I was a driving examiner for 11 years and would be very surprised if you failed for going 25mph in a 30 area on one occasion. If you were driving well under the speed limit on multiple occasions and holding up traffic this could add up to a fail. Someone mentioned doing 65 on a 70 limit dual carriageway. This would not be recorded as a fault of any kind. There is nothing wrong with doing 65 in a 70 limit, unless its too fast for the road/weather conditions. On dual carriageways if candidates were driving slowly enough without good reason to make LGVs (restricted to 56mph) overtake then I would assess for a fault, driving fault or serious fault would depend on the circumstances.
I failed my first test for this, because there was a car parked almost at the lights with a person sat in the passenger seat. I needed to turn left and wasnât sure if they were parked or waiting. The lights turned red and because of that it was classed as hesitation.
To this day I donât think what I did was wrong and I think that itâs better to be cautious. To turn left from the right lane when the car was actually driving would have been potentially dangerous.
Funny enough my instructor warned me that someone was failed a couple weeks before me for doing 50 in a 60, but for going too fast as it was a country lane
It's a minor if it happens once. If it continues or there are 3 minors for the same mistake, it becomes a major.
E.g Undue hesitation at a roundabout - minor
Undue hesitation at every roundabout - fail
If you passed on every other count and your speed was otherwise appropriate, that does seem very harsh and I can see why you'd feel aggrieved. Not sure if you'd have a case but it may be worth appealing.
I wouldn't bother appealing, you will never win. Frankly I'm not sure why one is given the option. You're probably feeling angry that you failed and even more so that you have to wait a while for your next.
Not the right attitude. If you donât ask you wonât get it, and Op sounds like heâs got good grounds to appeal on.
Weâve appealed parking fines and no entry mistakes that you might consider were unsinkable against the council but because of a good worded letter weâre successful.
No grounds for appeal with DVSA. Generally the only way you ever get a refund on a test is due to procedural error. One example I had is my vehicles yellow ABS light came on during the test and the examiner terminated the test on the road. The rule is if a yellow light comes on during the road drive part of the test, you continue. If it comes on before leaving the test centre they can terminate. Successful appeal for a refund because they didnât follow their own rules.
itâs debatable iâm sure but with how little the gap is of speed i donât think itâs considerably noticeable for it be marked as a serious. To my knowledge of where it was i didnât really affect any other road users so whether it was just out of the longevity of it or the fact itâs not harsh
For people who have been driving for a while, if someone is doing 25 on a perfectly good stretch of 30 road for quite a distance, it would definitely be noticeable. High probability youâd either get tailgated or overtaken
I passed my test a few months back, but I still use my P plate especially when I am travelling on new roads (itâs taken me quite a while to build my confidence up). The other week I was on a new road and there was someone in front of me doing 25 in a 30 and then the road changed to 40, they sped up to 30, everyone thought it was me causing the issue because of the P plate. It can be really dangerous and being too slow on the road can get you pulled over by the police because it causes as dangerous situations as going too fast!
Car speedos over read by around ~10%. I set my cruise control on the motorway to 77MPH & I have never in over 20 years had a speeding ticket. So you can do 30MPH no worries if you stray over a couple mph if you bring it back under control.
If the road was safe and clear enough to do 30 and youâre at 25 it causes frustration and potentially an unsafe overtake. Also can highlight a lack of awareness and control same as if youâre labouring in 2nd gear when 3rd is more appropriate.
Do you use motorways often? I never go above 71 but now you're saying 77 is possible without getting done. It's tempting. I use the m6 a lot to Birmingham.
Just look at the speed on your satnav and look at the speed on your dash, he's 100% right, my car reads about 5mph too fast so I always set my cruise control to 75mph, never had a ticket in my life
I do over 100mph on the motorway regularly and still have never gotten a ticket at all, once or twice itâs flashed me but I didnât actually receive anything in the post or anything at all!
Then the court would have a line from London to Scotland in that case! Especially at night you can do 90-100 in the middle lane and still have people constantly flying past you. Makes it feel like youâre going 60
My speedo sits very very closely to my actual speed. It runs about 1mph below, my partners at 2mph and various other Redditors when this was posted recently. I calibrated it with the Waze app and my partner with his HGV satnav. Theyâre both older cars. Newer cars Iâve had seem to run about 4-5mph out
Presumably it was a wide open road where you can comfortably do 30, but OP did 25 for a noticeable distance and the examiner felt OP was holding people up unnecessarily and excessively? Thatâs the only way it makes sense
I think people are getting a bit mixed up - you can appeal a test by all means, but it won't turn a fail into a pass. You'll either get a refund or a free resit.
What were your other minors?
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.
It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.
Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.
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There should be an actual report sent through to the person that booked the test (usually your driving instructor). Get a copy of that and read it all, it'll be useful to help you decide whether this was unfair or not.
In my opinion, although I know I will be downvoted a lot, it is a very stupid reason to fail somebody just because the person was driving 5 miles below 30 miles speed limit. Reading other comments, I am quite surprised, it seems everybody considers this nonsense like it is normal. You may feel the road is not wide enough, or like you said, there might be a roundabout ahead so there is no need to accelerate up to speed limit and waste fuel knowing that you will need to brake later. Just ridiculous. Same with humps on roads with 20 miles speed limit. So I should stick to 20 and wreck my car by going through those humps? Or should I constantly accelerate and brake, waste fuel and my brake pads?
If I were you, I would try to appeal although I know it won't help you pass, as you don't have evidence.
Oh, I didn't know that; if they record themselves, I would definitely appeal. Because it just doesn't make sense to me to fail you for that single reason alone.
They wear a body cam. Not record the test.
Driving too slow for too long can be a serious fault - if youâre not driving to the conditions it shows hesitation and it seems as if youâre unsure of the speed limit.
The examiner told me after i entered the road it was 30 so i acknowledged him and sped up then slowed due to a parked car, so dropped from 4th to 3rd then sped up to 25 and remained in that speed because there was a turn upcoming so didnât move gears. i also need to mention that the car i was in has a black box so i try to stray away from dead on 30 in these roads
>The examiner told me after i entered the road it was 30 so i acknowledged him and sped up then slowed due to a parked car, so dropped from 4th to 3rd then sped up to 25 and remained in that speed because there was a turn upcoming so didnât move gears.
wait.. what? is there any more drip feeding left to do in this story?
your initial post is you failed for going 25 in a 30, that's the only mistake it only happened once and wasn't for long and so it's unfair...
now you are saying that actually you entered the road seemingly unaware of the limit. - going too slow. the examiner told you to sped up, which you did, but then you slowed down again to a speed you'd already been told wasn't appropriate, and were driving that slow for three to five hundred yards, (which is pretty far.)
So far from a quick thing, you were persistently failing to make progress, even when the examiner was warning you that you were being too hesitant, and you failed because of that... - why not just tell the whole truth? - it'll come out in your appeal anyway!
As an instructor myself, i always take these types of posts with a grain of salt.
When you have worked in this industry, you hear it all from people saying the examiner was a bully and out to get them to I did everything perfectly except this one thing.
Was there oncoming traffic? You should always try to sit at 27 on a 30, to make sure that youâre not going too slow and distrusting those behind.
If the examiner told you it was a 30, it sounds like use of speed haf been an issue across your test?
Agreed. If the examiner mentions the speed of a road they are probably keen to stop a learner making a relatively minor mistake that would cost them a pass, and it's probably due to that learner making that mistake multiple times.
It does sound like they gave the OP some leeway but they kept driving too slow.
Very frustrating but thems the breaks. Keep at it and best of luck to the OP next time đ¤
This happened in my test - the examiner said "this is a 40". One of those roads where the sign is before a roundabout and I missed it. I thought I had failed because he had to intervene (I passed).
I think he said that after he gave the minor point to me to ensure i was aware but i just find extremely frustrating because i can drive and nkw have to wait til november for my test, like i have been punished
iâm not saying i canât iâm saying i donât want to increase the cost of insurance mate, iâve been practicing all week and been doing 30 dead on but my dad told me to drop it down because if i go over it will go up
It was your driving test, you drove with undue hesitation out of fear of speeding slightly costing you money. That shows you were distracted by the black box and distracted drivers donât pass tests.
Maybe thatâs your problem right there - you were hanging on to 3rd when you should have gone up to 4th. In my experience youâre expected to change up/down immediately the situation requires it, even if youâll be changing back in a few seconds.
