This week started badly when I learned that someone, who recently passed with me, lost control of their car as a result of driving too fast and rolled their car, with other passengers inside. Luckily, no-one was seriously hurt (although the car was a write-off), but the driver is being questioned by the police. I’m not completely au fait with the penalties, but if he picks up 6 penalty points within two years of passing his test, he will lose his licence and have to re-sit both Theory and Practical parts of his test again. Not big and not clever.
One of his passengers was a current pupil of mine, from Ullapool, due to take his own driving test (1st attempt) this week in Inverness. In addition, I had two other pupils from Ullapool taking their tests (1st attempts) in Inverness, and no less than six other pupils taking their test in Ullapool (four for the 1st time). A busy week then, but a week now haunted with the responsibility of potentially giving nine young drivers the freedom to drive unsupervised. One could argue that it is the examiner’s responsibility to make that decision, not mine, but the examiner only has forty minutes to find potentially dangerous faults, whereas I have hours of lessons.
As I much as I try to instil the DSA’s motto of “Safe driving for life”, it is obvious that this doesn’t always sink in with the pupil; they are merely concerned with having a piece of paper which enables them to drive independently. Every time a pupil passes their test I try to encourage them to take the Pass Plus course (especially when the Highland Council provide a grant of £100 towards it). Admittedly, it is extra business for me, but it is also very much in the interest of the pupil, both in building their confidence in dealing with difficult driving situations, and also in possibly reducing their car insurance premiums.
My first test pupil this week was one who has been with me for nine months now. Unfortunately, by the time she had passed her theory, she was unable to get a test date in Ullapool before she goes to university. So, although the idea scared her, we decided to go for a test in Inverness and she had two hour’s lessons last week to transfer her existing skills to the roundabouts and multi-lane roads of Inverness. Also taking his test in Inverness on Monday was another Ullapool pupil who had not had a single lesson in Inverness. A very important lesson was learned here: Driving Instructors - CHECK YOUR PUPIL’S TEST TIME….
Both pupils made the 60 mile journey into Inverness to meet me four hours before the first test. The idea was that they would share a four hour lesson, so that they could see as much of the city as possible. Both were happy with this arrangement and both knew when the other’s test was. I confirmed with my first pupil when her test was (2.30pm) and then, to the next pupil, I said “And your test is at 3.27pm.”
“No.. I don’t think so….” He got his iPhone out and showed me the confirmation, “It’s at 2.57pm.”
“But Siobhan won’t be back from her test by then, so we won’t have a car.” Trying to keep the panic out of my voice.
“Does the Test Centre only have one car then?” He naively enquired.
“No… They don’t have any cars,” I mentally slapped my own forehead, “you will be taking the test in this car….. At least, you should have been.”
Hmmm, what to do? We went straight to the test centre to explain the situation and ask if there was any way he could have a different test time?
“There is a free slot at 1.33pm.”
Relief. “We’ll have that then.”
“You’ll just have to call the DSA, or, if you can get online, you can change it yourself.”
I thanked the examiner and got immediately online - the DSA’s website is not the easiest to read on my little Nokia. No test available. I immediately called the DSA and, after several minutes being told by the machine that I could do all this online, a human answered and told me the same thing, “No test available at 1.33pm”
“But…but… never mind. Thank you.”
Big sigh. What now? I called Eddie at BSM and I called some other independent instructors I know, but no-one was free at the required time. There was only one thing for it; my daughters. Our other car, a bloody great Nissan Navara, was ‘not suitable’ for test, so maybe Anna could spare her Peugeot 206, or Rachel could spare her ‘modified’ Astra. No answer from Anna, but Rachel was willing to drive into Inverness and help us out. I warned her that it would involve putting up with sitting with me in the Test Centre for forty minutes, but she did not mind.
With the problem solved (to some extent), we concentrated on introducing my pupils to Inverness. Those few hours flew by and it was soon 2.15pm - time for us to get to the test centre. The plan was for Siobhan to go off on her test, then for Rachel to drop her car off so that Jason would have ten minutes to get used to a car he had never driven before, in a city he had 90 minutes experience of. Gulp.
Siobhan went off on her test, muttering that this was a bad idea, and Rachel arrived with her 240BHP-Turbo-rocket Astra, with all manner of spoilers, arches and modifications. Jason’s face lit up, “Oh YES!!!…. I get to drive THIS?!” Rachel was very calm about the idea of a complete stranger, who is barely 17, driving her very potent car. Jason and I had ten minutes for him to get used to the car. The engine growled as the turbos kicked in and we were thrown back in our seats. “The examiner is going to take one look at the car and presume you are a boy-racer. DON’T confirm his suspicions!” I warned.
“I won’t. I’ll drive normally, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get another ten minutes in a car like this, so I just wanted to have a little go.”
I couldn’t deny him that. I would been exactly the same. And, besides, I was extremely impressed at how quickly he adapted to the car.
