Did you pass your driving test first time?

Kieran_Burns

First time and the first person to pass that Year (apparently). It was the first day of testing and I was the 3rd person to be tested. Clearly the other two were a bit crap and a bit quick.

I mucked up the the emergency stop but that was because I'd had my bosses, bosses boss slam into my car when I was forced to do a real emergency stop when a (bloody) cyclist popped out of a junction in front of me without looking when I was learning to drive. I'd been terrified of emergency stops for ever afterwards....

rick_chasey

Obviously.

Giraffoto

I passed on my first try. The previous two times I wasn't trying . . .

Daz555

I passed my car test and my bike test first time. Both without a single minor fault.

Do I win?

capt_slog

First time for me. Had about 5 lessons and then the test.

Riding a motorbike for 5 years helped, as did the hours I spent driving under supervision. As Frank says and I've always said to others, it's a half hour of total concentration.

markhewitt1978

1996 when 17.

Every single 'mock test' I'd done with the instructor up to that point I'd failed miserably. But I breezed through the test no problems at all. .

I then didn't bother buying a car for another 7 years!

secretsam

Took me more than one...

...5, in fact...

graeme_s-2

Failed my 1st test at 18 the day before I got my A-Level results (which weren't much better).

Didn't have another lesson until 10 years later. 3 years cycle commuting had made all the difference and I passed at my second attempt (with 10 years between the 1st and 2nd). Funnily enough I was more confident at my first test (not cocky or over confident, but I thought I'd probably pass) than I was at my second. At my second test my examiner said I was driving in a very experienced fashion and thinking and planning ahead very well, which was definitely a result of the cycling.

Have to say I still hate driving, I generally only drive when we're going on long journeys and I share the driving with my wife.

DesB3rd

2nd time.

First time I was using the inner lane of a large roundabout with a nose-tail line of static traffic filling the outside lane between 2 of the 4 exits, so I watched the static traffic for signs of cars moving through that traffic or into my lane instead of positively checking the roundabout entrance lanes which they masked.

With 15 years driving experience - no bumps, no points - I’d approach the same situation the same way, but doing so on your test is a major fault…

4kicks

Failed my first one, was taken over a single lane humpback bridge near Aylsebury which Id never been over before, my solution was to cane it over it to get over the danger area as quickly as possible, got the car airborne and actually manged to get the driving examiner to scream
Second time I had to do a real emergency stop (another car taking its test on the circuit pulled out without indicating or looking) which probably acted in my favor for the pass

seanoconn

SecretSam wrote:

Took me more than one...

...5, in fact...

5!! Samantha?

graeme_s-2

My mother in law claims to have passed her test at the 1st attempt, even though she knocked off a (bloody) cyclist during the test which apparently the examiner claimed was the cyclist's fault!

southdownswolf

2nd time.
On the 1st time, instructor said that the Amber light I went through had changed to Red

capt_slog

Looking at some of the other posts, I've just recalled my motorbike test, which I took nearly 6 years before my car test.

The examiner was an absolute git, this wasn't just my opinion, I didn't know of him before the test, and it was afterwards that other people said "You had Brown!!?" (name changed BTW). He was determined to make me lose my temper with him, amongst some of the things he said were:-

"You're a computer operator? I thought you had to be intelligent for that job"
"Do you go around at night terrorising old ladies on your bike?"
"I'd like to be able to fail you, but I can't"

In the end he wrote out my "Pass", screwed it up and threw it over his shoulder as he walked away! This piece of illigitamacy was the chief examiner at the particular branch, and there was little chance those days of getting the turd any sort of redress.

I nearly managed it though, he stepped out in front of me months afterwards when I was heading through town, he thought I was his latest victim and tried to make me do an emergency stop, and only a swerve stopped me killing the tw@t.

MrSweary

1st time. In the pouring rain. And I had to go around one of those 5 mini-roundabout super roundabouts. I'm obviously super talented. 8)

stigofthedump

southdownswolf.

Just for you from the highway code

'AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident'

nathancom

2nd time. Trying to go the wrong way down a one way street did me no favours first time round.

andy9964

Passed first time, a month before my 18th. Friday 13th 1982
Passed m/c test first time 15 years later

And if memory serves me right, I got 92% in my cycling proficiency test..........aged 10

giant_man

1st time for me, about a month before my 18th birthday, and motorcycle test 3rd attempt, funnily enough

southdownswolf

stigofthedump wrote:

southdownswolf.

Just for you from the highway code

'AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident'

No, no, no, you have that all wrong.
Amber means "this is a challenge... speed up and get to the other side as quickly as possible."


Besides, he actually said I went through a red light, not amber.
Still, I only had 10 lessons altogether include the first test.


Also, why are we the only country that thinks shuffling the hands on the steering wheel is the correct thing to do when learning?

goonz

2nd time around here. Looks like all the best were all second timers.

upperoilcan

Yup

1st time here.

The Mechanic

1st time for me. Got stuck in a traffic jam in Bridlington in August. I had no formal lessons but had been driving tractors and landrovers on a farm since I was 13 and had lots of practice with my Dad.

My Mum failed her test a million times and always blamed someone else for it, usually me or my Dad. Having been a passenger with her when she had a provisional license, I feel the examiner was doing us all a favour. She eventually passed but I left the country so I didn't end up on the same bit of road. Think I'm joking?

Kerguelen

Nope, 3rd attempt for me. Not a single fault though - felt quite smug at the time.

7 cars and 10 years later, I've given up driving. Just can't be arsed with it any more.

Mind you that could be because I ran out of money after spending it all on cars, fuel, insurance etc...

nicklouse

two lessons with an Ex rally driver (Ann Hall) she said i was ready. 10 more lessons with some other guy who did not really install any confidence.

passed first time. no idea what these minors and majors are that you mention.

thomthom

1st time like the boss I am. Drove around for 10 minutes and then he asked me if I was a racing driver or something like that. I was the best he'd ever seen. He said he knew a guy who really could use a driver like me to his formula1000 team.

Alright, he didn't quite say that but he definitely said I was good enough to pass!

Kieran_Burns

nicklouse wrote:

two lessons with an Ex rally driver (Ann Hall) she said i was ready. 10 more lessons with some other guy who did not really install any confidence.

passed first time. no idea what these minors and majors are that you mention.

They were brought in after that guy walking in front of you when you took yours stopped being needed...

nicklouse

Kieran_Burns wrote:

nicklouse wrote:

two lessons with an Ex rally driver (Ann Hall) she said i was ready. 10 more lessons with some other guy who did not really install any confidence.

passed first time. no idea what these minors and majors are that you mention.

They were brought in after that guy walking in front of you when you took yours stopped being needed...

I was a shame when we had to fire him but he really was slowing us down. But we were still going faster than most people in London.

Druidor

Car test passed 1st time
Motorbike test (direct access) 1st time down at Ashton gate Bristol