Here are our top 10 most common mistakes during the driving exam. These are mistakes that are mainly due to wrong thinking or caused by tension. Mistakes that are actually unnecessary. These are things that are often well learned but, due to the pressure of the exam, are performed incorrectly.
- Viewing behaviour
Most exam candidates fail on viewing behaviour. A distinction is made here between looking wide and far ahead, using your mirrors correctly and looking at specific situations. Viewing behaviour is very important during the driving exam.
What goes wrong:
– Exaggeratedly looking to show this well to the examiner.
– Looking too casual.
– Looking at the mirrors in too much of a hurry, so you don’t actually see anything.
– Looking too late and reacting too late to situations.
How it should be done:
– Keep changing your view continuously so that you keep an overall view.
– Take your time to look carefully into your mirrors and repeat the process.
– Look extra when you start certain manoeuvres.
– Do not exaggerate, if you look calmly in the mirror and observe everything properly, the examiner will surely see this.
- Position on the road
There are several misconceptions about the position on the road. The position on the road depends on various factors. The rules you learn in your theory book are a guide, but not always sacred. All circumstances together determine your choice.
What goes wrong:
– Driving very close to parked cars, obstacles or cyclists.
– No proper or insufficient pre-sorting.
– Taking corners too wide or too tight, which can be caused by nonchalant steering.
– Driving too much to the left on a narrow road with oncoming traffic.
How it should be done:
– Allow enough space when passing a stationary or moving object. Even if it means going on the other side of the road. Make sure that you do not hinder oncoming traffic.
– Do not try to drive inside the lines at all costs, if this may endanger you or others.
– Sort well ahead where possible.
– Try to negotiate corners neatly on your own side of the road and if necessary, take the corner more slowly.
– When driving on a narrow road, consider your position and your speed. When you encounter an oncoming car, then slow down if the road is narrow.
- Speed
The main rule is: drive the maximum permitted speed as long as it is safe to do so. This means driving in line with the traffic, but slowing down when the situation demands it. Many exam candidates have difficulty with this.
What goes wrong:
– Driving slower than necessary. This only makes you look insecure and you will stop the traffic flow. But speeding is not accepted either. It must be responsible and safe.
– Driving too fast through the corner.
– Approaching or crossing an intersection too quickly.
– People who think that the myth of always driving 5 km/h too fast is true.
How it should be done:
– Keeping up with traffic is important, but adjust your speed in time to the circumstances.
– Safety always comes first. For example, if you have to overtake, it may be safer to drive a little faster than permitted.
– Look carefully through the corner and adjust your speed accordingly. This is a matter of practice.
- Overtaking
Some exam candidates do not yet see the point of overtaking. Nevertheless, this is necessary if you want to keep to the main rule of speed. Flow smoothly with the traffic and drive the maximum speed as much as possible with due regard for safety.
What goes wrong:
– Insufficient distance when overtaking.
– Not having enough speed to overtake.
– Just to be on the safe side, keep driving on the right when the traffic on the left is much smoother. Many people then think ”imagine that I am now driving in the left lane and the examiner wants to turn right.
– Being late with overtaking.
How it should be done:
– Keep enough distance while overtaking.
– An overtaking manoeuvre must be carried out quickly. For this you’ll need enough speed. Even if it means driving slightly faster than the limit.
– Dare to make choices that benefit your driving flow. For example, if you are driving behind a truck and you have the space to pass it, do so. The examiner takes into account the assignment he or she gives. – Look far ahead and start observing in time.
- Special operations
You have to deal with it every time you drive: special operations. You will always have to park somewhere before you do anything. Don’t make special operations more difficult than necessary and let your feelings play a part.
What goes wrong:
– Many people pay too much attention to the car and not to the rest of the traffic.
– The ”trick” doesn’t work.
– Wanting to do everything too quickly.
How it should be done:
– Always keep an eye on the rest of the traffic. Don’t just look beforehand. Your viewing behaviour is very important here.