Off he went on his test and, ten minutes later Siobhan returned in my Clio. The examiner called me over and, as he opened the door, Siobhan looked at me and said “I’m sorry.”
Before I could ask, the examiner said “I don’t know what you’re sorry for. You’ve passed.”
After giving me a hug and an excited couple of sentences about her test experience she called her mum. Within fifteen minutes it seemed that virtually the whole of Ullapool had called or text her to offer their congratulations.
I heard Jason returning before I saw him, the low throb of the engine was very familiar. Unfortunately, he missed a gap in the traffic at a roundabout. That’s fair enough, the examiner would have given him a minor fault for hesitation. But when he failed to go at the next opportunity the examiner considered that this was holding up traffic and gave him a serious fault. Neither of us could believe it. I was so sure he would pass and, especially with all that extra power under the bonnet, the idea that he would fail for hesitation is something that he will cause him to kick himself for weeks.
The next day, I had another Ullapool pupil on test in Inverness. Neither he, nor Jason had been able to get a test in Ullapool before November, so Inverness it had to be. I was as confident as it is possible to be about this one. He had had two hours in Inverness the previous night and another two hours just before his test. Despite these four hours being his only experience of roundabouts, dual-carriageways, traffic lights and Inverness traffic, I struggle to remember a single fault. To my surprise, when the examiner asked if he wanted me to sit in the back he said ‘Aye’.
Sitting in the back of a test is usually a tense experience as I sit there silently thinking “Why are you doing this? You never do this during your lessons!” However, I was completely relaxed as he sailed around the test route. I had not found a single fault. Two-thirds of the way around, he turned right at some traffic lights, into a 40mph road with more traffic lights 100m ahead. These lights were red, but if he built up his speed slowly the lights would change in plenty of time. He did not build up his speed slowly… he was quickly getting towards 40mph. I’m sat in the back thinking “Ease off… ease off…. brake…. BRAKE!” Just as we were about to go through the red light the examiner hastily said “Brake for the red light.” Alarm spread over his face in less than a millisecond and he braked hard (luckily, nothing was behind us) to a stop, just over the line. The lights changed to green, but too late.
He drove on, but was clearly shaken, and made three minor faults in the next couple of minutes - his only minor faults in the whole test.
“What happened?” I asked, once the examiner had gone.
“I don’t know. I can’t explain it. I just didn’t see the light.”
36 hours later and I’m still thinking about what happened. Where was he looking? All it would have taken is for one vehicle to have been in front of us, or for those lights to have changed two seconds earlier. But, as much as I want my pupils to pass, sometimes I think they need a shock like that to realise that driving can be a matter or life or death.
The very next day and I’m back in Ullapool for the monthly tests. There are seven tests going ahead and six of them are my pupils. Four first attempts and two second attempts.
Got off to a bad start when my 8.40am pupil test failed with three serious faults. Worrying. After a result like that it is easy to think that I may be misjudging my pupils’ abilities.
Jamie got things back on track with a comfortable pass at 9.37am on his first attempt.
The 10.44 test was taken by the Inverness instructor I have mentioned before - the one I never see in Ullapool except on test days. I guess I have to believe that his pupil is from Ullapool. For the third time in three tests his pupil failed.
Daniel was next and another comfortable first-time pass. Rewarding after a very rapid improvement recently.
Then came Fionnlagh on his second attempt. In May he made the mistake of misjudging a meeting situation and tried to squeeze through a gap that was too small for him and the oncoming campervan (which had to stop and wait for him). I have been telling him to be more ‘cool’ with his driving (he probably regards me with embarrassment and pity after using that word). But in using that word I was trying to get him not to rush into situations that may cause him problems; to look ahead and ease off early to give him time to assess the situation. Whether it was my advice, or just the fact that he is a much improved driver, he had a much better drive comfortably.
Alasdair had the 2.30pm test. Almost from the start he has probably got sick of me emphasising the need for effective observation and proper use of mirrors. If he was sick of my voice I should hope he is glad of my nagging now because he also passed, first time. And with only one mirror fault.
Finally, came James. James was the pupil who turned up to his last test with an old-style driving licence (no photo card), but forgot to bring his passport with him for proof of identity. Result - the test could not go ahead. This time I double-checked that he had all the necessary documents and he brought the tests to a very satisfactory end, passing with only 2 minor faults.
As always, my feelings of disappointment for the one fail almost outweigh the delight for the five passes. It does leave some big gaps in my diary over the next few weeks, but I am hoping that (especially in such a relatively small community), the success of the five pupils that passed will inspire others to enquire about lessons. And, hopefully, some of those who passed this week will take my advice and join me for the Pass Plus course. I’ll do whatever it takes to make my pupils safer drivers - the next time they may not be as lucky as the one I talked about at the start of this post. As John Travolta and I would say, “Be cool”.
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