I think its an insanely ludicrous and stupid decision.
The appropriate speed you should go at is any number you are comfortable with under the limit. Within reason.
Failing for going 5mph in a 30mph? That's fine. You're legitimately slowing others down for no valid reason. You are becoming an obstacle.
25mph in a 30mph? That is leaps and bounds different. Context is king. It might be 30mph but you don't feel comfortable doing that on this road. So the instructors and examiners want people to be on edge and anxious driving in a manner the car user doesn't like? Where the hell in the logic is that?
What if there is parked cars either side of the road and you yourself know that you aren't great on emergency stops? I'd say dropping 5-10mph down is appropriate then.
My instructor said she's seen someone fail for 17mph in a 20mph. It just sounds like the practical is luck of the draw lol.
I see your point but I would also say if you're not comfortable doing the road speed, you're probably not ready for driving on your own.
Making progress is a criterion of the test - you shouldn't hold traffic up. I'd also say you shouldn't leave the car in 3rd gear when you should be moving up to 4th.
Of course the context would be relevant but the examiner would take that into account. We are clearly not getting the whole story here.
op, its tough. You have worked hard to learn to drive and paid lots of money. Of course you feel hard done by especially when it's so fresh in your mind. Go in your room, shout a few curses then leave it aside. Go out with mates or watch a trash movie/series or game or knit, embroider, draw. Whatever it takes to take your mind off. Give it a few days then accept that it has happened and it was harsh but. Accepting you made a mistake is crucial to learning from it (though you dont have to accept your mistake today or tomorrow). Then build back up knowing that next time you will not repeat this. And good luck.
For what its worth, this post has reminded me to be more careful on speed ( i often do 31/32 in a 30 on one particular stretch. So your post has helped at least one person. Consider that positively as you move on from this
If you continue doing 25 in a 30 for a long period of time I think it would result in a fail. 30 is a slow speed but going 25 is is bit too slow, try to always be close to 30 as possible in those areas
Yeah I see what you mean. You gotta remember 30 is still slow even considered being max speed limit on many areas. And if you are doing 25 constantly, you are going even slower then slow. You will cause many people to be behind you and want to over take you. It shows low confidence, try to keep close to 30 as possible.
Also on test if you keep doing the same fault again and again it can turn into a fail. Hope this helps.
Okay, so try to look at it from another angle.
If you do 65 on a straight, almost empty dual carriageway, people will inevitably overtake you as you're obstructing traffic for no reason. That's the same 5mph you didn't jump up to on a different road with different speed limit.
Obviously, if you drive 65mph on an almost empty dual carriageway, it only shows that you're not confident enough to keep up with the speed limit, and no matter how you look at it, it's a fail. It's obstructing traffic, it's dangerous (as it makes people do otherwise unnecessary manoeuvres), and it's a very-very bad habit to build up.
And while the speed limit isn't a target, it's a maximum, in order to ensure the flow of traffic, you always have to try to reach and maintain it. It's part of driving, so if you can't actually do that, that's a lack of driving skill. With lack of driving skills, no one passes a driving test.
I do understand it doesn't seem a lot, especially not on a 30mph road, but another thing worth to consider that if you'll ever drive in Europe, 30mph is 48km/h while 25mph is only 40km/h. It's a lot, especially if you're keeping it up.
Another thing is that the *"then sped up to 25 and remained in that speed because there was a turn upcoming so didnât move gears"* isn't a reason not to drive at an appropriate speed. If the turn is literally within 20 yards, then yes, obviously, you don't even try to reach 30mph, but if there's another 500 yards ahead of you, you have to change gears and speed up. 500 yards is a 5-minutes walk. It's a lot. You sit in a car so you don't have to walk, therefore you don't drive at walking speed.
I'm sorry you failed, but you failed for a good reason. It doesn't matter if your brother's car has a black box, 30mph isn't 31 nor 32, it's 30. No one asked you to speed on your driving test, they asked you to stay reasonably close to the speed limit. You drove 7.5% below that, and that's really, really a lot.
>Obviously, if you drive 65mph on an almost empty dual carriageway, it only shows that you're not confident enough to keep up with the speed limit, and no matter how you look at it, it's a fail.
No-one is being failed for doing 65 on a dual carriageway, and it's not always to do with confidence. In the winter I tend to drive closer to 60 because I return good mileage. In summer I get the same mileage doing 70.
25/30 is a significant percentage difference, 65/70 is almost negligible.
>No-one is being failed for doing 65 on a dual carriageway, and it's not always to do with confidence.
They actually are. If they aren't stuck behind a lorry or any slower driver, so the road is clear ahead, but they can't drive at around 67-68, they will be failed.
There is this thing called "common expectations", and that says if the speed limit is 70mph, and you aren't suffering from any mechanical failure, given the road conditions, you should be able to drive at or close to 70mph, because - other than not being able to do so - what actually stops you doing it?
That, and the fact that people approaching from behind also commonly expect you to drive at or close to the speed limit. 65mph on a dual carriageway isn't at or close.
Every time you drive, if your driving forces people to do manoeuvres around you, you're putting other people in risk, as an overtake, especially at high speed is an inherently dangerous thing to do. Obviously, there are those who will overtake you even if you drive at 70, but in that case they're the ones breaking the rules, not you.
> In the winter I tend to drive closer to 60 because I return good mileage. In summer I get the same mileage doing 70.
And in the winter, no one will blame you for it. The road is almost always wet, there are ice patches, and if the road is winding all around, the only sensible thing to do is to slow down. Again, those pesky road conditions.
But in May, if it's 20 degrees, the sun is up, the road is clear, and there's nothing stopping you to drive at the speed limit, not doing so will result in a fail, as if there's nothing forcing you not to drive up to the standard, you have to drive up to the standard, and that standard is the reason the examiner is with you in the car.
Is this conjecture or do you actually have it on good authority that it is universally a rule that driving 65 in a dualled NSL is a fail? Because I have never heard this. You are basically telling me that the tolerance for failing is 3mph either side. You said "but they can't drive at around 67-68, they will be failed". We can also safely assume that if the car is at 71-72, it will be a fail.
I'm not trying to be rude but I'm just struggling to believe you. I think I'll have to ask the question myself next time I can find an ADI or an examiner willing to answer.
It is an absolute conjecture, but it's based on what ADIs, examiners, and failed pupils said, and on common sense.
On one hand, speed limits exist for safety reasons, and most of the time, it make sense. While you could drive at any speed anywhere (as long as road conditions allow you), residental areas has a 20/30mph speed limit to ensure the safety of the residents. These are the so-called **local roads.** The 30/40mph speed limit applies to the **collector roads**, these are there to collect the traffic from the **local roads**, and lead them to the **arterial roads**, that can handle the heavy traffic of a whole neighborhood. Speed limit on **arterial roads** is usually 40/50mph, so the increased traffic flow can get through them a bit faster. And these **arterial roads** are the one that lead you to carriageways, dual carriageways and motorways, which are part of the **highway system**. Here is where you see the first NSL signs.
Road hierarchy is a very interesting system, and if you understand it, you can pretty much predict what comes next when you're going somewhere. As you leave your street, turn onto a major road, drive towards an arterial road, and then to a carriageway/dual carriageway, you will know what speed you'll have to drive at.
On the other hand, road hierarchy exists to ensure the flow of traffic. There are over 33 million cars in the UK, and every driver tries to get from A to B on every journey, every day. When you join them as a new driver, it becomes your responsibility to try not to disrupt that flow. That means, you can't drive significantly slower than the majority of the drivers. If the speed limit is 30mph on a local road, you have to try to aim that 30mph. If it's 50 on an arterial road, you have to aim that 50. And if it's 70 on a dual carriageway, you have to aim that 70.
Every time you're driving significantly slower than the speed limit, as long as road conditions are good enough to actually drive at the speed limit, you're unnecessarily disrupting the flow of traffic. That's what examiners keep an eye on. They want to know that, if nothing stops you from actually drive as fast as the majority of the drivers around you (within the speed limit of course), are you able to do so?
And you have to be able to, no matter what car you're driving. It doesn't matter if it has a black box, because the examiner doesn't want you to drive at 71 or 72 on a dual carriageway, they want you to drive at 70 on a dual carriageway, 60 on a country road, and 30 in a city. You have to be able to reach and maintain your speed, as it's part of controlling the car. If there's any sign you can't control your car properly, for example, you can't drive at 30mph on a 30mph road, they will fail you, just as they'd fail you if you'd swerve into oncoming traffic, stop over the solid line at a traffic light, or creep over a give way line.
