Failed & gutted

I found myself to be in the wrong lane exiting a RBT, due to congestion on my inside lane I worked myself into a gap and was failed for almost swiping the rear of a car (I was no nearer than six foot?) as I got halfway round the RBT I could see this problem arising… Q1. Could I of just travelled back round the RBT? Q2. If you need to be in a different lane which is at a standstill and yours is clear can you stop dead in the road until a sufficient space appears or are you a unnecessary obstruction (fail) ? Q3. At RBT they talk of the 12 o ’ clock rule and past 12 you take the right hand lane! If you are in any doubt of a unclear exit in lets say a closed junction (under a motorway) is it exceptable to travel round in the left hand lane? Can anyone help? many thanks.

Welcome to TrucknetUK sk8erchic3000 :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

If you find yourself in this type of situation at a RBT on test then go where the lane you are in takes you (unless it is into a restriction i.e. 7.5 tonne limit etc) or go around again if that is SAFELY possible. You may get a minor for awareness & planning or lane markings but not a serious for doing a last minute unexpected direction change.
Do not sit there and block a lane as that will get you a serious for obstruction.

If there is only 1 exit between the 10 o-clock and 2 o-clock position then that is the road ahead and is taken by using the nearside lane on approach unless lane markings dictate other.
If there is more than 1 exit between the 10 o-clock an 2 o-clock positions then it depends where the exit is that you want - if you want one at between the 10 o-clock & 12 o-clock then the left lane on approach - if after the 12 o-clock then it is done as a right turn.

Thanks for the welcome & swift reply

If you find yourself in this type of situation at a RBT on test then go where the lane you are in takes you (unless it is into a restriction i.e. 7.5 tonne limit etc) or go around again if that is SAFELY possible. You may get a minor for awareness & planning or lane markings but not a serious for doing a last minute unexpected direction change.

So I ve made a mistake and acknowleged to the examiner I’ll have to proceed ahead … would he re direct and adjust route or ask me to turn about in a suitable place?

Seems like good common sense advice as I would of done this if I was on my own, you just feel like their directions are set in stone and any deviation from their instructions/direction would result in a fail. Just wish I had had this advice from my instructor, who just shrugged his shoulders. Thanks again :smiley:

I agree with Rog.
If you find yourself in the wrong lane at a r/bout and canot exit safely then just go all the way round and make all the proper preparations to leave at the correct exit second time around.
Agree do not block a lane and hold up traffic.
As for the 12 0,clock rule - I personally dont hold with that.
I have always told my trainees, first exit is always left.
Approach on the left with lest signal on and leave at the first exit.
Second exit is always straight ahead - regardless of where it is placed on the r/bout so approach on the left with no signal, enter the r/bout then signal left when passing first exit and leave at the second exi.
Third exit is always right so approach on the right with right signal showing and follow procedure for right turn.
Fourth exit is second right and treated the same and so on - unless road makring dictate otherwise.
Having said all this there is always one roundabout which is the exception to the rule and I am sure your instructor will point that one out to you if it happens to be on a test route.

Mothertrucker:

As for the 12 0,clock rule - I personally dont hold with that.
I have always told my trainees, first exit is always left.
Approach on the left with lest signal on and leave at the first exit.
Second exit is always straight ahead - regardless of where it is placed on the r/bout so approach on the left with no signal, enter the r/bout then signal left when passing first exit and leave at the second exi.
Third exit is always right so approach on the right with right signal showing and follow procedure for right turn.
Fourth exit is second right and treated the same and so on - unless road makring dictate otherwise.
Having said all this there is always one roundabout which is the exception to the rule and I am sure your instructor will point that one out to you if it happens to be on a test route.

Sorry, but the 12 o’clock rule rules :laughing:

1 - it is easy to understand.
2 - it is simple to do - just look at the roadsign for the layout.
3 - if everyone used it properly it would save a lot of waiting for pilloks that can’t signal properly.

There are some cases where the layout is not that simple, but most are easy to work out with common sense.

Bad luck sk8erchic3000, I hope you pass next time, roundabouts are such a common thing to fail on.

It would seem you obviously knew what lane to be in but somehow ended up in the wrong position. How can you avoid this costly mistake next time?

I’m not your instructor, but he should have done more than shrugged his shoulders, the examiner hopefully explained clearly why you have not reached the required standard and the instructor who knows you best should offer some advice.

