failed driving test adds a lot more to this cost.