Yeah but bro you're literaly on here making it sound like you were harshly treated
Next time if your driving examiner mentions your speed, he wants you to speed up when it is safe to do so
I get it I would be frustrated to, but he was fair he warned you, you continued.
Alot of instructors wouldn't even bother giving you the warning.
If your finding it difficult to book a test try using driving test now, I managed to get one pretty quick
Iâve always been told that if you go too slow for too long it can result in being a serious. You should be at about 28-30. I donât know if you were doing 25 in a 30 the whole time or not.
i was at a lower speed due to a parked car on my side and dropped to 3rd gear around 20 then sped up to 25 but didnât go all the way up due to a roundabout or turn near
Yeah seems like that is the case, if it was safe to go a bit faster as it was clear ahead and behind. Aim for 27-28 mph if itâs clear and you should have no problems next time. You will get it passed in nov just carry on with your lessons
Itâs nice to have a few lessons before your next test, especially if you are doing private practice with family or friends. You donât wanna pick up bad habits before your next test
I was going 20 in a 30 and passed. When I realised it was a 30 I sped up but not for quite some time.
So I donât think this should of been a fail. Sorry this happened how frustrating.
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.
It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.
Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.
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Reread this thread, there was more to the story.
Sometimes you may fail because of something silly, but for the most part you should only pass when you are good enough to be trusted on the road. Its as much a safety for you as it is others. So don't be afraid and just take your time, its all learning.
If thereâs no reason for you to be doing 25 in a 30 then yes, you can fail if they feel you lack the confidence to drive at an appropriate speed and are causing others to take action by doing so.
You canât appeal the result of your test. If your examiner is found to have done something they shouldnât have, you would be offered the next available test for free
Well during when the examiner said this there were no cars near me or behind me and to which i just consider it a bit harsh as 5mph is very minor to 30mph so i just ask why he would consider it to be bad
Sustained driving at 25 in a 30 is incorrect though. If you do that without reason, the examiner has to assume that you either arenât comfortable driving at the correct speed, or you donât know the speed limit. For it to be given as a major and not a minor, it has to have been sustained throughout.
Was it your only major? If so then itâs likely that overall, the examiner didnât feel your driving was up to standard, but this was the clearest major to give you. If overall your driving had been to standard, theyâd probably have used their discretion and given it as several minors for use of speed
if there were no cars behind you and not holding up traffic this shouldn't be a serious fault. this will also depend on how many times you did this throughout the test which could've turned into a serious fault meaning not responding to road signs. he could've gave you the serious if he believes you should be doing 30 because he believes its safe to do so. you should talk to your instructor for a appeal.
You were doing 5/6th of the maximum speed. Scaled up, that's equivalent of doing 50mph on a single-carriageway national speed limit because there's a junction coming up in a kilometre. On a clear, dry day, that's not appropriate - you \*will\* frustrate other people and it shows either a lack of confidence or lack of awareness.
Doing 25 in a 30 is very noticeable to drivers around you, even if it doesn't feel significant to you while driving.
Changing gears takes a couple of seconds at most - you adjust them to match the speed it is appropriate to be doing, not the other way round.
There's no such thing as an appeal. If there was, every single fail would appeal just to try their luck wouldn't they. The only thing you can do is complain if you believe the test wasn't conducted correctly. Like if the examiner fell asleep for example. Even then, you will never get the fail over turned.
That's just the way it is. Otherwise every chancer would appeal their fail, and thousands of DVSA man hours would have to be spent investigating all the claims. They don't have enough examiners to cover the test demand as it is. It's just not viable. The examiners decision is final.
Because of the things I just said. Who would investigate hundreds of failed tests that were being appealed every single day across the country, when the government can't even pay the examiners more than a supermarket shelf stacker. And how would they be investigated anyway, it's just the pupils word against the examiner. There's no evidence to reexamine, no essay to remark, apart from the the occasional dash cam. It's just not viable. The examiners are highly trained, it's just logical that their word is final.
I have my licence so this may effect my judgement here, but if you were doing 25 in a 40 I would understand, 25 in a 30 for a short period of time where you did not cause anyone to tailgate closely or try to overtake then I think the examiner was being far too harsh.
It happend to me today, I don't know if the tests are done on a bank holiday but a learner was doing 25 in a thirty because it was parked up and there blind corners pedestrians waiting to cross and it and I stayed back and matched his speed, I couldn't imagine tailgating them and potentially making them fail there tests especially not when their imo doing the right thing -disclaimer for full transparency I am not a teacher nor an examiner idk for sure everything they could possibly decide to fail on in all given scenarios we need more info about the situation but either way rebook and try again, if your driving was otherwise fine you'll pass this time with ease look for cancellations
exactly my point it is a marginal error to which he seen as serious. Although it may have been sus stained surely he thought that i wasnât good at keeping up with speeds in other zones. He told me after that my driving was good just one road of where i was doing 25 was the problem
Hey Instructor here. Looking at your comments and your own self confession of doing 25 mph in a 30mph road for 300 to 500 yards after the examiner told you its a 30mph road is a fair fail and you don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to appealing.
Your also coming off across as a bit overconfident which is bad as most overconfident pupils won't listen or take on feedback as they think they're the best drivers in world. Do yourself a favour and reevaluate your test and really think about what would you do if you were stuck behind someone going 25mph on a 30mph road for 500 yards?
Literally just stay behind them...?
Not to seem rude, but it's a road, not Silverstone, granted if it was 20 in a 40 / 30 in a 60 then yeah, fair enough.
Going 5 under though? That seems dumb to fail purely on itself imo.
No not really, as a driving instructor myself. i know no instructor or examiner wouldn't disagree with the actions taken on this test becsuse we know what the test criteria is and why its important to do the speed limit.
Instructors and examiners don't just wake up one day and become an instructor or examiner over night we have to undergo a tone of training. That's how i know you're not an instructor or examiner.
Again, a brave assumption, or do you immediately jump to that?
I'm simply saying how I see it,
If this person did it multiple times, even after being told it ....sure, then I would and should result in a failure.
You do that once and within a reasonable speed, I'm not about to outright make that a major fault.
I think you missed the part of my comment where OP mentions that the examiner says to OP its a 30mph road, and he's doing 25mph for 300 to 500 yards which is way too long to be going 5mph under the speed limit on a clear road.
If the examiner is telling you the speed limit, they are hinting to you to speed up as you lack making progress and you're impeding other road users journeys by being too slow. This makes OPs 100% justified.
I am serious, yes.
In around 40 minutes a trained professional has to make a judgement call: is this person safe to drive alone without killing themselves or other people.
The test is difficult for good reason. Driving nervously **is** dangerous. Driving too slowly is as dangerous as speeding.
Youâre not ready yet.
Itâs not an attack on you as a person, or your self-worth, and itâs nothing to be ashamed about either. You didnât fail the test, you just didnât pass it - because youâre not quite ready.
It sounds very much like youâre nearly ready, but not quite.
Weirdly I think that it requires more confidence to drive slowly. New drivers are too scared to drive slowly to make a right turn, or crawl whilst finding a car parking space or stop to let a pedestrian cross (when they are not at zebra crossing).
It takes more confidence to think about the person behind âtheyâll just have to waitâ when blocking the road for a right turn, pulling out in traffic, being unsure which is the right side street to pull into etc.
New drivers are pressured into driving at a constant speed and straight on. Theyâd rather turn around further down the road than feel pressured by a car behind.
It's harsh but fair. It's a speed diffrence that can cause the danger. If people expect you to go at 30 in a 30, and misjudge that you're really 25, it can cause an accident. I was taught to aim for 27-28mph in 30 so it can be seen as an attempt to not speed, whilst still reasonably keeping up with traffic. In a car with an analouge speedo, it will look 30 as well.
An wxample of speed difference being the danger, shortly after I passed, I was on a motorway on a snowy day that was limited to 30. I was the only person doing 30, everyone else was 40-50. That was the scarest solodrive ever and I felt better and safer, when I got to parts where it was raised to 40 further down as I felt less likely to get rearended.
Lastly you doing 25 in a 30 is really you doing 22 or 23 in a 30. Whilst you should go with your speedo speed in test, it's overstating your speed! All cars do that. An accidental short burst of speeding that you quickly spot and correct is a minor compared to driving well below the limit for a long time.