I can only offer a little help which may or may not be helpful and relevant. If I was you I would maybe look at how you approached the roundabout, read the signs before you get there - you should know the road layout before you see the roundabout if you read the signs. Keep to the left until you have figured out what lane you need. Don’t arrive at the roundabout too fast which will give you too little time. The signs will give you a full description of the roundabout layout, it will not fully tell you what lane to use. Road markings and roundabout exit layouts will decide this for you so read the sign properly, but you have to give yourself the time to take in the information in front of you. Sure, it was busy but that means you have to up your game and drive more defensively and plan further ahead.

May I ask why you were in the right hand lane on approach to the roundabout? Had you just come off a side road?

Which lane to use at roundabout can be confusing, stick to what you do in a car for most simple/normal roundabouts.

Left lane for turning 1st left, if you are on a large roundabout and there is two left exits very close together keep left for 2nd left junction but only signal to leave just after the 1st left.

Left Lane for straight on (unless signed otherwise) exits between 10 and 2 o’clock are classed as straight on, for complicated roundabouts with more than one straight on the examiner will say which exit number to take. For example - ‘at the roundabout please take the third exit towards bridgend’

Right lane for turning right - any position after 2 o’clock or normally the last exit.

However not all roundabouts have a right turn, some only have say a straight on and a left turn. If there is no right turn (3rd exit) you should use the right lane for straight on. Because otherwise there would be no use for the right lane other than drivers doing a U turn! All the time I see drivers approach a roundabout in the left lane who then need to change to right lane, read the sign, no right turn - stay right for straight on!

But anyway, I get carried away, better luck or planning next time!

BTW - In my experience if you fail to get into the correct lane at a roundabout and you choose to go where the lane takes you then unfortunately I doubt you will pass because you failed to choose the appropriate lane and it is expected that a professional driver should be able to do this even on busy roads. The examiners take no prisioners!

Welcome to TrucknetUk Tockwith Training :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

From your first post and your username, I assume you are LGV instructing like me. If you are instructing LGV then the new and wannabes on this site will have a good source of info to call on - any chance of telling us a bit about your history and experiences :question:
If you are from the company Tockwith Training then you will find that you are getting a good rep on this site :smiley:

Thanks for the welcome ROG, I know you have been on this forum a long time and hope that I too can be a good source of information for new drivers.

I do work for Tockwith Training but don’t wish to sell our company on this site because I’m sure it would be against site rules and frankly our website is there to do that for us. We do seem to have agood reputation and are very proud of what we do.

I find it very disapointing that there are so many different companies about that will happily take your £1000 plus and give you as little as they can get away with, its disgusting and this site is helping to improve things.

If possible I will try to arrange advertising on this site with the owner and make a link on our site to Trucknet UK.

Our company was set up in 1971 and there have been many experiences over the years. You name it we have had it happen from other drivers crashing into our trucks through no fault of our own, running over peoples pet dogs, tyres that go pop, examiners getting lost, falling asleep on test or stranded in Leeds!!!

I hope to be of help to newbies.

keep your chin sk8r, i failed first time on staying too far left on a roundabout, which “invited” (hmmmm) a ■■■ in a car to overtake on the roundabout, then i had to brake heavy as he ran out of road…

passed today though with only 4 minor faults…

Hi Tockwith … thanks, got retest on 11oct, keep reading ur post .gets better each time. in answer to ur question i was travelling along the motorway!..But it was a right turn. and the traffic was busy . After the test the examiner said i should have been in the left hand lane at the rbt which was news to me!suffering with extreme lack of confidence now ,never failed anything before and was driving out of my skin apart from this situation just wondering now how much more the instructor has neglected to inform me of… many thanks sk8

If you are from the company Tockwith Training then you will find that you are getting a good rep on this site :smiley:
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I trained with Tockwith Training for my Class 2 just over a month ago, and can vouch for the professionalism of the company. I failed my first test, which was nerves, and nothing to do with my trainers. Re took it 6 weeks later & passed with 6 minors. Good instructors (Tim, Eddie, Stewart, Mike etc) & very professional outfit.

Hi SK8 don,t take to much to heart about failing, it can happen to anyone the simple thing is “you made a simple mistake” try and put it behind you for your next test and don,t dwell on it as it could affect your re-test.

You have learnt a valuable lesson on this as when you “Do Pass” there won,t be an instructor / examiner there to tell you where you went wrong as you will be on your lonesome. :blush: :blush: :wink: :wink:

After over 35 years at this job I still make mistakes as do all other drivers but I don,t to do things deliberately to antagonise other drivers but “To Err is Human” and the one who thinks (or says) they are perfect are either liars or they don,t drive for a living!

Good luck on your re-test. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: