UK driving lessons to change - learners will be allowed on motorway - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Gareth;33653835]i failed on roundabouts as well! fuck those confusing pieces of shit[/QUOTE] apparently they don't even have them in the US :o [editline]10th December 2011[/editline] well, they do, but they're much rarer, as in so rare that some people taking their test have never seen one before

[QUOTE=Turnips5;33653692]also I have an irrational fear of huge roundabouts and I fucked up doing the test a few times now, I could easily have passed last time if I wasn't a motherfucking retard (did all the inner city "people-jumping-out-at-you-from-behind-bins" style driving just fine, then went and got in the wrong lane at the last roundabout to go straight ahead due to nerves - instant fail, even though there was nobody on the roundabout) i hate myself and want to die [editline]10th December 2011[/editline] plus the only practice I can really get is with my instructor, there's nobody in my family who's willing to take me out to practice[/QUOTE] About the round about. If you were in the right lane instead of left (not sure as you don't specify the lane layout for all I know you were in a left only lane), why not just go right around and still leave from the correct exit? I don't feel they could really fail you for that but perhaps a minor. I can see why they could fail you for swapping lanes when crossing the roundabout regardless though even if it feels harsh. I passed 5 years ago and it took me multiple tries - it doesn't make you a bad driver. It is nerves plus them looking for the most minute reasons to fail you. As for going out in another car I preferred not to back when I learned to drive. Each car feels pretty different and in my opinion you're better off just getting really good at the feel of the car for your test due to how picky they are about the smallest mistakes. Especially if you get nervous as you're less likely to make mistakes then. I'm sure you pass next time, don't sweat it too much. :)

i stalled on my test at a roundabout but still passed

I'm not sure what exactly classifies as a highway in other countries, but we are allowed to drive on roads like this A road where I had my test on: [img]http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/nejournal/sep2009/1/8/a19-175726013.jpg[/img] Which is a 70mph road, there isn't that much of a difference between a lot of motorways and A roads really, and there aren't really any big motorways near me.

motorways can be fairly intimidating but they're not really much more dangerous than 60mph windy country roads to be honest - there should really be some element of motorway training

[QUOTE=Emz;33654285]About the round about. If you were in the right lane instead of left (not sure as you don't specify the lane layout for all I know you were in a left only lane), why not just go right around and still leave from the correct exit? I don't feel they could really fail you for that but perhaps a minor. I can see why they could fail you for swapping lanes when crossing the roundabout regardless though even if it feels harsh. I passed 5 years ago and it took me multiple tries - it doesn't make you a bad driver. It is nerves plus them looking for the most minute reasons to fail you. As for going out in another car I preferred not to back when I learned to drive. Each car feels pretty different and in my opinion you're better off just getting really good at the feel of the car for your test due to how picky they are about the smallest mistakes. Especially if you get nervous as you're less likely to make mistakes then. I'm sure you pass next time, don't sweat it too much. :)[/QUOTE] ah, thanks :) I didn't actually swap lanes, I just should have been in the right one, I was in the left : you see, the first exit on the roundabout was secluded and I somehow missed it (I know, I should have been looking at the sign, memories are vague), so being in the left lane to go straight ahead is only valid if the straight ahead exit is the second, and in fact it was the third and I didn't realise and it really is nerves, the worst thing is I think I've failed for something that I was totally okay on, and then that affects the rest of the test and then I actually fuck and do something stupid [editline]10th December 2011[/editline] essentially, I thought the roundabout had fewer exits than it did ...it's possible I just don't understand anything about roundabouts and yeah, I definitely should have done that, way better to miss a turning and keep going than do some stupid dangerous bullshit

[QUOTE=Turnips5;33654373]ah, thanks man :) I didn't actually swap lanes, I just should have been in the right one, I was in the left : you see, the first exit on the roundabout was secluded and I somehow missed it (I know, I should have been looking at the sign, memories are vague), so being in the left lane to go straight ahead is only valid if the straight ahead exit is the second, and in fact it was the third and I didn't realise and it really is nerves, the worst thing is I think I've failed for something that I was totally okay on, and then that affects the rest of the test and then I actually fuck and do something stupid[/QUOTE] I found you don't tend to read road layout signs very often until after you pass (or at least I didn't) as you get use to your instructor telling you where to go. It may have been worth simply taking the second or first exit, apologising to the examiner, and moving on - as that way you did nothing wrong driving wise and simply took a wrong turn. Most of my town is round abouts (like 10 of them within a 2 mile stretch) so I always found them really easy to do. My problem came afterwards with reversing (I'm a typical woman driver stereotype when it comes to disliking reversing).

[QUOTE=Emz;33654461]I found you don't tend to read road layout signs very often until after you pass (or at least I didn't) as you get use to your instructor telling you where to go. It may have been worth simply taking the second or first exit, apologising to the examiner, and moving on - as that way you did nothing wrong driving wise and simply took a wrong turn. Most of my town is round abouts (like 10 of them within a 2 mile stretch) so I always found them really easy to do. My problem came afterwards with reversing (I'm a typical woman driver stereotype when it comes to disliking reversing).[/QUOTE] Yeah, the thing about that is that recently part of the test involves either following signs or remembering a set of max. three turns that they show you on the diagram ("independent driving", they call it) and bizarrely, I fucking own at maneuvers, never got even a minor on a test yet due to them :v:

[QUOTE=Docc;33654335]I'm not sure what exactly classifies as a highway in other countries, but we are allowed to drive on roads like this A road where I had my test on: [img]http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/nejournal/sep2009/1/8/a19-175726013.jpg[/img] Which is a 70mph road, there isn't that much of a difference between a lot of motorways and A roads really, and there aren't really any big motorways near me.[/QUOTE] You probably should have failed. Being an A road doesn't mean its a dual carriageway; nor that the speed limit is 70mph. [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9104987/Screenshot-2011-12-10_14.41.58.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=rampageturke 2;33654313]i stalled on my test at a roundabout but still passed[/QUOTE] perfectly possible, as long as you don't stall in a place where other traffic are liable to slam into you and kill you

I still remember doing 150km/h in my instructor's small BMW, and he reminded me that the speed limit was only 130. That's it, a reminder, nothng else, Passed with 0 mistakes.

[QUOTE=Man Without Hat;33654549]You probably should have failed. Being an A road doesn't mean its a dual carriageway; nor that the speed limit is 70mph.[/QUOTE] I said we're allowed on A roads like this one, as I took my test on that specific road, I know not all A roads are the same.

My instructor used to make me do 60mph on small country lanes, it was terrifying as a learner

My G27 and a variety of racing sims actually helped me during my 3 months as a learner (I didn't start driving as soon as I got my license). I wasn't worried too much when it came to driving on highways. Just stick to your lane and you will be fine.

[QUOTE=Glorbo;33647496]But what's the fucking point. I didn't learn anything new while driving outside of the city, there was nothing I needed to learn. The only time I did learn something was when my dad taught me how to drive when the vision of the road in front of you is blocked by a shit ton of rain and hail.[/QUOTE] Highway driving is different from city or rural driving and requires different skills and abilities

When I'm driving with my family I drive a diesel 4x4 which has the indicator on the wrong side, so making the switch to my instructors tiny Renault is a huge pain. Also, there have been a couple of times when I've stalled in my instructor's and not even noticed because it was so quiet.