Failed my Cat C, 1st time. (Passed 2nd time!)

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hi,

I’ve been a long time lurker on these forums. I’ve always wanted to get my Cat C licence, but only recently had the money to do so.

What follows is a bit of a rant because I’m miffed at having failed. I got done for 1 serious and 7 minors.

Now the start of the week I was hopeless, never having driven a lorry before other than the 1 hour assessment a couple years back. I was intimidated by the size straight away, not wanting to make progress on the road for fear of clipping something, even doing 20mph felt the equivalent of doing 40mph in a car.

As the days went on I was gaining more and more confidence, not having hit a curb after day 2. Only my awareness and planning was coming into question, i.e. figuring out what position the truck would be in the road in order to complete a manoeuvre safely.

Anyway fast forward to test day, I nailed the show & tell and the reversing. I drove the best I’ve driven all week, looking and planning ahead.

Here’s the serious, we were nearing a pelican crossing (goo.gl/maps/DPS7f2wDMTR2) I was in the middle lane, it was red, slow, stop safely, a couple people cross, it then flashes amber, (safe to proceed if nobody else is crossing?), I make all round observations see it’s clear, go to proceed but at the last second before doing so some guy semi-jogging pushing a pram decides he wants to cross (the green to walk sign was still on). So I put foot back on brake, apply air brake, remain stationary. He moves about a 1/3rd of the way into the road then decides to go back on the pavement (concerned the lights would change back?). Now the examiner is saying it’s my fault because I looked at him, which made him or signalled to him to cross. Bear in mind I didn’t wave at him or flash my lights (not that I ever would in a test). The examiner also said because they were pushing a pram it made it more serious, and would probably have been overlooked otherwise.

What bothers me is the fact somebody decides to walk into the road is ultimately beyond my control, and if I’d driven off before he decided to cross I most likely would have got a serious because the examiner would then say there was a pedestrian about to cross you should have waited.

This has really made me feel despondent about doing a retest as a lot of what happens seems like a lottery, beyond what the driver can directly control I.e. you head down a narrow road with parked cars either side and from behind a corner in the distance a car decides to race up and meet you with no where to go. they’d have to reverse and it’d be deemed your fault?

I know a lot here will have been in this place already so if you can offer your thoughts/opinions that’d be welcome.

Cheers

2

pull kid out pram swing IT round with the feet hitting the plonker on bonce …=satisfaction :wink:

3

I’m amazed it was flashing amber if the green walk sign was still on! doesn’t sound right to me. I take it the green walk sign was also flashing?

4

That is a crappy piece of luck there pal. Seems very harsh in my eyes as that clown would get a good dose of the horn if he tried that on me.

5

I thought the examiner was overly harsh when I failed my first test and could of given the same bloke a big kiss when he passed me second time around :smiley:

6

That’s seriously unlucky but the examiner has to make a decision based on the actions. It was out of your control and seriously unlucky. Get back in the seat and don’t give up. You’ll smash it next time for sure. I’ve just passed my test recently. It’s not easy but things like what you have experienced do happen. Just gutted it happened to you. Re book and you’ll remember what you’ve experienced first time round. You’ll be fine. Don’t give up.

7

A set back like that is pretty crappy but just unfortunate. I wouldn’t let it out you off though pal as you must be competent, able to pass and ultimately safe behind the wheel though as I couldn’t see your instructor allowing you to take your test if you weren’t? Pick yourself up dust yourself off and go for that retest! Good luck :slight_smile:

8

It’s a bit of a grey area from what I was told on the crossing front as you can get a minor for hesitation if you don’t go on flashing amber, but if some idiot flies onto the crossing you can fail. I suppose they’ve got to make a decision based on circumstances, although not sure how looking at someone indicates that they can cross. Maybe next time put it in gear when it goes flashing, but keep handbrake on and do lots of obvious checks (to use up time) to make sure even Usain Bolt couldn’t make it to the crossing…by that time it should have gone green and you’re clear.

I think you were just extremely unlucky by the sounds of things, although if it’d been a chav yapping on the mobile while completely ignoring the flashing green man and pushing the pram out into the road without looking, you might have passed…well if I was the examiner you would!

As for the scenario where you’re overtaking cars and someone comes the other way - as long as the way was clear for you when you set off, then it’s your right of way and you should be completely clear. Had this scenario when I was learning and during my test, and didn’t get anything bad recorded on the sheet. It’s the same when you set off on a roundabout, it’s clear and then some nutter comes round at 70mph…if it’s clear when you set off, the examiner will give you the right of way and thus you’re in the clear.

Would agree with the rest - go for it a second time and you’ll likely have an easy one!

9

wrighty1:
I’m amazed it was flashing amber if the green walk sign was still on! doesn’t sound right to me. I take it the green walk sign was also flashing?

I remember glancing over at the pedestrian light and it was definitely green, so must have been flashing (not that I spent any great length of time focusing on it the whole thing was over in 5 seconds).

Highway Code states “When the amber light is flashing, you MUST give way to any pedestrians on the crossing. If the amber light is flashing and there are no pedestrians on the crossing, you may proceed with caution.”

Proceed with caution? So obviously watching out for people stepping onto the crossing? If somebody steps out stop? :question:

trevHCS:
Maybe next time put it in gear when it goes flashing, but keep handbrake on and do lots of obvious checks (to use up time) to make sure even Usain Bolt couldn’t make it to the crossing…by that time it should have gone green and you’re clear.

Yeah I’ll definitely be wary of flashing ambers in future, even on approach slow it down until they’re green to prevent a repeat of this. If you think about it they’re giving ambiguous signals, motorist thinks he can go and so does pedestrian, I don’t agree with the idea in principle really. I know in practice they do save motorists time however.

But all said and done you can’t change the examiners decision, so I guess I will have to chalk it up to experience and attempt another go. :slight_smile:

Thanks for all your comments.

10

norm:
But all said and done you can’t change the examiners decision, so I guess I will have to chalk it up to experience and attempt another go. :slight_smile:

Thanks for all your comments.

Exactly I booked the retest straight away & then had a 90 minute drive home to chill out & get my head around it, just one of those thing & I’m sure you’ll be fine next time.

11

Done, finished, and no longer relevant to your end goal, so forget the incident and move on!
There is nothing to be gained by chewing on it over again and again…

Best of luck for next time! :smiley:

12

Looks like you had a load of bad luck by there mate. Personally myself I think sometimes the examiners r there to fail a certain amount of people with what some people are coming back with. Regardless anyway mate brush it off, rebook it and give it your best shot next time. Take your time, there’s no rush in driving and you’ll pass next time :smiley:

13

Took my retest today with the same examiner and passed with 4 minors!! :slight_smile:

Had the benefit of an hours driving beforehand, which allowed me to get warmed up, so that really helped.

Onwards to C&E. :stuck_out_tongue:

14

Congrats pal, and as you say you have lurked around a while, I’ll say this:

You oversized VAN licence is now in the post! :smiley: