This video, captured 25 January 2018, shows some very common and unnecessary critical and non-critical errors which often occur on ‘test day’. These errors come about as a direct result of NOT using the services of a professional trainer who knows exactly what a driving examiner will look for in your driving performance.
The young man in this video has completed his 100 logbook driving experience, which is mandatory if you are between the ages of 16 and 25. When I first saw him a week prior to this capture, his observation and scanning skills are abysmal. His understanding of roundabouts, how to negotiate and give way on them, equally so. His confidence in moving the car is so complete, he drives with one hand a lot of the time, and drops both hands off the steering wheel at traffic light intersections when stopped. Confidence is essential. Even more so is a thorough understanding of the rules of the road, how to negotiated traffic situations, how to ‘read’ that traffic and how to drive defensively in order to stay out of trouble.
He had already booked his Practical Driving Assessment (test) when I met him almost 2 weeks ago. So many of his habits are ingrained that I seriously doubt he will survive under the scrutiny of a driving examiner more than 10 minutes.
Don’t let this happen to you. Employ the services of a professional driver trainer well before you finish your 100 hours and well before you even think about booking a test. The money you pay for those services could easily save you 3 times as much through multiple test failures.