Practical driving Test Tips

Problem	Reason	Solution
You acknowledged a courtesy by taking your hand off the wheel	Because you were unaware of the possible consequences	Nod your head and smile to acknowledge courtesy. Taking your hand(s) off the wheel will reduce your control by 50%
You didn’t reapply the signal when it cancelled	Because you were unaware it had cancelled	Listen for the clicking of the indicator, and look for the blinking of the light to alert you to the indicator being on. Reapply immediately if it cancels
You didn’t signal	Because you were unaware of its necessity	Signal When you intend to turn from one road to another. In other situations give signals if it would help or warn others
You didn’t signal when it was necessary	Because you didn’t check effectively before deciding	Look ahead, check in mirrors and act on the information before deciding whether to signal
You didn’t time your signal correctly	Because you didn’t act on the information from your mirrors and / or what was happening ahead	Adjust the timing of your signal to help and warn other road users, including pedestrians
You gave an unofficial signal (headlight flash, head or hand movement and so on)	Because you thought it was helpful	Use only officially recognised signals. Other signals could be misinterpreted and lead others to proceed unsafely
You signalled incorrectly	Because you took your hand off the wheel to do so	Use your longest, usually middle, finger to operate the indicator.
You signalled incorrectly	Because you signalled the wrong way	Move the lever in the direction you want to go: left for left and right for right
You signalled incorrectly	Because you slammed it on	Use a smooth positive movement
You signalled incorrectly	Because you didn’t use enough pressure on the lever	Use a smooth positive movement with enough pressure to ensure the signal stays on
You signalled incorrectly	Because you’re holding it down	Once the lever has clicked into place release your finger pressure
You signalled incorrectly	Because the signal cancelled (and you didn’t re-apply it)	Look and listen for clues that the signal has cancelled: no light blinking, no clicking. Re-apply it immediately
You signalled incorrectly by arm	Because you only used your hand	Use the full extent of your arm. They are arm signals, not hand signals
You signalled incorrectly by arm	Because you used the wrong arm movement	Use only those arm signals shown in the Highway Code. Advise the pupil about the correct arm signals, and get them w demonstrate, whilst stationary
You signalled incorrectly by arm	Because you gave it for too long, reducing your steering control	Give the signal for as long as it takes to say slowly, ‘I am slowing down or stopping’. Return the hand to the steering wheel and, if necessary, repeat after a short interval, say, 5 seconds.
You signalled incorrectly by arm	Because you didn’t give it for long enough	Give the signal for long enough, say, for 3 seconds, so that others can see it and react to it
You signalled the wrong way	Because you moved the indicator stalk the wrong way	Move the indicator stalk in the same direction as you want to go
You signalled too early	Because you didn’t realise there were two turnings close together	Signal once you are halfway across the first turning. Until that point, use your brake lights to warn following traffic
You signalled too late	Because you weren’t aware of when you should start signalling	Signal earlier, say, 3 car lengths earlier than you did
You signalled too late	Because you were unsure where the turning was	Signal no earlier than about 6 -7 car lengths, as a general guideline, from the turn. The higher the speed the earlier the signal; on Mways and unrestricted DCs this would be at the 300 yard marker
You signalled unnecessarily	Because you were unsure about whether to give a signal or not	Only signal to pull up if it would help or warn another road user - this includes pedestrians, cyclists and drivers / riders to the front, sides and / or rear
You signalled unnecessarily	Because you signalled automatically	Signal only if it would benefit others. An automatic signal could cause inconvenience or danger
You signalled unnecessarily (before moving away / pulling up)	Because you just signalled automatically	Signal only if it would help or warn other road users, including pedestrians, before moving away
You signalled unnecessarily (when passing parked vehicles obstructions)	Because you thought it was necessary	Signal only if it would help others. Signalling to go around parked cars can often confuse or mislead, rather than inform. Early positioning will often ‘signal’ your intentions more clearly
You used the indicator stalk incorrectly	Because you took your hand off the wheel	Keep your hand on the wheel and use your longest, usually Middle, finger to operate the stalk
Your signal was ineffective	Because you didn’t realise that turning one way then another could affect the indicators	Be aware of situations when this would happen - steering one way then another, for example
Your signal was ineffective	Because you gave it too late to be of use to others	Signal earlier, say 3 car lengths earlier, and in good time
Your signal was misleading	Because you only let it click twice and then cancelled it	Signal for long enough that others have time to see it and react to it
Your signal was misleading	Because you-gave it too early	Signal later, say 2 car lengths, to give a clearer indication of your intentions

Practical Driving Test Tips To Help You With Your Driving Lessons And The DSA Driving Test

Practical Driving Test Tips

Driving Tips - SIGNALS