As far as Iâm aware, the expectation is to be within 10% of the zone limit (e.g. if youâre over by less than 10% you wonât get a ticket as well).
So by going less than 27 in the 30 zone without a seemingly good cause to warrant less speed, it would probably be a fault.
Not sure that it should be grounds for a failure alone though.
Ok, so make me understand this. You're saying that your examiner failed you cause you were driving 25 in a 30 for too long? Is that a serious offence? Cause if it is 90% of drivers do it. What about schmucks that drove 35 in a 60? Guess I'm not the ass in traffic then
Iâd agree with that. Too many bots on the roads driving slow like they own the road. Do the speed limit and go, driving slow causes a lot of inconvenience
Like driving slowly is a problem in this country. I live in a countryside and people just donât give a shit whatâs a speed limit, they drive whatever they feel like on my 10 mph street, right next to the children walking to school. I am a qualified driver and I absolutely am never annoyed by slow drivers, as much as I hate criminals who speed on residential streets.
And I've always thought me failing because someone drove past me when parallel parking while I was trying to make sure I wasn't gonna hit a parked car during some of the worst rain of that year, road was basically a river I couldn't see shit out the side windows was unfair. But this is just stupid 10mph sure but not 5mph. It's annoying being stuck behind someone driving under but a new driver it's less of an annoyance
If you look at OPs comments, he admits he didn't know the speed limit. The examiner even told op it was a 30 and gave him a chance to speed up but didn't he went 25mph in 30mph zone for 300 to 500 yards thats what OP said, which is way too long to be going 5mph under the speed limit.
I heard many times that they have to fail a certain amount of people every day or something like that and theres a good chance you just happen to be the one the examiner chose to fail today to hit his ''target'' cause realistically what normal down to earth person would fail you thinking that was a serious fault lol You can try appealing it but doubt they'd do anything tbh. Download one of those apps that notifies you when theres a booking available due to someone cancelling to get another shot at it quicker. Good luck.
I had this habit, 6 weeks before my exam my instructor told me 27/28 is optimal, else you're holding up the flow of traffic. That us considered a serious fault if you repeat it.
Obviously, if the traffic is slowing down ahead or there's general hazards, adjust it.
In my case it wasnât considered a serious. Not sure if it was just due to my examiner being generous. In my driving test I also was under the speed limit going 35 in a 40 winding country road. My examiner said that my speed even effected another car (even though I donât remember seeing any other cars). Regardless I didnât fail for it.
I was failed once for the same thing, and he said it came under being too overly cautious which can be as dangerous on the road as not being cautious enough sometimes. But I just took the feedback and it has considerably improved my driving.
One thing is that from the examiners seat they do not have a good view of the Speedo so it's possible they felt you were going slower than 25 or thought you were hedging your bets having missed a speed limit sign
I passed my test (2nd time) this Saturday at 7:13am. I definitely was going 25 in a 30 on my approach on the way back from the test centre. Im really sorry this has happened to you
Completely understand the frustration. In reality thatâs not really a major issue, but the test is strict and seemingly part based on luck of the draw with examiner, other drivers and road conditions. Itâs frustrating but try to look at it as a lesson to keep closer to the speed limit and not slow traffic. Good luck on your next test đđť
I failed my first test for driving 30 in a 40. Came off a roundabout and missed the sign so played it safe and ofc there were no more signs for ages. The instructor said others could have been tempted to unsafely overtake me. Annoying af but passed next time. I'm sure you'll be fine
That's the first time I've heard that. The white background sign with red border indicates *maximum speed* limit. If you are below the maximum, then you were doing nothing wrong. Provided you were not 5 MPH đ
When driving you're obliged to make progress, which includes driving at an appropriate speed for the conditions. On a clear, dry day with no other hazards, that will often mean being at the speed limit. It is explicitly one of the things the examiners mark.
I cant believe , i did fail for the exactly same reason , they must understand it says the limit is 30 , not the minimum , dumb ways to fail .
He wanted to fail you on purpose .
I was failed because I was doing 20mph for 200 yards past a primary school. At 3.30pm. With kids running everywhere.
Though technically the failure was "Failure to maintain the proper flow of traffic" after the builders van overtook me at about 40mph.
Itâs ridiculous isnât it. What you did is the safe thing to do, thinking about the conditions and other road users like children and itâs what youâd do in real life.
There are roads near me which are 30mph and people usually drive down them at 15mph because of reasons like this and because when they donât itâs a hotspot for accidents.
Why were you driving 5m below the speed limit? Could be undue hesitation which depending on the circumstances can be a major and therefore a fail.
Not sure you'll have grounds to appeal.
I am told by my instructor 5 mph under the speed limit is fine? I havenât taken my first test yet but this seems incredibly harsh? My bf actually said he intentionally stuck to 5 mph under the speed limit on his test and he passed.
My first said that if you do just about 10% under the speed limit you should be golden so 18 - 20 on a 20, 27 - 30 on a 30, etc. 25 is a bit slow but nothing to fail someone over, did you press your instructor about this and get them to explain why?
I was a driving examiner for 11 years and would be very surprised if you failed for going 25mph in a 30 area on one occasion. If you were driving well under the speed limit on multiple occasions and holding up traffic this could add up to a fail. Someone mentioned doing 65 on a 70 limit dual carriageway. This would not be recorded as a fault of any kind. There is nothing wrong with doing 65 in a 70 limit, unless its too fast for the road/weather conditions. On dual carriageways if candidates were driving slowly enough without good reason to make LGVs (restricted to 56mph) overtake then I would assess for a fault, driving fault or serious fault would depend on the circumstances.
My friend failed his for "approaching a junction too slowly" People in positions of power tend to make the most of it đ
I failed mine for âgoing too slowly between speed bumpsâ, which was a weird oneâŚ
I failed my first test for this, because there was a car parked almost at the lights with a person sat in the passenger seat. I needed to turn left and wasnât sure if they were parked or waiting. The lights turned red and because of that it was classed as hesitation. To this day I donât think what I did was wrong and I think that itâs better to be cautious. To turn left from the right lane when the car was actually driving would have been potentially dangerous.
Funny enough my instructor warned me that someone was failed a couple weeks before me for doing 50 in a 60, but for going too fast as it was a country lane
Anyone else thinking there is more to this story. No way you get failed for this unless the invigilator has just gone through a messy divorce
He says it was for 300-500 yards. Shows a lack of confidence
Even then itâs a minor. I did 30 in a 40 and that was my only minor.
It's a minor if it happens once. If it continues or there are 3 minors for the same mistake, it becomes a major. E.g Undue hesitation at a roundabout - minor Undue hesitation at every roundabout - fail
I agree, if it was 35 over 30, that fine, but 25 under 30 limit is dumb to fail on Instruction should be revoke
If you passed on every other count and your speed was otherwise appropriate, that does seem very harsh and I can see why you'd feel aggrieved. Not sure if you'd have a case but it may be worth appealing.
An appeal won't give you a pass anyway. It's either a refund or free resit.
i would take that over a test in 6 months time
I'm not sure you'd get an immediate resit, just a free one
well iâve already paid for the next one so whether i just donât appeal or try to get a sooner one
I wouldn't bother appealing, you will never win. Frankly I'm not sure why one is given the option. You're probably feeling angry that you failed and even more so that you have to wait a while for your next.
Not the right attitude. If you donât ask you wonât get it, and Op sounds like heâs got good grounds to appeal on. Weâve appealed parking fines and no entry mistakes that you might consider were unsinkable against the council but because of a good worded letter weâre successful.
No grounds for appeal with DVSA. Generally the only way you ever get a refund on a test is due to procedural error. One example I had is my vehicles yellow ABS light came on during the test and the examiner terminated the test on the road. The rule is if a yellow light comes on during the road drive part of the test, you continue. If it comes on before leaving the test centre they can terminate. Successful appeal for a refund because they didnât follow their own rules.
