Snazy

Actually makes the matter worse joining from a roundabout IMO, as his speed would be low exiting the roundabout, so to judge another cars speed, decide you are going to overtake, and get into lane as you exit the roundabout would be less realistic really.

Ultimatly you cant really do much about the outcome, but I would certainly change instructor, and read through some road procedure books before his next attempt.

Leslie

As long as it was done without obstructing anyone, I can't see why he failed.

Les

dnc

Did the examiner realise Jack was your son ? What with your impeccable history of incident-free motoring

Seriously though, it does sound a bit harsh although there may be a perfectly valid reason for failing him. I remember my 1st test, a storm started - thunder and lightning, heavy rain and windscreen wipers packed in. Should have pulled over a bit earlier than I did.

dnc

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Most of the roads by me on the test route were dual carriageway, with three and four lane sections for roundabouts. So I think tuition on dual carriageway is needed. Some were even urban clearways with 70mph speed limits and slip roads - just like a motorway.

My instructor took me mostly on the usual routes taken by driving examiners, so I was familiar with the area. If your son's tutor didn't familarise him with the routes the examiners use, then to be frank he's a crap tutor IMO.

No doubt like the many instructors round in my area that go round and round and round on an infinite loop on the same residential estate, even though this area is nowhere near the route used by examiners and is all residential, so serves very little to teach "real world" driving.

( Rant=off )

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, your right, Its not a very safe thing to do. If a car had been coming up the road at speed then there would have been a serious accident.

What then? Would the instructor be in trouble because he said Jack was ready for a test even though he had not instructed him on a dual carriageway? If i was an examiner i wouldnty want to get in a car where there was a chance the pupil hadnt been fully taught to drive.

AA and BSM have to have grades between 4-6 or something like that to be an instructor but smaller schools can have lower grades but still within the limits allowed. AA and BSM both said that he would have been taken on a dual carriageway. The whole system is pants and unfair sometimes.




As i have said above Les, i can now see how dangerous it was to do what he did. But he wouldn't have done it if he had been been taught properly.

I hope i never have to take another driving test

Jamz3k

Not to sound harsh but rather than blame the instructor, why not hand your son a copy of the highway code? Don't mean to sound completely rude but he made a mistake, let him learn from it.

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

I sort of agree with you on that, and he did say that if he was asked what was the right thing to do then he would have known. But he didnt realise that he was going to be asked to drive on a dual carriageway as he hadnt done it on a lesson. Naive maybe.

IMHO it was still wrong of the instructor to not have prepared him for driving on a dual carriageway and telling him he was ready for his test.

hodgy0_2

nice one - not heard it called a "recorder" before

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

Your lucky, i haven't got one

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

I hope he didnt try to blow it

Snazy

Same reason that turning a corner without indication (with other road users present) or doing 35 all the time in a 30, but not causing an accident.... because its breaking the rules set out.
Sadly its not about what ifs, its about following the guidelines.

Now im more confused. If there had been a car coming up what road at speed? Was this road split by a central reservation?

The basic road rule is you drive in the left hand lane when safe to do so. So the rules would dictate using the left lane until no longer safe to do so. Depending on how far away the slow moving obstruction was, would dictate when he should move out to the right.

Neither the instructor nor the examiner would be in trouble if there were an accident. At the end of the day your son was in a learner car with an experienced driver. No one was put at risk.

With regards to the instructor, poor show, examiners used planned timed routes, so the instructor should be aware of these unless the test was taken way off his patch for a quick date or something.

Im not sure what AA and BSM have told you but they both and RED will take any ADI, however I believe RED and BSM allow PDI's also during their extended training period. Does the instructor have a green or pink ticket?

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

He is not here now so i cant ask but as far as i am aware he was in the right lane approaching a roundabout and the examiner asked him to turn right onto the duel carriageway. I will have to ask him more when i see him.
There are a few dual carriageways where he has his lessons in St.Albans so no reason not to use one. He is going to write to the ADI complaints department anyway. The instructor was a bit sh1tty with me when i questioned him and all he could say was that they didnt have time to use a dual carriageway. Hmmn

Snazy

Instructor sounds like a dick to me. Not having time is a poor excuse. Sadly I dont see the DSA doing much about it tbh.

The approaching in the right lane to take 3rd exit to join the dual is correct, but joining the dual in the right hand lane is wrong. Sadly reading any of the DSA supplied books will tell you the correct procedure. And knowing things you cant be tested on is one of the purposes of the theory test, which will ask questions about motorways, which he will not have even legally been allowed on.

End of the day it sounds like he was not ready for the test and has some more reading up to do in the meantime. May I recommend "Driving, the essential skills". Not trying to be snotty, just helpful for his sake.

Find out what badge the instructor has, and share your experiences.

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

I have arranged for him to have a 2 hour lesson with an AA instructor. He said he may be able to get him an earlier test date through cancellations. He is only going to charge him for one lesson so not bad.

At least this way he will know if he has been taught everything correctly.

There was another thing we wernt sure about. His instructor told him that when he was reversing round a bend he was to stop if another car needed to pass, no matter what direction the car was going. On the lesson prior to his test he had to stop about 5 times as cars were coming in and out of the road. We have since been told that this is not always necessary.

It will be worth writing to them just so they can check out this bloke. My son said that every time the instructor asked him to stop for a smoke the bloke would smoke about three **** one after the other then stink when he got back in the car. My son smokes but he said the instructor stank so bad that it made him feel sick. I have no idea why he carried on having lessons with him.

Snazy

Cant believe he was paying for lessons and *** breaks thats just a joke!
With regards to stopping during a manouvre, it is only necessary if you will affect their course. If it is uncertain where they are going, or the front of your car for example will swing in front of them, you should stop until safe to proceed.

With the greatest of respect I would say get that reading material before rushing for another test. Sounds like there are some grey areas there that need filling in, for his own sake.

I would not say 2 lessons are going to make everything crystal clear, but it will be a good assessment drive to see what needs working on.

Learning to drive properly and safely is paramount. Sod getting the licence as quick as possible.

Leslie

If you are joining a dual carriageway off a roundabout, for a start there cant be anyone coming towards you as you turn onto the road. Having gone round the roundabout, any traffic behind him should have been at the same speed as him. If he joined to the outside lane then the traffic behind him can easily do the same thing. Anyone behind charging into the roundabout and continuing past the dual carriageway inlet to the next road round should also be doing that at a sensible speed rather than screaming up behind him.

I still don't see why your son should have been criticised SS.

Les