Start me Class 2 training tommorrow

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
21

Clearly only you know the exact situation. In general terms unless it was a wide road I would stop in that situation. If a car really did have to brake then you shouldn’t have gone.
Also, if a car flashes you in that situation and you would have to do a sharp right (to miss the parked cars) and then sharp left (to miss the oncoming car) I would also wait for the car to get bored and go past, especially if there is a clear road behind him. The car thinks he’s helping you but he’s actually making it harder and more dangerous and the examiners know that.

On a different note - when you said your mind went blank during reverse, it reminded me of my second test where I did the worst reverse ever. My first ever attempt on day 1 of training the first time was better than what I did that day. That morning the instructor had me demonstrate to the new kid (his first day of training) how to follow the yellow line. So my test comes, and I’m happily following the yellow line and for some reason I forget to stop following it…so when it finally occurs to look in mirror I see a totally unfamiliar view for the first time. I was almost at 90 degrees to the garage! Had to go on full opposite lock and just got the near side rear wheel in, I was holding breath! It broke the ice though as I had a chuckle with the examiner about it.

Am sure you will be fine next time. Nice smooth drive crawling up to hazards and junctions. Nice slow gear changes, send the message to the examiner that you are calm and confident. Again, best of luck.

22

On my first CE attempt I had a similar issue, I didn’t really agree at the time but with hindsight it was too fast, it’s a very common issue and one which examiners are very hot on.

Good luck for the next one!

23

th2013:
for some reason I forget to stop following it…so when it finally occurs to look in mirror I see a totally unfamiliar view for the first time. I was almost at 90 degrees to the garage! Had to go on full opposite lock and just got the near side rear wheel in, I was holding breath! It broke the ice though as I had a chuckle with the examiner about it.

Made me chuckle too.

My examiner was really cold, straight faced and hard to talk to, I was trying to get a sign out of him that all was ok. But after my test he was a completely different person, laughing and joking.

Maybe yours was having a bad hair day. As said you know your faults, you know what to expect and next time you’ll be ready for it.

24

th2013:
I figured out that approaching junctions and hazards at a crawl is fine and gives you time to plan, think, and get in the mirror checks. Best of luck for the retest. Tim

+1 My 1st few days training with Lantrain were like that…but my instructor said…there is no point rushing to a red light. Once I had thought of it that way, it just happened that everytime I needed to slow for roundabouts or lights or anything, braking earlier=more time to think, process and react!

Poolie101:
the other thing that wound me up was that the examiner wanted general chit - chat with me he said I was very quiet and I explained to him that I’d paid a lot of money out this week and passing was a priority,

I had the complete opposite, my examiner and I chatted for the full hour on both tests. Upon being asked why he was chatting so much, he just said “I only chat when I feel the person is in control, I’ll not chat if I think there is a situation that the trainer need to concentrate on” He also said that some people like to stay quiet and concentrate, where as others like to chat. For me, it wasn’t a way of relaxing, just something interesting to pass the hour really, if your comfortable enough behind the wheel, why not? But I can see it from your view Poolie, you’ve paid the money, you want the pass and rightly so. Maybe just try relax a little more next time!

th2013:
Clearly only you know the exact situation. In general terms unless it was a wide road I would stop in that situation. If a car really did have to brake then you shouldn’t have gone.
Also, if a car flashes you in that situation and you would have to do a sharp right (to miss the parked cars) and then sharp left (to miss the oncoming car) I would also wait for the car to get bored and go past, especially if there is a clear road behind him. The car thinks he’s helping you but he’s actually making it harder and more dangerous and the examiners know that.

I had a couple of these situations, on both my tests I had to pass a row of parked cars and although I waited for a decent gap with no oncoming cars, my overall speed was still a little too fast passing the cars which resulted in a minor both times(thankfully it was the second minor on 1st test and only minor on 2nd!) But like th2013 says, unless it’s a wide road, stop and wait. If in doubt…don’t. I also had a couple of situations where on turning right from major to minor, there was a car already at the junction waiting to go and also waiting for me to move, which as you will know, is not possible when you need to cut the corner and there is a shiny car sat where your back wheels are wanting to head. So, sit and wait, the examiner knows the situation, so long as you don’t take extortionate amounts of time for each situation, don’t rush, take your time.

When is the re-test booked for?

25

Danielthegreat:

th2013:
I figured out that approaching junctions and hazards at a crawl is fine and gives you time to plan, think, and get in the mirror checks. Best of luck for the retest. Tim

+1 My 1st few days training with Lantrain were like that…but my instructor said…there is no point rushing to a red light. Once I had thought of it that way, it just happened that everytime I needed to slow for roundabouts or lights or anything, braking earlier=more time to think, process and react!

Poolie101:
the other thing that wound me up was that the examiner wanted general chit - chat with me he said I was very quiet and I explained to him that I’d paid a lot of money out this week and passing was a priority,

I had the complete opposite, my examiner and I chatted for the full hour on both tests. Upon being asked why he was chatting so much, he just said “I only chat when I feel the person is in control, I’ll not chat if I think there is a situation that the trainer need to concentrate on” He also said that some people like to stay quiet and concentrate, where as others like to chat. For me, it wasn’t a way of relaxing, just something interesting to pass the hour really, if your comfortable enough behind the wheel, why not? But I can see it from your view Poolie, you’ve paid the money, you want the pass and rightly so. Maybe just try relax a little more next time!

th2013:
Clearly only you know the exact situation. In general terms unless it was a wide road I would stop in that situation. If a car really did have to brake then you shouldn’t have gone.
Also, if a car flashes you in that situation and you would have to do a sharp right (to miss the parked cars) and then sharp left (to miss the oncoming car) I would also wait for the car to get bored and go past, especially if there is a clear road behind him. The car thinks he’s helping you but he’s actually making it harder and more dangerous and the examiners know that.

I had a couple of these situations, on both my tests I had to pass a row of parked cars and although I waited for a decent gap with no oncoming cars, my overall speed was still a little too fast passing the cars which resulted in a minor both times(thankfully it was the second minor on 1st test and only minor on 2nd!) But like th2013 says, unless it’s a wide road, stop and wait. If in doubt…don’t. I also had a couple of situations where on turning right from major to minor, there was a car already at the junction waiting to go and also waiting for me to move, which as you will know, is not possible when you need to cut the corner and there is a shiny car sat where your back wheels are wanting to head. So, sit and wait, the examiner knows the situation, so long as you don’t take extortionate amounts of time for each situation, don’t rush, take your time.

When is the re-test booked for?

re-test is now end of the month due to work commitments, thanks for the advice I will take it on board…