There are certain protocols to be observed when preparing to sit your Driving Test and a knowledge of these will be important.
A Driving Instructor should know these and pass them on to pupils who may be practising in their own cars.
(1) You don't park or practise parking in the Driving Test Centre car park!
(2) You don't drive past the Test candidates cars when it's obvious that a test is commencing or completing.
(3) You don't practise the Under the Bonnet Technical checks in or near a Test Centre car park. Do these Technical checks with your Driving Instructor well away from the Driving Test Centre itself.
(4) If you have been shown certain favourite spots for specific Driving Test manoeuvres by your Driving Instructor then take very great care not to be practising these techniques at these locations during Test times. We frequently see Learner Drivers camped out at Driving Test manoeuvre locations chatting with friends and generally making a nuisance of them selves
(5) By all means tackle these reversing manoeuvres after hours on Driving Test routes but choose as many as five or six different other locations for perfecting these techniques. Practise at more difficult locations will equip you with the necessary skills to pass the Driving Test providing you DO practise. Doing a manoeuvre two or three times just won't be anything like enough. Twenty or thirty times would be more appropriate!
(6) One of the most valuable aspects or preparing for your Driving Test is to visit the chosen Driving Test Centre on different days of the week and at different times of day. You will then become acquainted with the changing traffic flows and volume and you can get a good idea of what you can expect on your particular Test Day and time.
(7) Do not park in designated Examiner Car spaces when practising.
(8) Reducing the number of surprises that you might face on your Driving Test will give you a substantial edge and stack the cards in your favour.
(9) Things to watch out for in the vicinity of a Driving Test Centre are major road or building works; new road layouts, especially those incorporating Traffic lights and road resurfacing. All of these different scenarios will present the Learner Driver with substantial difficulties that will have to be dealt with very efficiently and safely if the Examiner is to be satisfied. Building projects which very often lead to an entirely new traffic flow arrangement are continuing a a rapid rate all over Ireland.
There is not a Test Centre in the country that is unaffected by these rapid changes to the landscape. Just have a look at the skyline and count the number of cranes that you see in Towns and Cities!
One final note to aspiring Driving Test Candidates and that is despite the lengthy delays in getting a Driving Test appointment it is not at all advisable to apply for a Test the other side of the country. Some less populated areas have a shorter Driving Test waiting list but unless you can take a couple of weeks holiday in a particular area to practise, having lessons with a local Instructor, there will not be enough time for you to familiarise yourself with all of the above hints and tips.
You would have to be an exceptional Driver to pass a Driving Test in an area that you are completely unfamiliar with.
Robin Piggott is a Driving Instructor in Ireland who brings four decades of experience to his Astral Driving School based in Limerick. His web site can be found at astraldrivingschool.ie Here you can find a treasure trove of everything for the Learner Driver from the Theory Test to Motorway Techniques and Advanced Skills Pick up a free seven part mini course "Pass Your Driving Test Driving Test First Time" and stack the cards in your favour.
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