Driving Test Faults , Major or Minor driving faults explained

To successfully prepare for your practical driving test, it’s essential to not only understand the skills you need to demonstrate but also to be aware of the behaviors and actions you should steer clear of, commonly referred to as driving test faults. This guide will familiarize you with various types of faults, especially those that could lead to an automatic fail. By knowing what to avoid, you’ll be better equipped to refine your skills and prevent any potential pitfalls. Let’s delve into the details.

A fault is defined as any instance where your driving performance does not align with the standards expected by your examiner. This can range from simple oversights, such as neglecting to check your blind spot before moving off, to more serious actions like causing a collision. Faults are categorized into three Categories:

• Dangerous faults — a fault that causes actual danger to yourself, the public, another vehicle or anything else
• Serious driving faults — a fault that had the potential to endanger
• Driver faults — a minor fault that was not  potentially dangerous in isolation, but could be dangerous if it reoccurs often

The first two categories, dangerous and serious faults, are commonly referred to as majors, and committing just one will result in an instant failure of your driving test, making it essential to steer clear of these. The third category, driving faults, also known as minors, will not cause you to fail on their own, but accumulating more than 15 may lead to a failing grade, and if the same minor fault is repeated,this could be deemed as a habitual fault and could be marked as a serious fault, resulting in a fail.

What Could I get a Fault For ?

As we have said the faults are separated into 3 categories, as far as passing and any driver fault may be allocated to any of these categories based on the examiners opinion of the fault.

On the driving test marking sheet there are over 40 different fault categories ranging from checking mirrors to approach speed at junctions.

In our professional opinion and based on hundreds of driving tests presented the top reasons for failing a driving test are as follows

1. Observation at Junctions- i.e. being uncertain of when to go, usually this is connected to speed on approach to the junction
2. Use of mirrors when changing direction-i.e. Missing a mirror check this is particularly common when changing lanes, and is very often a serious fault
3. Turning right into a side road-example. not judging oncoming traffic correctly, not being in the correct road position while waiting to turn or cutting the corner
4. Move off safely-example this is nearly always due to insufficient blind spot checking
5. Progress-i.e failing to make progress by driving well under the speed limit and hindering the natural flow of traffic

Based on over 100 tests the above are the top reasons that learners have failed during the last 12 months.

Driving Test Faults FAQs

How many minors can I get on my driving test?

You can pass your test with 15 minor faults! that is if your examiner does not consider any of the faults to be habitual. If you get more than 15 then your driving test will be unsuccessful.

The driving test lasts for around 40 minutes so if you manage to get 15 faults that would be more than one every 3 minutes, so even though you may pass with 15 minors, you should be aiming for a much better result

How many minors can I have for the same fault?

There is no set rule for this, and it is purely down to the examiners opinion, the main thing is to go over your driving with your instructor to iron out any habitual faults you may have

What’s an example of a serious vs a minor fault?

• Emerging out of a junction without adequate observation with no other vehicles around would probably be a serious fault.
• emerging from the same junction at the same speed and causing another vehicle to take evasive action would more than likely be a dangerous fault.
• At the same junction again but this time you stop a little short of the line, but make adequate observation and emerge safely most likely outcome would be a minor

What will i fail my driving test instantly for?

Any serious or dangerous faults on your driving test will be an instant fail, this would mean that you are not yet ready to use the roads unsupervised and that your driving has the potential to cause a danger to others

Will stalling on my driving test cause me to fail?

Stalling on your driving test will be marked  the same as any other fault, so long as you do not cause danger or too much inconvenience to other road users this is usually a minor. It is quite common for learners to stall on a driving test usually due to a bit of nervousness,this does not usually cause a problem, however, one test i recall the pupil stalled at some traffic lights and by the time she re started the engine the lights had turned red, this caused the driver behind to beep which caused the stall to become serious.

Can I fail my driving test  on the Show me Tell me questions?

Yes and no! you will be given one minor for getting one or both of the questions incorrect. However with the new type of show me questions you are asked the second question whilst the car is moving, and you may fail if there is any loss of control of the car.

top tip If you are struggling to locate any of the ancillary controls whilst driving , simply say to the examiner that you will need to pull over to have a look for it, you will be asked the same question again when you are moving, but you will now know where the relevant item is.

Can I fail on a manoeuvre on my test?

This has been left till last as your driving test manoeuvres’ are probably not perfect. The good news is that they don’t need to be perfect, just safe and without causing inconvenience to other road users.

You will fail only if you do not make adequate observations, take too long, or if you finish the manoeuvre leaving your car in an unsafe or inconvenient position

Our tips to help you to pass first time

Take regular driving lessons with your instructor

Listen to what your instructor tells you ( All instructors want their pupils to pass)

Don’t forget any observations , blind spots, mirrors etc etc

Stay calm and just do your best!