Taking your driving test is not the most stressful thing in the world you can do, but try telling that to someone about to take their test. I have known pupils shaking uncontrollably because they were so nervous. It is not life or death. Sure, it costs another £62 if it doesn't go to plan, but that is nothing compared to what you will be spending on driving over the next fifty/sixty/seventy years - It's less than it costs me to fill up my fuel tank. As I suggested a few weeks ago, the nerves I believe are largely to do with what you believe others will think of you.
A few months ago I received an email from someone who was looking for an 'intensive course'. I am always a bit wary when someone asks about this. Sometimes there can be good reason, but often, if they have waited 17 years to be able to drive, why not be patient and wait another few months. Anyway, this one was different. She had taken her test (and failed) three times, in Glasgow. I did not investigate too thoroughly, but she decided that maybe a change of location was the answer. I was still wary. I have previously written about Inverness instructors taking their pupils to test in Gairloch (or Ullapool or Kingussie) because they have a higher pass rate and, supposedly, are easier. I also remember, when I was on a pink badge (a trainee instructor), another instructor advising me to take my Part 3 exam in Aberdeen, or Glasgow, because the examiners were more lenient than in Inverness (I didn't take her advice). So, my initial reaction was 'if you are not good enough to pass in Glasgow (where she lives), how will she cope with day-to-day driving once she manages to pass her test in somewhere she believed might be easier?'
Over a few emails she explained what had happened in her tests and I began to think that her driving sounded close to test standard. I explained that I mainly cover three separate test areas (Elgin, Inverness and Ullapool), briefly gave her a description of each, but explained that Elgin and Inverness would have more chance of an earlier test. To her credit, she chose Elgin.
I enjoy teaching in all three areas but, if I was pushed to say which was the hardest, I would say Elgin. Sure, Inverness is bigger, has dual-carriageways and some (slightly) weird roundabouts, but Elgin is much more concentrated. The Inverness - Aberdeen route (A96) flows through Elgin, with no obvious alternative. This means all the small roundabouts on the A96 are quite fast-flowing and, therefore, quite daunting to the novice driver. And some of them are so closely spaced that, as soon as you leave one, you have to prepare for the next.
When I met Hazel last week I quizzed her on her driving. We didn't have much time so I wanted to concentrate on her weaknesses. She suggested that 'meeting traffic' (dealing with oncoming traffic in narrow situations) was her biggest weakness. "Manoeuvres ok?" "Yes." "How about roundabouts?" "They're fine, there's quite a lot in Glasgow."
Ok, Glasgow does have a lot of roundabouts, but it had not prepared her for Elgin, and it soon became clear that, to my eyes, they were her biggest weakness. The secret is, like any junction, to give yourself plenty of time to prepare. You don't want to be still braking firmly as you are looking for the gaps in the traffic, you want to be ready to accelerate into those gaps. The slower you go, the more time you will have to see those gaps, but the slower you go, the bigger the gap you will need - quite a balance.
In her 'mini-intensive course' we covered everything, but really focused on meeting situations and roundabouts. Then, at 12.30 on Tuesday, I picked her up for a final hour before her test. The weather was not kind - it was lashing it down. While weather reports suggested England and Wales were suffering tropical temperatures, Elgin was suffering tropical rain. In addition, I don't think I have ever seen the town so busy with traffic. Not the ideal conditions to soothe pre-test nerves.
With 15 minutes before the 1.33pm test time, I had a gentle 5 minute drive back to the test centre planned. "When we get to the roundabout, turn left." I asked. She checked her mirrors, indicated left, brought her speed down, selected 2nd gear, saw the gap and accelerated...... straight across the roundabout!!! Gulp!
Having to think very quickly about an alternative route, I suggested she took a left turn up ahead. Traffic going in the other direction was at a standstill, so I didn't want to bring her back to that. She turned left only to face a temporary sign 'Road closed ahead'. Big gulp!! We were now a good 5 - 10 minutes from the test centre and less than ten minutes to go. Not only that, but my mind was racing, trying to think of the quickest route back to the test centre. I decided I didn't want Hazel sitting at the wheel in all that traffic, getting increasingly nervous as the clock counted down to 1.33pm. I asked her to pull over and, in what I hoped was a calm voice, suggested that we swap seats so that I could get her through the traffic to the test centre.
While trying to bring an air of calm, I thought I had better ask her what happened at the roundabout, why did she signal left, but not turn?
"I don't know. I think my brain just fused."
It wouldn't have been productive to have analysed the fault so close to her test, so I just reassured her and suggested that it was not something she ought to do in future.
We got to the test centre with about a minute to spare. The rain was getting heavier and the exit to the test centre car park was surrounded by inconveniently parked vehicles. I have to have complete faith in Hazel and trust that I don't need to give her any last-minute warnings about such things. So I simply ask her to drive as she normally does and she will be fine.
She meets the examiner and off she goes. I am the most nervous about a test as I have been in years. It is nothing to do with the badly parked vehicles, nothing to do with the dreadful weather conditions, nothing to do with the slightly frantic last few minutes, and nothing to do with her little faux pas at the roundabout. I am nervous because, after her initial attempts in her home city, she has arranged time away from home, paid to stay in a hotel in Elgin (plus the money she is paying me), and has put her trust in me to polish up her driving and help her pass her test - and this is my one shot at it. I can't imagine her wanting to come back to Elgin/Inverness/Ullapool (all at least three hours from south Glasgow) and do it all again if she is not successful.
It is over 50 minutes before I finally see her drive back into the car park, the rain not relenting at all. I wait outside, standing beneath a porch for shelter. The examiner looks at me and beckons me over. Oh dear, not usually a good sign. The rain is hammering down, so I am pleased I have a 5-door, so I can get into the back seat (rather than stand out in the rain). He is silent while he tots up her driving faults (five), then turns to her and tells her that she has passed. I love that moment. You will rarely see any greater expression of happiness. When the examiner tells a pupil that they have passed, they don't just smile, their whole face beams, their eyes widen and it is impossible to look more happy.
I drove Hazel to the train station and she tried to give me £10 too much. I told her it wasn't necessary and that she should put it towards her first tank of fuel. She replied "No, I shall put it towards some Champagne!" A much better idea, I thought.
Driving on to my next lesson, I had my wrist mildly slapped. Hazel had turned the headlights off after her test and I had driven off without putting them back on. It certainly wasn't dark, but, if I had realised, I would have put my lights on. Anyway, an oncoming car flashed me and I presumed they were suggesting I should put my lights on. But of all the cars that could have flashed me, it had to be an Audi driver. Aargh! The shame of having my driving corrected by an Audi driver! I wonder how they would have alerted the RED driving instructor, a few miles later in Nairn, that they really shouldn't be using their mobile phone while driving - not a good advertisement or a good example.
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