Can you fail a driving test for stalling?
From the very first driving lesson learner drivers worry about stalling. Regardless of what their driving instructor say, they tend to gauge how well they’ve done it in on the number of stalls during the lesson. Ask any learner driver what their greatest fear is whilst in the driving test. The answer is usually stalling. Many learner drivers are under the misconception that there will fail the whole driving test if they stall. However, this is not always the case. And a number of factors. For example, where the person stalls, many times the person stalls and most importantly how to deal with it.
Stalling once on the Driving Test
If you installed when trying to move off from a parked position, generally speaking, this will be marked down as a driver error (Minor fault). You are allowed to make up to 15 minor faults and still pass your practical driving test. However, if you staled at a junction, the driving examiner will take into consideration the inconvenience caused to the traffic behind you as well as the traffic in front of you.
I’m going to give you three examples here. The first example is whether learner driver stalls, remains calm and restarts the engine and continues as normal. This may cause some inconvenience to the driver behind him and would be marked as a minor fault. In the second example, we have the same situation but this time let’s assume the driver behind gets upset, horns at you and overtakes you dangerously. This would be marked as a serious fault. In the third example, assume that there is no one behind you but as you move forward you stall well past the give way lines. This forces the traffic on the main road swerve around you. If this does not cause any inconvenience to any other road user, it will be marked as a minor error. However, if drivers are forced to swerve around you, this will be marked as a serious fault.
Stalling two or Three times in the Driving Test
If you stalled continuously at a junction after the other, this would have to be marked as a serious fault. However, if you stall at the first junction and then did the second and the third junction perfectly correctly, followed another stall at the fourth junction. The two stalls would be marked as two separate minor faults. You continued to drive without stalling and then stored one more times towards the end of the driving test. This would again be marked as a minor mistake. Therefore, in total, you will occur three minor faults for stalling.
What should you do if you stall in a driving test?
The most important thing is to try to stay relaxed. Apply the foot brake to stop to prevent the car from rolling backwards. If you have time, apply the handbrake and put the car into neutral. Restart the vehicle, check all mirrors and then move off as normal. However, the most important priority is to get the car moving safely so it is not causing inconvenience to other road users. If you have stalled at a busy junction, do not waste time putting on the handbrake and going into neutral. However, you will still need to apply the foot brake to prevent the car from rolling back. You may restart the car simply by having a foot fully down on the clutch pedal. Bear in mind that sterling is usually a minor fault causing inconvenience to other road users will often be marked as a serious fault.
The Importance of Relaxing after a Stall
The most important thing to bear in mind is that stalling usually a minor fault. Especially there is no one around you, take a deep breath before restarting the engine and attempting to move off. I once had a pupil who stalled on a hill. The car started to roll back which made her panic. She applied the handbrake and put the vehicle into neutral and restarted the engine. She attempted to get the biting point and then release the handbrake only to find that the car rolled back. After two more attempts, she asked the examiner for help. The driving examiner mentioned that she was trying to start off still in neutral and advised to select the first gear.
Still Stalling a Week Before the Driving Test
You should only attend for your practical driving test if you are fully prepared. If you are still stalling the car a week before the driving test, then basically you require more practice. It would be advisable to reschedule your driving test to an alternative date. DTC driving test services can book your driving test within two weeks at a local driving test centre to you.
