If you’re the type of person that goes to pieces under pressure or when you know you’re being tested, then chances are you’ve sat more than one driving test. You might be the most competent and confident driver on normal day but as soon as the examiner gets in, it all goes to pot. Don’t worry as you are not alone and keep your chin up as some of the best drivers don’t pass first time or even second time. You might think that people fail their test for committing some heinous driving disaster that ends in the examiner slamming on the brakes. Whilst that has indeed happened on some occasions, the most common reasons for failure are much more, well, common. Here we take a look at the top ten reasons why people fail their driving test.

1. Poor use of mirrors. It’s one thing to know you need to look but are you really looking or just going through the motions? Failing to act on what you have seen or not understanding the consequences of what you have seen is one of the main faults that cause a fail. For Wellingborough Driving Lessons, visit http://promotion-driving.co.uk/driving-lessons-in-wellingborough/.
2. Observation at junctions also lets people down as they don’t plan enough ahead of reaching a junction. It is important to look right, then left and then right again as the situation can change quickly. Junctions can be tricky with a lot going on and nervousness can affect your judgment so it’s crucial that you relax and put all your concentration on observation.

3. Incorrect use of signals, forgetting to cancel them or giving misleading signals is another reason that is common for failure.
4. Inadequate observation when pulling away from the curb which means not checking your blind spot.
5. Quite surprisingly, driving too fast is another top reason why people fail. You would have thought it would be the opposite problem as people are scared of breaking the speed limit whilst with the examiner!
6. Poor steering control can also fail you in a test. Going into tight corners and steering too soon or too late and mounting the curb is not best practice on test day.
7. Bad lane discipline at roundabouts and incorrect positioning on the road at any point will also go against you. Roundabouts are a real test bugbear and many learners inadvertently cut across it when they are in the left lane and don’t appreciate the way it curves left as they are still looking right.
8. Lack of control and accuracy when it comes to reversing round a corner. Many learners also demonstrate a lack of observation during this manoeuvre and fail to see approaching traffic from behind. Remember to take this one slowly and make sure the front of the car doesn’t swing out and cause an obstruction on the main road.
9. Incorrect positioning for turning right.
10. Reverse parking also catches people out and it’s again mainly an issue of a lack of observation at the point when the front of the car swings out. Watching out for blind spots, mirrors, other vehicles and cyclists is paramount.