Top 10 faults made in driving tests - Probe pupil risks with open and clarifying questions

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Cart

A training slide pack outlining the top 10 faults seen in driving tests and the common risk contributors behind them. It pairs guidance on assessing learner readiness with practical questioning methods, including open-ended and clarifying prompts to uncover thoughts and feelings. For each fault, it lists typical behaviors and links them to risk factors such as confidence, stress and mood, hazard and risk perception, mental workload, distractions, fatigue, alcohol and drugs, technology, and road environment considerations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Top 10 driving test faults

Questioning approach for instructors

Fault 1: Not making effective observations at junctions

Fault 2: Not using mirrors correctly when changing direction

Fault 3: Not moving off safely

Fault 4: Incorrect positioning when turning right at junctions

Fault 5: Not having proper control of the steering

Fault 6: Not responding appropriately to traffic lights

Top 10 faults made in driving tests Amanda Lane, Head of Driver Testing and Training Policy Graham O’Brien, Assistant Chief Driving Examiner Many of these reasons are top contributory factors in reported collisions Help assess if pupils have the skills, knowledge and understanding needed Explore factors with your pupils that will increase risk Probing questions • Open-ended questions • Nudges pupil towards revealing more • Explore thoughts and feelings Clarifying questions • If response is unclear or hard to understand • Avoid any confusion or misunderstanding • Show you’re listening • Personality • Confidence • Stress, mood and emotions • Risk perception • Hazard perception • Mental workload • Distractions • Fatigue • Alcohol and drugs • Technology • Road environment 1. Not making effective observations at junctions • Failing to judge the speed of an approaching vehicle • Entering a roundabout with a vehicle approaching from the right • Making no effective observations at all • Making no observations when joining a dual carriageway from a slip road • Going straight ahead at a crossroads • Looking too late • Repeatedly not looking left when turning left Risk factors Personality Confidence Stress, mood and emotions Risk perception Hazard perception Mental workload Distractions Fatigue Alcohol and drugs Technology Road environment 2. Not using mirrors correctly when changing direction • Not using mirrors when exiting aroundabout • Causing a vehicle to slow when changing lanes on a dual carriageway • Trying to change lane on aroundabout when a vehicle is directly alongside Risk factors Personality Confidence Stress, mood and emotions Risk perception Hazard perception Mental workload Distractions Fatigue Alcohol and drugs Technology Road environment 3. Not moving off safely • Moving off from behind a parked vehicle into the path of an approaching vehicle • Repeatedly moving off from the side of the road with no blind spot checks • Pulling off from the right-hand side of the road, causing an oncoming vehicle to slow or stop • Not making any rear observations when moving off following an emergency stop Risk factors Personality Confidence Stress, mood and emotions Risk perception Hazard perception Mental workload Distractions Fatigue Alcohol and drugs Technology Road environment 4. Incorrect positioning when turning right at junctions • Positioning in the left-hand lane when turning right at a roundabout • Obstructing traffic when you wait to turn right • When you want to turn right at the end of the road, you incorrectly position to the left Risk factors Personality Confidence Stress, mood and emotions Risk perception Hazard perception Mental workload Distractions Fatigue Alcohol and drugs Technology Road environment 5. Not having proper control of the steering • Repeatedly not steering enough or steering late on the approach to junctions when turning left • Not steering enough when going around a bend • Steering late when turning right into a minor road • Repeatedly mounting the pavement when pulling up on the left • Steering late when moving out to pass parked vehicles Risk factors Personality Confidence Stress, mood and emotions Risk perception Hazard perception Mental workload Distractions Fatigue Alcohol and drugs Technology Road environment 6. Not responding appropriately to traffic lights • Failing to react to red traffic light • Stopping after the first white line when there are advanced stop lines for cyclists • Not progressing when you’re waiting to turn right at a junction and it’s safe to proceed • Not going ahead when a green light is showing and the junction ahead is clear • Going ahead when a green light is showing but the junction is not clear Risk factors Personality Confidence Stress, mood and emotions R

FAQs

How should an instructor probe pupils’ understanding during driving-test training?

Use open-ended questions, nudges that encourage pupils to reveal more, and clarifying questions when responses are unclear or hard to understand while showing active listening.

What are the risk factors connected to the listed driving-test faults?

Risk factors include personality and confidence, stress, mood and emotions, risk and hazard perception, mental workload, distractions and fatigue, plus alcohol and drugs, technology, and the road environment.

What examples explain “not responding appropriately to traffic lights”?

Examples include failing to react to a red light, stopping after the first white line despite advanced stop lines for cyclists, not progressing when turning right is safe, and mismatches between green signals and whether the junction ahead is clear.

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Cart