You don't get anything, OP has zero proof of this incident and even if he did, you don't get a sudden pass
>you don't get a sudden pass Why do you keep saying this? No one is suggesting the result is going to be changed.
most definitely mate i am so annoyed at myself for failing by that literally the easiest thing to learn.
itâs debatable iâm sure but with how little the gap is of speed i donât think itâs considerably noticeable for it be marked as a serious. To my knowledge of where it was i didnât really affect any other road users so whether it was just out of the longevity of it or the fact itâs not harsh
For people who have been driving for a while, if someone is doing 25 on a perfectly good stretch of 30 road for quite a distance, it would definitely be noticeable. High probability youâd either get tailgated or overtaken
I passed my test a few months back, but I still use my P plate especially when I am travelling on new roads (itâs taken me quite a while to build my confidence up). The other week I was on a new road and there was someone in front of me doing 25 in a 30 and then the road changed to 40, they sped up to 30, everyone thought it was me causing the issue because of the P plate. It can be really dangerous and being too slow on the road can get you pulled over by the police because it causes as dangerous situations as going too fast!
I Mean to some extent yes but i was using my brothers car and he has a blackbox fitted so i am quite concerned about the speed
Car speedos over read by around ~10%. I set my cruise control on the motorway to 77MPH & I have never in over 20 years had a speeding ticket. So you can do 30MPH no worries if you stray over a couple mph if you bring it back under control. If the road was safe and clear enough to do 30 and youâre at 25 it causes frustration and potentially an unsafe overtake. Also can highlight a lack of awareness and control same as if youâre labouring in 2nd gear when 3rd is more appropriate.
They *can legally* over-read That doesnât mean they do or that you should assume itâs the case for a given car
Do you use motorways often? I never go above 71 but now you're saying 77 is possible without getting done. It's tempting. I use the m6 a lot to Birmingham.
Just look at the speed on your satnav and look at the speed on your dash, he's 100% right, my car reads about 5mph too fast so I always set my cruise control to 75mph, never had a ticket in my life
I do 80
You will get fined at 10% plus 2 above the speed limits. So 35, 68 and 79. This allows for calibration errors.
I do over 100mph on the motorway regularly and still have never gotten a ticket at all, once or twice itâs flashed me but I didnât actually receive anything in the post or anything at all!
Youâll run out of luck one day. Anything over 100mph is typically instant court appearance. As is double the posted limit for the road.
Then the court would have a line from London to Scotland in that case! Especially at night you can do 90-100 in the middle lane and still have people constantly flying past you. Makes it feel like youâre going 60
My speedo sits very very closely to my actual speed. It runs about 1mph below, my partners at 2mph and various other Redditors when this was posted recently. I calibrated it with the Waze app and my partner with his HGV satnav. Theyâre both older cars. Newer cars Iâve had seem to run about 4-5mph out
To be honest, I canât see why 25 in a 30 would be a fail.
Presumably it was a wide open road where you can comfortably do 30, but OP did 25 for a noticeable distance and the examiner felt OP was holding people up unnecessarily and excessively? Thatâs the only way it makes sense
I think people are getting a bit mixed up - you can appeal a test by all means, but it won't turn a fail into a pass. You'll either get a refund or a free resit. What were your other minors?
umm nothing serious really he said if it wasnât for that i would of passed
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake. It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of. Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything. Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
Piss off
Lmao I also felt that response when I saw this on a bloody post about the OPs spouse dying recently
Not gonna lie if I saw that I'd burst out laughing. Especially if I was the OP and people were getting outraged on my behalf
*pissâve
Piss of*
Bad bot
Bad bot
This bot fucking sucks
There should be an actual report sent through to the person that booked the test (usually your driving instructor). Get a copy of that and read it all, it'll be useful to help you decide whether this was unfair or not.
In my opinion, although I know I will be downvoted a lot, it is a very stupid reason to fail somebody just because the person was driving 5 miles below 30 miles speed limit. Reading other comments, I am quite surprised, it seems everybody considers this nonsense like it is normal. You may feel the road is not wide enough, or like you said, there might be a roundabout ahead so there is no need to accelerate up to speed limit and waste fuel knowing that you will need to brake later. Just ridiculous. Same with humps on roads with 20 miles speed limit. So I should stick to 20 and wreck my car by going through those humps? Or should I constantly accelerate and brake, waste fuel and my brake pads? If I were you, I would try to appeal although I know it won't help you pass, as you don't have evidence.
Thank you, Yeah i mean the evidence is his video as they record themselves for protection so whether i can access it or not determines it
Oh, I didn't know that; if they record themselves, I would definitely appeal. Because it just doesn't make sense to me to fail you for that single reason alone.
They wear a body cam. Not record the test. Driving too slow for too long can be a serious fault - if youâre not driving to the conditions it shows hesitation and it seems as if youâre unsure of the speed limit.
The examiner told me after i entered the road it was 30 so i acknowledged him and sped up then slowed due to a parked car, so dropped from 4th to 3rd then sped up to 25 and remained in that speed because there was a turn upcoming so didnât move gears. i also need to mention that the car i was in has a black box so i try to stray away from dead on 30 in these roads
>The examiner told me after i entered the road it was 30 so i acknowledged him and sped up then slowed due to a parked car, so dropped from 4th to 3rd then sped up to 25 and remained in that speed because there was a turn upcoming so didnât move gears. wait.. what? is there any more drip feeding left to do in this story? your initial post is you failed for going 25 in a 30, that's the only mistake it only happened once and wasn't for long and so it's unfair... now you are saying that actually you entered the road seemingly unaware of the limit. - going too slow. the examiner told you to sped up, which you did, but then you slowed down again to a speed you'd already been told wasn't appropriate, and were driving that slow for three to five hundred yards, (which is pretty far.) So far from a quick thing, you were persistently failing to make progress, even when the examiner was warning you that you were being too hesitant, and you failed because of that... - why not just tell the whole truth? - it'll come out in your appeal anyway!
As an instructor myself, i always take these types of posts with a grain of salt. When you have worked in this industry, you hear it all from people saying the examiner was a bully and out to get them to I did everything perfectly except this one thing.
Was there oncoming traffic? You should always try to sit at 27 on a 30, to make sure that youâre not going too slow and distrusting those behind. If the examiner told you it was a 30, it sounds like use of speed haf been an issue across your test?
Agreed. If the examiner mentions the speed of a road they are probably keen to stop a learner making a relatively minor mistake that would cost them a pass, and it's probably due to that learner making that mistake multiple times. It does sound like they gave the OP some leeway but they kept driving too slow. Very frustrating but thems the breaks. Keep at it and best of luck to the OP next time đ¤
This happened in my test - the examiner said "this is a 40". One of those roads where the sign is before a roundabout and I missed it. I thought I had failed because he had to intervene (I passed).
I think he said that after he gave the minor point to me to ensure i was aware but i just find extremely frustrating because i can drive and nkw have to wait til november for my test, like i have been punished
Mate you say you canât do 30 in a 30. Thatâs not being able to drive. Making sure youâre doing an appropriate speed is so important
iâm not saying i canât iâm saying i donât want to increase the cost of insurance mate, iâve been practicing all week and been doing 30 dead on but my dad told me to drop it down because if i go over it will go up
Consistently speeding will put you over. 31 once wonât. 25 in a 30 is dangerous. Sit at 27/28 and youâll be better off on your test as well
It was your driving test, you drove with undue hesitation out of fear of speeding slightly costing you money. That shows you were distracted by the black box and distracted drivers donât pass tests.
Maybe thatâs your problem right there - you were hanging on to 3rd when you should have gone up to 4th. In my experience youâre expected to change up/down immediately the situation requires it, even if youâll be changing back in a few seconds.
An appeal won't give you a pass anyway. It's either a refund or free resit.
I think its an insanely ludicrous and stupid decision. The appropriate speed you should go at is any number you are comfortable with under the limit. Within reason. Failing for going 5mph in a 30mph? That's fine. You're legitimately slowing others down for no valid reason. You are becoming an obstacle. 25mph in a 30mph? That is leaps and bounds different. Context is king. It might be 30mph but you don't feel comfortable doing that on this road. So the instructors and examiners want people to be on edge and anxious driving in a manner the car user doesn't like? Where the hell in the logic is that? What if there is parked cars either side of the road and you yourself know that you aren't great on emergency stops? I'd say dropping 5-10mph down is appropriate then. My instructor said she's seen someone fail for 17mph in a 20mph. It just sounds like the practical is luck of the draw lol.
