Driving Test Advice from Weelz

Advice to help you to Driving Test success

Pass your test with plenty of help from your local Weelz instructor and our tutorial pages!

The day of your driving test is one of the most important days of your life, so make sure that you're well prepared and always follow your instructors advice

Once you've passed, you're able to drive without any supervision on any road, dual carriageway or motorway in the country. In fact, you can pass your test in the morning and set off on a Euopean road tour all by yourself in the afternoon . .

No wonder that the examiner wants to make sure you're safe!

The most important advice is not to take your driving test until you are ready

Look at the test pass rates for test centres across the UK. Not very high, are they? Do you wonder why? I’ll tell you why . . . it’s because so many pupils want to rush and standards are regrettably very low. Don’t fall into the trap. Be prepared and understand what you need to do and you’ll be fine

Thousands of people pass this test every week all over the UK. There are no 'quotas', despite what some people say in the e-mails we receive. If you fail, then the examiner simply did not feel that you were ready to drive alone. That's all there is to it

It may be hard for you to admit, but if you cannot drive on busy roads for at least 30 minutes, without any (or minimal) help from your instructor, then you are not ready to take your test

Make sure that you take all the necessary documentation with you. You'll need your driving licence and your identification documents, and you'll need your letter of confirmation you got when you booked your test. If you book on line, take a print out of the test details with you in case you need them

A very common situation on the test, which happens again and again, is the driver making some small error and then just giving up, assuming that they've failed. This is always a mistake. What you may think is a disaster, the examiner may see as a minor error of judgement

The morale is . . . never ever give up!

Make sure you know the >show me, tell me questions and answers

This will get you off to a good start. Don’t go getting minor errors before you even move off!!

Thoroughly learn the cockpit drill and go through it each time you get in the car. Make sure you do it before you move off on your test

Try to think of the driving test as several 'mini tests' . . . you drive a bit, do a maneuver, then drive a bit more. Divide and conquer is the best way to think

a very common situation on the test, which happens again and again, is the driver making some small error and then just giving up . . . what you may think is a disaster, the examiner may see as a minor error of judgement . . . The examiner will tell you that unless he or she states anything to the contrary, you should follow the road ahead. You should go straight ahead at crossroads and roundabouts unless the examiner tells you not to. If the examiner asks you to 'take the next available turn', it's may be that one of the roads is inaccessible, (one way street / no-entry sign?) or the examiner could say, 'take the second on the right / left this being the first' This is normally because the junctions are a bit close together and you could misunderstand. Don't be afraid to ask if you don't know what the examiner wants

Remember, always try to plan ahead. Look for the junctions and mini roundabouts well in advance. At roundabouts, look at the sign showing where all the exits are. Then you can plan your lane changes and stay calm on the approach. Always remember, this is not really a test . . . it's an assessment

Remember your 'normal driving position' and Keep well to the left, but don't drive in the gutter. Try to follow the line of the kerb rather than the centre lines of the road. don't get too close to stationary vehicles or obstructions as you are pass them. Make sure that you leave adequate clearance

Look out for pedestrians stepping out and remember that push bikes can wobble. Give them plenty of room. Remember that small children and cyclists often do the strangest things without looking or giving any signals at all

Never look down at the gear stick when driving along... learn to change gears without looking. Don't let the car 'veer' to one side when you change gear. This is a common problem for many, so get plenty of practice with your Weelz instructor and be prepared

look out for pedestrians stepping out and remember that push bikes can wobble. Give them plenty of room . . . Don't drive too slowly...try to keep up with the traffic flow but remember the speed limit! A common mistake is to try to be extra careful because the examiner is in the car with you. Always try to anticipate what might happen in good time. Whenever you can, get the car up towards the speed limit . . . but the speed limit is a maximum. So, slow down if other dangers are present

Try not to stop at every junction if you can help it. Try to look well ahead, so open your eyes and scan the junction as early as you can!

Never forget that you must stop at a stop sign. Although you don't have to, try to get into the habit of using the handbrake when you do. The last thing you want is to roll back on the junction after doing everything else right!

You may have to hold the vehicle on the clutch on a slope for a short time instead of applying the hand brake (not at a stop sign!!). This will be usually at junctions and roundabouts. You just need to hold the clutch on the 'biting point'. Make sure that this is only for a couple of seconds maximum. Use your eyes and your brain. Have a good look all around and if there's no chance of moving off in the next couple of seconds, get the hand brake on

When you are emerging from junctions you need to look in both directions, no matter which way you turn. As an absolute minimum, when turning left from into a main road you should look at least, right-left-right. When turning right into a main road across oncoming traffic, you should keep looking both ways constantly. Never forget to ask yourself "Could I walk across ” when crossing the path of other traffic

Remember, "creep and peep" where you need to. If there's a danger, stop creeping but keep peeping!! As soon as it's clear move positively into the new road, check the mirror and cancel un needed signals

At every junction or roundabout ask yourself "What can I see? Is it safe? Can I go?" As always the golden rule is "If you don't know, don't go!!"

Signals should be used to inform, not confuse. They should be used in good time as part of the MSM routine and then canceled when no longer needed. Always signal on approaching a junction to turn left or right, no matter how clear the road is. Also, always signal on the approach to any roundabout if you have to turn left or right. Always signal on a roundabout to inform other road users that you intend to turn off at the next exit, even if going straight on. Don't indicate every time you pass a parked car or move out slightly for a pedal cyclist. Always consider before each time you change position in the road "would a signal help other road users?" If not, don't use one

Moving Off Moving off is one of the most important and basic skills to get right. During the test the examiner will ask you to stop on the left and move off again several times. You may think this is pointless, but the examiner wants to see how effective your observations are and how safely you move away. I cannot stress enough that lots and lots of driving tests are failed through errors in moving of and stopping. Get the basics right, right now

When you move off you must use the Prepare, Observe, Move routine. You have to check all around the car by turning round to check the blind spots. A quick look in the mirror is absolutely not enough

When the examiner asks you to stop, make sure you use the MSM routine and stop somewhere that’s Safe, Convenient and Legal

Always give pedestrians the right of way. They are the most vulnerable road users. Look out for kids and old people. They routinely take car drivers by surprise by stepping out without looking. Expect the unexpected. When you see a pedestrian, expect them to step out, that way you won't be surprised. When overtaking cyclists give them the same clearance as you would a car if possible. If you can't give them that much room, slow down. Trade speed for space. Don't follow cyclists too closely. Always be prepared for them to wobble or fall off

Try to get the habit of using your mirrors before you do anything at all. Use them in pairs, interior and at least one wing mirror. Use mirrors before you: speed up, slow down, brake, move off, change gear, change lanes, turn a corner etc. etc. always, always, always remember that final check in the side mirror before turning right or left. It's vital and so many people don't bother. Look out for an imaginary scooter. Pretend there's one following you all the way round and watch out for it coming along side of you just as you turn. If you always imagine that it's there, it won't surprise you when it is!

When leaving roundabouts check your near side wing mirror before you move to your left. That imaginary scooter might just be darting up your near side!

From the team here at Weelz, we sincerely wish you the very best with your driving test, and we hope that our tutorials and advice pages help you on your way to success!