Taking your driving test can be stressful. There are many driving rules to remember, and it can feel like your proctor is just looking for things that could cause you to fail your driving test. The key to success is staying calm and driving cautiously. Pass your test by avoiding the following:
- Rushing through any step of the test
Your proctor will want you to complete each item of the test in a timely manner, but everything is meant to be done when it is safe to do so. A lot of young drivers make the mistake of thinking that a proctor asking you to perform a driving task like changing lanes, should do so right away. What they always mean is to change lanes when it’s safe to do so.
- Inconsistently accelerating and braking
Keep your acceleration and braking consistent, especially when merging onto highways. Flooring the gas could get you an automatic fail.
- Improper lane changing
It may seem like an obvious step, but many young drivers forget to put their blinker on or check their blindspot. Make sure that when changing lanes you remember this crucial step to avoid a collision. It doesn’t matter if the coast looks clear or if there are no other cars on the road, signal and check your blindspot.
- Rolling stops
The correct amount of time to stop at a stop sign is 3 seconds. Slowing down and continuing will cause you to lose marks on your driving test.
- Following too closely
Be sure to stay several car lengths behind the traffic in front of you. Keep a safe distance so that if the car in front of you swerves, you will have enough reaction time to keep you and your passengers safe from harm.
- Distracted driving
Under no circumstances should you check your cell phone during your driving test. It doesn’t matter if you’re stopped to park, or if your phone is ringing constantly. Keep your phone on silent to avoid having to deal with calls during your exam.
- Driving too fast
Make sure that you pay attention to the speed limit in the areas you’re driving during your test. This is especially important when driving on the highway, where it’s easiest to accelerate past the speed limit.
- Driving too slowly
Driving below the speed limit can actually cause unsafe conditions for other drivers on the road. It may seem like you’re driving more cautiously, but driving at the speed limit ensures that drivers remain at the same pace to avoid collisions.
- Not checking your blind spot
When in doubt, check your blind spot. There really isn’t a bad time to do this, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Changing lanes in an intersection
Even if the coast is clear, changing lanes while crossing an intersection is something you should not do during your driving test. As a general rule, changing lanes is only permitted where there are lines on the road, and those lines are broken up.
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