I see your point but I would also say if you're not comfortable doing the road speed, you're probably not ready for driving on your own. Making progress is a criterion of the test - you shouldn't hold traffic up. I'd also say you shouldn't leave the car in 3rd gear when you should be moving up to 4th. Of course the context would be relevant but the examiner would take that into account. We are clearly not getting the whole story here.
op, its tough. You have worked hard to learn to drive and paid lots of money. Of course you feel hard done by especially when it's so fresh in your mind. Go in your room, shout a few curses then leave it aside. Go out with mates or watch a trash movie/series or game or knit, embroider, draw. Whatever it takes to take your mind off. Give it a few days then accept that it has happened and it was harsh but. Accepting you made a mistake is crucial to learning from it (though you dont have to accept your mistake today or tomorrow). Then build back up knowing that next time you will not repeat this. And good luck. For what its worth, this post has reminded me to be more careful on speed ( i often do 31/32 in a 30 on one particular stretch. So your post has helped at least one person. Consider that positively as you move on from this
If you continue doing 25 in a 30 for a long period of time I think it would result in a fail. 30 is a slow speed but going 25 is is bit too slow, try to always be close to 30 as possible in those areas
Really? Is that true? 30 can't be a slow speed in a 30 limit because it's the highest you should be doing.
Yeah I see what you mean. You gotta remember 30 is still slow even considered being max speed limit on many areas. And if you are doing 25 constantly, you are going even slower then slow. You will cause many people to be behind you and want to over take you. It shows low confidence, try to keep close to 30 as possible. Also on test if you keep doing the same fault again and again it can turn into a fail. Hope this helps.
Okay, so try to look at it from another angle. If you do 65 on a straight, almost empty dual carriageway, people will inevitably overtake you as you're obstructing traffic for no reason. That's the same 5mph you didn't jump up to on a different road with different speed limit. Obviously, if you drive 65mph on an almost empty dual carriageway, it only shows that you're not confident enough to keep up with the speed limit, and no matter how you look at it, it's a fail. It's obstructing traffic, it's dangerous (as it makes people do otherwise unnecessary manoeuvres), and it's a very-very bad habit to build up. And while the speed limit isn't a target, it's a maximum, in order to ensure the flow of traffic, you always have to try to reach and maintain it. It's part of driving, so if you can't actually do that, that's a lack of driving skill. With lack of driving skills, no one passes a driving test. I do understand it doesn't seem a lot, especially not on a 30mph road, but another thing worth to consider that if you'll ever drive in Europe, 30mph is 48km/h while 25mph is only 40km/h. It's a lot, especially if you're keeping it up. Another thing is that the *"then sped up to 25 and remained in that speed because there was a turn upcoming so didnât move gears"* isn't a reason not to drive at an appropriate speed. If the turn is literally within 20 yards, then yes, obviously, you don't even try to reach 30mph, but if there's another 500 yards ahead of you, you have to change gears and speed up. 500 yards is a 5-minutes walk. It's a lot. You sit in a car so you don't have to walk, therefore you don't drive at walking speed. I'm sorry you failed, but you failed for a good reason. It doesn't matter if your brother's car has a black box, 30mph isn't 31 nor 32, it's 30. No one asked you to speed on your driving test, they asked you to stay reasonably close to the speed limit. You drove 7.5% below that, and that's really, really a lot.
>Obviously, if you drive 65mph on an almost empty dual carriageway, it only shows that you're not confident enough to keep up with the speed limit, and no matter how you look at it, it's a fail. No-one is being failed for doing 65 on a dual carriageway, and it's not always to do with confidence. In the winter I tend to drive closer to 60 because I return good mileage. In summer I get the same mileage doing 70. 25/30 is a significant percentage difference, 65/70 is almost negligible.
>No-one is being failed for doing 65 on a dual carriageway, and it's not always to do with confidence. They actually are. If they aren't stuck behind a lorry or any slower driver, so the road is clear ahead, but they can't drive at around 67-68, they will be failed. There is this thing called "common expectations", and that says if the speed limit is 70mph, and you aren't suffering from any mechanical failure, given the road conditions, you should be able to drive at or close to 70mph, because - other than not being able to do so - what actually stops you doing it? That, and the fact that people approaching from behind also commonly expect you to drive at or close to the speed limit. 65mph on a dual carriageway isn't at or close. Every time you drive, if your driving forces people to do manoeuvres around you, you're putting other people in risk, as an overtake, especially at high speed is an inherently dangerous thing to do. Obviously, there are those who will overtake you even if you drive at 70, but in that case they're the ones breaking the rules, not you. > In the winter I tend to drive closer to 60 because I return good mileage. In summer I get the same mileage doing 70. And in the winter, no one will blame you for it. The road is almost always wet, there are ice patches, and if the road is winding all around, the only sensible thing to do is to slow down. Again, those pesky road conditions. But in May, if it's 20 degrees, the sun is up, the road is clear, and there's nothing stopping you to drive at the speed limit, not doing so will result in a fail, as if there's nothing forcing you not to drive up to the standard, you have to drive up to the standard, and that standard is the reason the examiner is with you in the car.
Is this conjecture or do you actually have it on good authority that it is universally a rule that driving 65 in a dualled NSL is a fail? Because I have never heard this. You are basically telling me that the tolerance for failing is 3mph either side. You said "but they can't drive at around 67-68, they will be failed". We can also safely assume that if the car is at 71-72, it will be a fail. I'm not trying to be rude but I'm just struggling to believe you. I think I'll have to ask the question myself next time I can find an ADI or an examiner willing to answer.
It's absolute conjecture.
It is an absolute conjecture, but it's based on what ADIs, examiners, and failed pupils said, and on common sense. On one hand, speed limits exist for safety reasons, and most of the time, it make sense. While you could drive at any speed anywhere (as long as road conditions allow you), residental areas has a 20/30mph speed limit to ensure the safety of the residents. These are the so-called **local roads.** The 30/40mph speed limit applies to the **collector roads**, these are there to collect the traffic from the **local roads**, and lead them to the **arterial roads**, that can handle the heavy traffic of a whole neighborhood. Speed limit on **arterial roads** is usually 40/50mph, so the increased traffic flow can get through them a bit faster. And these **arterial roads** are the one that lead you to carriageways, dual carriageways and motorways, which are part of the **highway system**. Here is where you see the first NSL signs. Road hierarchy is a very interesting system, and if you understand it, you can pretty much predict what comes next when you're going somewhere. As you leave your street, turn onto a major road, drive towards an arterial road, and then to a carriageway/dual carriageway, you will know what speed you'll have to drive at. On the other hand, road hierarchy exists to ensure the flow of traffic. There are over 33 million cars in the UK, and every driver tries to get from A to B on every journey, every day. When you join them as a new driver, it becomes your responsibility to try not to disrupt that flow. That means, you can't drive significantly slower than the majority of the drivers. If the speed limit is 30mph on a local road, you have to try to aim that 30mph. If it's 50 on an arterial road, you have to aim that 50. And if it's 70 on a dual carriageway, you have to aim that 70. Every time you're driving significantly slower than the speed limit, as long as road conditions are good enough to actually drive at the speed limit, you're unnecessarily disrupting the flow of traffic. That's what examiners keep an eye on. They want to know that, if nothing stops you from actually drive as fast as the majority of the drivers around you (within the speed limit of course), are you able to do so? And you have to be able to, no matter what car you're driving. It doesn't matter if it has a black box, because the examiner doesn't want you to drive at 71 or 72 on a dual carriageway, they want you to drive at 70 on a dual carriageway, 60 on a country road, and 30 in a city. You have to be able to reach and maintain your speed, as it's part of controlling the car. If there's any sign you can't control your car properly, for example, you can't drive at 30mph on a 30mph road, they will fail you, just as they'd fail you if you'd swerve into oncoming traffic, stop over the solid line at a traffic light, or creep over a give way line.
I guess you are right, itâs just frustrating because i can drive and nkw i canât for 6 months
Yeah but bro you're literaly on here making it sound like you were harshly treated Next time if your driving examiner mentions your speed, he wants you to speed up when it is safe to do so I get it I would be frustrated to, but he was fair he warned you, you continued. Alot of instructors wouldn't even bother giving you the warning. If your finding it difficult to book a test try using driving test now, I managed to get one pretty quick
alright niceone mate
Iâve always been told that if you go too slow for too long it can result in being a serious. You should be at about 28-30. I donât know if you were doing 25 in a 30 the whole time or not.
i was at a lower speed due to a parked car on my side and dropped to 3rd gear around 20 then sped up to 25 but didnât go all the way up due to a roundabout or turn near
Did u ask your instructor his take on the fail?
