What would the world be without exams? Everyday would be like a tropical holiday….stress-free and relaxing. To have the privilege of driving on the road however, you must pass your red Ps test to make sure you’re a competent and safe driver. The pressure to perform well can be intense, especially after finding out that your friends and family know you’re going for your Ps. To help relieve your nerves and the pressure involved, we put this quick guide together to prepare you for your examinations.
The Test
If you have had your Ls for at-least 12 months and have logged 120 hours driving (including 20 hours of night driving) and have turned 17, then you’re ready to go for your P1 licence.
The most common mistakes
Our instructors have all unanimously agreed that the mistakes that most often result in students failing their P’s are small, including things like forgetting to use your indicators or performing head checks. These small habits are however very important to do while you’re driving. These mistakes can easily be turned into habits which you will start to do without even noticing that you’re doing them!
Indicating
You certainly can’t just signal and start driving off. Signalling is important because it tells other drivers what you’re going to do next. It is important to leave your signal on for 5 seconds prior to making a turn, leaving a car park spot or moving from a kerb. Leaving your indicators on for too long is also not correct as this will confuse other drivers.
Blind Spot checks Not checking your blind spot is also a common mistake. You need to check your blind spot and mirrors before deciding to merge lanes, change lanes and during other manoeuvres. It is very important to check your blind spot as you never know when something could be travelling in that area.
Stop Signs Rolling through a stop sign is also a common mistake. When approaching a stop sign you need to bring your car to a complete stop behind the stop line. You can move from the stop line after doing an observation check and making sure it is safe to do so.
Judging your speed
If you exceed the speed limit then you automatically fail the exam. Pay extra attention when going down steep roads or hills because the downward motion of the road can make you exceed your speed limit. Remember going too slow can also result in a fail. Keep to the speed limit and make sure you gaze at your instruments every 10 seconds.
Look at it as something that you just need to do to sharpen your driving skills to become a safer and more competent driver on the road. Take a few deep breathes, have a chat with your testing officer and remember to take your time.
If you happen to make mistakes during your test don’t dwell on it. We are all humans including your testing officer so we are allowed to make mistakes. Keep driving and make sure you do perform other takes to the best of your ability. Just remember to treat it like another driving lesson and follow the road rules and regulation and you’ll do great!!
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