– Many exercises are taught by using a ‘trick’. Don’t just learn to park or turn using those tricks. Keep a close eye on the whole situation. This allows you to correct yourself more easily. This allows the exercise to succeed.
– You don’t have to do everything quickly, for most exercises walking pace is fast enough.
- The language of the road
It is important that, in addition to signs and traffic lights, you also keep an eye on arrows, stripes and other markings on the road. They tell you a lot about the situation at that moment or the one to come.
What goes wrong:
– Getting into the wrong lane when facing multiple lanes.
– Accidentally changing lanes in a corner.
– Misjudging corners.
How it should be done:
– Look at the lanes around you and ask yourself where the car next to you is going. This often determines your course as well.
– When turning, note how many other lanes are going in your direction. Determine your lane choice accordingly.
– When facing multiple lanes, always try to drive in the same lane just before or after the turn. For example, if you stand in the leftmost lane before the corner, this is not a problem. Keep following the corner in that lane however.
– Do not only pay attention to advisory speed signs, but also to other things such as; corner shields, skid marks and look a little further around the corner. Because this is where you are going to eventually.
- Merging in and out
Merging in and out also has its place in the exam. For many, this is one of the most difficult things about driving a car. Even people who have had their driver’s license for years sometimes still find it difficult.
What goes wrong:
– Using the wrong speed
– Inadequate looking
– The speed of a turn after merging.
How it should be done:
– You cannot indicate with a number how fast you should drive when you are about to merge. You have to adapt your speed to the circumstances. Make sure you know the situation in time. Does the traffic go on or is there a traffic jam? Is it busy or not?
– Merging can only be successful if you observe the situation well. This starts when approaching an insertion lane. So make sure you have a good view of the main carriageway.
– Always continue to observe your mirrors and determine whether you have enough room to merge.
– Make sure you look through the corner and adjust your speed accordingly.
- Changing lanes
What many exam candidates find difficult is changing lanes when it is busy.
What goes wrong:
– Inadequate looking. A classic example is when two cars want to get into the same lane at the same time. The only way to prevent this is to keep looking.
– Not using enough space.
– Not using the right speed.
– Inadequate communication with fellow road users.
How it should be done:
– Decide when it is best to change lanes. Also, when changing lanes, check what the traffic around you is doing.
– Try to look for space.
– Above all, do not wait too long with your manoeuvre. If you wait too long, you are too late.
– If you adapt your speed to the traffic next to you, it will be easier to merge in.
– You may use your indicator to show your intention. Pay attention to what the traffic around you is doing, don’t just turn on your indicator and go.
- Decisiveness
It is important that you are decisive during your exam. Many exam candidates find it difficult to be decisive. This is often due to tension or stress. You become decisive only through sufficient car control. You must have faith in yourself, that is the most important thing. You have to be confident that you can handle the car in all circumstances. Taking enough time to observe decisions is very important. This won’t be a problem when you’ve had enough lessons. You must be able to drive without fear. Only then can you make the right decisions.
- Traffic insight
Traffic insight is one of the most important requirements to get through traffic safely. Again, you don’t build up traffic insight and awareness with a few tips from the internet. Traffic insight is understanding what your situation is, what it is going to be, what others want to do (truck unloading, for example) and understanding how someone else’s behaviour affects you. Traffic insight actually means predicting. Predicting the situation to come and responding to it. Traffic insight is something you can acquire without ever having driven a single metre. Some people will have more traffic insight than others. But the rest you can only learn with enough practice. Traffic insight is one of the most important requirements to get through traffic well. You don’t build up traffic insight and awareness with just a few tips from the internet.
Traffic insight is understanding what your situation is, what you are going to do, what others want to do and understanding how someone else’s behaviour affects you. Traffic insight has a lot to do with predicting. Predicting the situation to come and responding to it. You often have some traffic insight before you have even driven a car. This does vary from person to person. The rest you’ll learn by practising.