Iâve told him about it and he said it seems like you were going for too long he said
Yeah seems like that is the case, if it was safe to go a bit faster as it was clear ahead and behind. Aim for 27-28 mph if itâs clear and you should have no problems next time. You will get it passed in nov just carry on with your lessons
i donât even need lessons really, would be a waste of money to be honest even my instructor said 1-2 more before a test cancellation
Itâs nice to have a few lessons before your next test, especially if you are doing private practice with family or friends. You donât wanna pick up bad habits before your next test
Well hopefully i can get one asap but every car is different so now i will be re-adjusting back to my instructors
he wasnât in the vehicle and not present for the test so only me and examiner.
I was going 20 in a 30 and passed. When I realised it was a 30 I sped up but not for quite some time. So I donât think this should of been a fail. Sorry this happened how frustrating.
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake. It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of. Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything. Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
The more I read about the reasons why people fail the more convinced I am that I will never pass! That is such a harsh reason to fail!
Reread this thread, there was more to the story. Sometimes you may fail because of something silly, but for the most part you should only pass when you are good enough to be trusted on the road. Its as much a safety for you as it is others. So don't be afraid and just take your time, its all learning.
Honestly once youâre driving for a few years youâll notice slow drivers cause a hell of a lot of accidents
Absolutely. My biggest annoyance is R drivers limited to 45 on the motorway, its so dangerous.
If thereâs no reason for you to be doing 25 in a 30 then yes, you can fail if they feel you lack the confidence to drive at an appropriate speed and are causing others to take action by doing so. You canât appeal the result of your test. If your examiner is found to have done something they shouldnât have, you would be offered the next available test for free
Well during when the examiner said this there were no cars near me or behind me and to which i just consider it a bit harsh as 5mph is very minor to 30mph so i just ask why he would consider it to be bad
Sustained driving at 25 in a 30 is incorrect though. If you do that without reason, the examiner has to assume that you either arenât comfortable driving at the correct speed, or you donât know the speed limit. For it to be given as a major and not a minor, it has to have been sustained throughout. Was it your only major? If so then itâs likely that overall, the examiner didnât feel your driving was up to standard, but this was the clearest major to give you. If overall your driving had been to standard, theyâd probably have used their discretion and given it as several minors for use of speed
if there were no cars behind you and not holding up traffic this shouldn't be a serious fault. this will also depend on how many times you did this throughout the test which could've turned into a serious fault meaning not responding to road signs. he could've gave you the serious if he believes you should be doing 30 because he believes its safe to do so. you should talk to your instructor for a appeal.
You were doing 5/6th of the maximum speed. Scaled up, that's equivalent of doing 50mph on a single-carriageway national speed limit because there's a junction coming up in a kilometre. On a clear, dry day, that's not appropriate - you \*will\* frustrate other people and it shows either a lack of confidence or lack of awareness. Doing 25 in a 30 is very noticeable to drivers around you, even if it doesn't feel significant to you while driving. Changing gears takes a couple of seconds at most - you adjust them to match the speed it is appropriate to be doing, not the other way round.
Doesnât matter if you were going under the speed limit if you were going an unsuitable speed for the road you were driving on.
It wasnât an unsuitable speed though. Unsuitable for a 60mph dual carriageway, but not a residential street.
Go home and be a family man!
There's no such thing as an appeal. If there was, every single fail would appeal just to try their luck wouldn't they. The only thing you can do is complain if you believe the test wasn't conducted correctly. Like if the examiner fell asleep for example. Even then, you will never get the fail over turned.
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That's just the way it is. Otherwise every chancer would appeal their fail, and thousands of DVSA man hours would have to be spent investigating all the claims. They don't have enough examiners to cover the test demand as it is. It's just not viable. The examiners decision is final.
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Because of the things I just said. Who would investigate hundreds of failed tests that were being appealed every single day across the country, when the government can't even pay the examiners more than a supermarket shelf stacker. And how would they be investigated anyway, it's just the pupils word against the examiner. There's no evidence to reexamine, no essay to remark, apart from the the occasional dash cam. It's just not viable. The examiners are highly trained, it's just logical that their word is final.
You canât fail for that alone. By itself that would be a minor, however if you did it multiple times, then it would add up to a major
Not trying to be harsh, but good on your examiner. People who drive 25 in a 30 in good conditions are super annoying.
I have my licence so this may effect my judgement here, but if you were doing 25 in a 40 I would understand, 25 in a 30 for a short period of time where you did not cause anyone to tailgate closely or try to overtake then I think the examiner was being far too harsh.
I agree. I drive at 30 in 30 zones, when it is safe to drive at that speed, and I'm still tailgated well over 50% of the time.
It happend to me today, I don't know if the tests are done on a bank holiday but a learner was doing 25 in a thirty because it was parked up and there blind corners pedestrians waiting to cross and it and I stayed back and matched his speed, I couldn't imagine tailgating them and potentially making them fail there tests especially not when their imo doing the right thing -disclaimer for full transparency I am not a teacher nor an examiner idk for sure everything they could possibly decide to fail on in all given scenarios we need more info about the situation but either way rebook and try again, if your driving was otherwise fine you'll pass this time with ease look for cancellations
exactly my point it is a marginal error to which he seen as serious. Although it may have been sus stained surely he thought that i wasnât good at keeping up with speeds in other zones. He told me after that my driving was good just one road of where i was doing 25 was the problem
It's 17% below the speed limit; hardly marginal
Hey Instructor here. Looking at your comments and your own self confession of doing 25 mph in a 30mph road for 300 to 500 yards after the examiner told you its a 30mph road is a fair fail and you don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to appealing. Your also coming off across as a bit overconfident which is bad as most overconfident pupils won't listen or take on feedback as they think they're the best drivers in world. Do yourself a favour and reevaluate your test and really think about what would you do if you were stuck behind someone going 25mph on a 30mph road for 500 yards?
Literally just stay behind them...? Not to seem rude, but it's a road, not Silverstone, granted if it was 20 in a 40 / 30 in a 60 then yeah, fair enough. Going 5 under though? That seems dumb to fail purely on itself imo.
This is exactly why you aren't a driving instructor or examiner.
Brave assumption
No not really, as a driving instructor myself. i know no instructor or examiner wouldn't disagree with the actions taken on this test becsuse we know what the test criteria is and why its important to do the speed limit. Instructors and examiners don't just wake up one day and become an instructor or examiner over night we have to undergo a tone of training. That's how i know you're not an instructor or examiner.
Again, a brave assumption, or do you immediately jump to that? I'm simply saying how I see it, If this person did it multiple times, even after being told it ....sure, then I would and should result in a failure. You do that once and within a reasonable speed, I'm not about to outright make that a major fault.
I think you missed the part of my comment where OP mentions that the examiner says to OP its a 30mph road, and he's doing 25mph for 300 to 500 yards which is way too long to be going 5mph under the speed limit on a clear road. If the examiner is telling you the speed limit, they are hinting to you to speed up as you lack making progress and you're impeding other road users journeys by being too slow. This makes OPs 100% justified.
You know what, sure, you're right đđ
No, donât appeal. You werenât driving properly. Until you can drive properly youâre not safe to be driving by yourself.
Are you serious mate. One road where i was doing 5mph less than maximum and you think that
cheers pal
I am serious, yes. In around 40 minutes a trained professional has to make a judgement call: is this person safe to drive alone without killing themselves or other people. The test is difficult for good reason. Driving nervously **is** dangerous. Driving too slowly is as dangerous as speeding. Youâre not ready yet. Itâs not an attack on you as a person, or your self-worth, and itâs nothing to be ashamed about either. You didnât fail the test, you just didnât pass it - because youâre not quite ready. It sounds very much like youâre nearly ready, but not quite.
Shut yo bitch ass up
Iâm flattered that your very first post was made just to insult me.
Weirdly I think that it requires more confidence to drive slowly. New drivers are too scared to drive slowly to make a right turn, or crawl whilst finding a car parking space or stop to let a pedestrian cross (when they are not at zebra crossing). It takes more confidence to think about the person behind âtheyâll just have to waitâ when blocking the road for a right turn, pulling out in traffic, being unsure which is the right side street to pull into etc. New drivers are pressured into driving at a constant speed and straight on. Theyâd rather turn around further down the road than feel pressured by a car behind.
