12 Unusual Driving Test Stories, Told By You

Driving tests are tricky things - I found out the hard way. On my first attempt I failed as I exited the car park because I was (stupidly) in the wrong exit lane and on my second try I didn’t pass the test after going for a gap that was a bit too small at a roundabout.

So that got me thinking, what driving test stories do you have? Yesterday I asked you for them and here are some of the best.

Omar Ortiz

It was during winter here in Colorado. I was 15 minutes into the test and had driven perfectly up until that point. Instructor told me to go on a roundabout. The road had more ice and slush on it but I didn’t think much of it at the time so I kept my speed. I was going around when I hit a patch of black ice. As you can guess the car oversteered like crazy. Gave it opposite lock and slammed the throttle to get the rear back in line. That was honestly one of the best saves I’ve ever done. I was feeling so confident that the instructor saw my incredible car control. She failed me.

TheNOISYCar

Not me, but my step brother: was doing 10mph on the hill turned right and because it was a Tiguan it just rolled over.

HappyFatMan

My first driving test was a joke! The centre was on a one way system. In my state of delirious fear I turned the wrong way and failed immediately. It was not my proudest moment!

Dominik Burk

During a driving lesson I hit the gas too hard so the wheels where spinning and my examiner immediately slammed on the brakes which forced my head to bash against the steering wheel.

Matthew Price

A friend of mine was coming to the end of her test, everything looking good and was definitely going to pass, pulled up at a roundabout about two turns away from the test centre and was rear ended by a HGV, it pushed the test car out into the middle of the road and did enough damage that it wouldn’t start again. Luckily she wasn’t hurt but they had to fail her because they were unable to complete the test.

Ben Evans

I got a minor in my test once because I didn’t shut the door properly….

Sam Barnes

I manage to fail my first test with a stupid mistake under pressure, I had just pulled up at a set of lights rather abruptly having been caught in the awkward lights just turned orange at the worst time situation. The examiner, clearly unimpressed, made a dissatisfied grunt which unsettled me and in my flustered state I put the car in to first waiting for the lights to go back to green. Now, on the Corsa a learned in, reverse and first occupy the same position in the gear lever, with only a button on the front of the gear lever making the difference between which is selected (can you tell where this is going now?). So yes, I had inadvertently selected reverse, the lights went green, and I went backwards, only about 6 inches but it was already too late. 2 weeks and £150 later I passed with 1 minor which almost made up for the embarrassment, but hey, at least I got a good story out of it…

Tom Serle

So I did my test at 8:41 am. That was actually the time slot. We were driving all around the town near where I live, wasn’t making any mistakes and doing everything right. He then asked me to do a parallel park, which to me isn’t a scary concept so I was quite excited to show off my skills. After a near perfect parallel park and my best smug face, I pulled away. I started to notice the car pulling to the left, I mentioned that there was an issue and the examiner dismissed it pretty quick. We went over a roundabout and I could feel the left week give slightly. I rolled down the window to listen and told the examiner that I had popped the tyre. He didn’t believe me but I pulled over anyway, he was reluctant to get out and check but I asked him for my own peace of mind. He got back in and confirmed my suspicion about the tyre. He passed me first time for realising the tyre was flat and my test took 30 minutes.

Pieter Paßmann

At the start of my test I got into regular morning traffic and rolled up to a crosswalk. I had 3 cars in front of me and they all halted at the crosswalk as an elderly man stood there and it seemed that he wanted to cross the road. Every car waited 15-25 seconds for the man to start walking across the road, but he stood there and did nothing. So all cars went on and I rolled up to the crosswalk. I halted and looked the man straight in the face and waited for him to cross the road. I waited almost a whole minute and the man looked away and even turned his back to the crosswalk - I thought that he was waiting for somebody (a school is across said road), so I continued my drive. OF COURSE the man immediately walked over the crosswalk as soon as I had driven over it. The test instructor started yelling at me for not letting an elder cross the road and stopped the test and failed me. I hated the whole situation so much and was so angry, that I didn’t re-test for a whole 6 months.

AutoRealist

Ok so for whatever reason they decided that the recessed gauge cluster from the Celica was a good idea in my 2004 matrix. The driving test is going along fine right up until we go to get on the highway. Now in Canada you are required to merge at exactly 100 km/h onto the highway and in order to do this the driving instructor watches quite closely. I’m holding my line on what seemed endless at the time entrance ramp and suddenly I feel something brush my ear. I continue to drive checking my left shoulder for the traffic and to my alarm the driving instructor is leaned over onto my side of the car peering down the tunnel that encloses my gauges. Startled by the sudden close proximity of the white haired stranger, my hands jerk on the wheel and we begin an ungodly wiggle in the entrance lane which I was sure would end in failure. Long story short we entered the highway at 100 and I got my license but there was little conversation for the rest of the test and I learned the importance of my personal bubble. Happy Holidays friends!

David Martin

My examiner stood in dog poo and slipped over. You could SMELL the atmosphere. The most memorable moment of my life… May 24th 2005, at 9:37am. I still feel sick to this day

JustTahmid

When I went to my driving test I got really nervous and wasn’t really thinking so for some reason while the car was still moving I pulled the handbrake. Long story short I somehow managed to pass my driving test. My instructor was surprised.

Thanks for all of your comments, you can see the full thread here

BTW: A few comments were edited slightly for grammar/spelling.