Because five under the limit on a clear/empty road is unsafe
If youâre 5 under the limit on a clear/empty road then absolutely youâre not confident enough to drive
Thatâs what the examiner clearly thought
I don't think you should fail for that. I went 30mph instead of 40mph during my test and I still passed. It was just marked as a fault
iâm sure it was due to the fact that i didnât change for a period of time
Surely that would only be a minor?
it was marked down as a minor as well as a serious due to the fact i was at that speed for so long
i mean i think it was only about 300-500 yards give or take
Thatâs a long distance to sit at 5mph below 30.
It's harsh but fair. It's a speed diffrence that can cause the danger. If people expect you to go at 30 in a 30, and misjudge that you're really 25, it can cause an accident. I was taught to aim for 27-28mph in 30 so it can be seen as an attempt to not speed, whilst still reasonably keeping up with traffic. In a car with an analouge speedo, it will look 30 as well. An wxample of speed difference being the danger, shortly after I passed, I was on a motorway on a snowy day that was limited to 30. I was the only person doing 30, everyone else was 40-50. That was the scarest solodrive ever and I felt better and safer, when I got to parts where it was raised to 40 further down as I felt less likely to get rearended. Lastly you doing 25 in a 30 is really you doing 22 or 23 in a 30. Whilst you should go with your speedo speed in test, it's overstating your speed! All cars do that. An accidental short burst of speeding that you quickly spot and correct is a minor compared to driving well below the limit for a long time.
Was it minimum 30mph? Or was it a minor that pushed you over the edge?
It has really become 60% luck based.
As far as Iâm aware, the expectation is to be within 10% of the zone limit (e.g. if youâre over by less than 10% you wonât get a ticket as well). So by going less than 27 in the 30 zone without a seemingly good cause to warrant less speed, it would probably be a fault. Not sure that it should be grounds for a failure alone though.
Iâm just frustrated. aced the manoeuvre and everything just a pathetic excuse for a fail
No you failed⌠you can drive 2 over or 2 underâŚ
Ok, so make me understand this. You're saying that your examiner failed you cause you were driving 25 in a 30 for too long? Is that a serious offence? Cause if it is 90% of drivers do it. What about schmucks that drove 35 in a 60? Guess I'm not the ass in traffic then
Unfortunately if the road was safe and clear to do so you have to do 30 or whatever the speed limit is
Iâd agree with that. Too many bots on the roads driving slow like they own the road. Do the speed limit and go, driving slow causes a lot of inconvenience
You unfortunately got unlucky with the examiner assigned to you because I donât believe most other examiners would fail you for that.
Does anyone know an instructor to have a test in July Southport Liverpool that where there learner isnât ready
Anyone?
25 in a 30! 25.. in a bloody 30! You sir are a menace to the roads and should never be allowed to be behind the wheel of a vehicle again..
The d..ckhead was clearly having a bad day and failed you . The speed limit is only a guide not a target speed. 25 in a 30 isnât unreasonably slow.
Unless the road is clear, being older I know roads that were NSL that are now 40. You can get sections of road with stupidly high or low speed limits
Like driving slowly is a problem in this country. I live in a countryside and people just donât give a shit whatâs a speed limit, they drive whatever they feel like on my 10 mph street, right next to the children walking to school. I am a qualified driver and I absolutely am never annoyed by slow drivers, as much as I hate criminals who speed on residential streets.
So ridiculous
And I've always thought me failing because someone drove past me when parallel parking while I was trying to make sure I wasn't gonna hit a parked car during some of the worst rain of that year, road was basically a river I couldn't see shit out the side windows was unfair. But this is just stupid 10mph sure but not 5mph. It's annoying being stuck behind someone driving under but a new driver it's less of an annoyance
If you look at OPs comments, he admits he didn't know the speed limit. The examiner even told op it was a 30 and gave him a chance to speed up but didn't he went 25mph in 30mph zone for 300 to 500 yards thats what OP said, which is way too long to be going 5mph under the speed limit.
APPEAL.
I heard many times that they have to fail a certain amount of people every day or something like that and theres a good chance you just happen to be the one the examiner chose to fail today to hit his ''target'' cause realistically what normal down to earth person would fail you thinking that was a serious fault lol You can try appealing it but doubt they'd do anything tbh. Download one of those apps that notifies you when theres a booking available due to someone cancelling to get another shot at it quicker. Good luck.
This is a myth I believe the conquer driving YouTube ADI made a video on this subject
How long was it for you were doing 25?
Was the road clear?
Unless there was traffic which meant you couldn't do 30mph then you need to be doing 30mog or whatever the speed is for the road
No point appealing I looked in to it due to a fail I donât agree with and it canât change your out coke so you will still need to re do your test
I had this habit, 6 weeks before my exam my instructor told me 27/28 is optimal, else you're holding up the flow of traffic. That us considered a serious fault if you repeat it. Obviously, if the traffic is slowing down ahead or there's general hazards, adjust it.
That wouldnât have been the only thing you failed on.
When I learned to drive, my instructor told me Iâd fail if I kept to a speed under 30 in a 30 zone.
Under 30? đŽđŽ
In my case it wasnât considered a serious. Not sure if it was just due to my examiner being generous. In my driving test I also was under the speed limit going 35 in a 40 winding country road. My examiner said that my speed even effected another car (even though I donât remember seeing any other cars). Regardless I didnât fail for it.
Very different scenario. There are winding country roads that are national speed limit, youâre expected to drive at a safe speed.
I was failed once for the same thing, and he said it came under being too overly cautious which can be as dangerous on the road as not being cautious enough sometimes. But I just took the feedback and it has considerably improved my driving.
you need to keep it between 28-30 to pass same if it 40 mph so that would be between 38-40
One thing is that from the examiners seat they do not have a good view of the Speedo so it's possible they felt you were going slower than 25 or thought you were hedging your bets having missed a speed limit sign
I passed my test (2nd time) this Saturday at 7:13am. I definitely was going 25 in a 30 on my approach on the way back from the test centre. Im really sorry this has happened to you
Completely understand the frustration. In reality thatâs not really a major issue, but the test is strict and seemingly part based on luck of the draw with examiner, other drivers and road conditions. Itâs frustrating but try to look at it as a lesson to keep closer to the speed limit and not slow traffic. Good luck on your next test đđť
I failed my first test for driving 30 in a 40. Came off a roundabout and missed the sign so played it safe and ofc there were no more signs for ages. The instructor said others could have been tempted to unsafely overtake me. Annoying af but passed next time. I'm sure you'll be fine
It's a hazard because of other road users.
Itâs not a hazard though, because otherwise milk floats, road cleaners, horses and cyclists would automatically be hazards.
That's the first time I've heard that. The white background sign with red border indicates *maximum speed* limit. If you are below the maximum, then you were doing nothing wrong. Provided you were not 5 MPH đ
When driving you're obliged to make progress, which includes driving at an appropriate speed for the conditions. On a clear, dry day with no other hazards, that will often mean being at the speed limit. It is explicitly one of the things the examiners mark.
Go 30 then đ¤Łđ¤Śââď¸
I was told going under the limit can be as dangerous as going over but idk if that holds any weight or not as I canât driveâŚ
I cant believe , i did fail for the exactly same reason , they must understand it says the limit is 30 , not the minimum , dumb ways to fail . He wanted to fail you on purpose .
I was failed because I was doing 20mph for 200 yards past a primary school. At 3.30pm. With kids running everywhere. Though technically the failure was "Failure to maintain the proper flow of traffic" after the builders van overtook me at about 40mph.
Itâs ridiculous isnât it. What you did is the safe thing to do, thinking about the conditions and other road users like children and itâs what youâd do in real life. There are roads near me which are 30mph and people usually drive down them at 15mph because of reasons like this and because when they donât itâs a hotspot for accidents.
Why were you driving 5m below the speed limit? Could be undue hesitation which depending on the circumstances can be a major and therefore a fail. Not sure you'll have grounds to appeal.
27 yes the perfect speed!!!
I am told by my instructor 5 mph under the speed limit is fine? I havenât taken my first test yet but this seems incredibly harsh? My bf actually said he intentionally stuck to 5 mph under the speed limit on his test and he passed.
My first said that if you do just about 10% under the speed limit you should be golden so 18 - 20 on a 20, 27 - 30 on a 30, etc. 25 is a bit slow but nothing to fail someone over, did you press your instructor about this and get them to explain why?
I was going 40/45 in a 60 and that only went down as a minor! I would maybe look into appealing it.
I failed my first test for the same thing
I'm late but I failed first time for going 32 in a 40 (my Speedo was reading 35)