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These are the most common reasons why people fail their driving test in the UK

This could explain a few things…

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Anyone who’s ever sat behind the wheel will know only too well the the colossal stress the process of learning to drive can bring with it. 

Trying to abide by the rules of the road and keep the car on all four wheels while also winning over a fed-up driving examiner isn’t the most pleasant of tasks and, for many of us, it can reflect badly in the overall test result (second-time passer, over here).

But now, for those of you still struggling to get your provisional license from green to pink, the government has shared a guide that instructs wannabe drivers what not to do during a driving test, along with the top ten reasons as to why drivers tend to fail in the UK.

The guide, which was published last year, gives examples of the most common types of mistakes people make during these tests, ranging from not using mirrors correctly when changing direction to not having control of the vehicle when parking.

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But according to the guide, there are some mistakes people make more often than others. Here are the ten most frequent mishaps…

1. Not making effective observations at junctions

This includes failing to accurately judge the speed of an approaching vehicle, entering a roundabout with a vehicle approaching from the right, making no observations when joining a dual carriageway from a slip road, going straight ahead at a crossroads, looking too late and repeatedly not looking left when turning left.

According to the guide, drivers failing to make effective observations accounted for 37% of all reported accidents in Great Britain in 2019.

2. Not using mirrors correctly when changing direction

We all know someone guilty of this; examples include include not using mirrors when exiting a roundabout, causing a vehicle to slow when changing lanes on a dual carriageway, trying to change lane on a roundabout when a vehicle is directly alongside and not checking mirrors when exiting a roundabout.

3. Not having proper control of the steering

It turns out a massive number of people are guilty of not having full control of the steering wheel, with the guide reporting that more than one in ten reported accidents in Great Britain in 2019 were caused by the driver making a poor turn or manoeuvre.

Examples of this include 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 and steering late when moving out to pass parked vehicles.

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4. Incorrect positioning when turning right at junctions

Turning right will always be one of the more unpleasant parts of learning to drive, and it turns out it’s one of the biggest reasons for people flunking their tests.

Examples include positioning the vehicle in the left-hand lane when turning right at a roundabout, obstructing traffic when you wait to turn right and when you want to turn right at the end of the road, you incorrectly position to the left.

5. Not moving off safely

Examples of this include 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 of the road, causing an oncoming vehicle to slow or stop and not making any rear observations when moving off following an emergency stop.

6. Not responding appropriately to traffic lights

One of the easiest parts of driving is understanding how traffic lights work – red means stop, green means go, it’s pretty simple – so this factor came as quite the surprise.

According to the guide, examples of this mistake include failing to react to a 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 and going ahead when a green light is showing but the junction is not clear.

7. Poor positioning on the road during normal driving

It turns out Brits’ spacial awareness isn’t great during tests, with common examples in the guide including learner drivers repeatedly driving too close to the kerb or centre of the road, unnecessarily driving in the right-hand land of a dual carriageway and cutting across the normal road position when you go ahead at a roundabout with no lane markings. 

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8.  Not responding correctly to traffic signs

Another seemingly easy factor of driving is reading traffic signs but, apparently, learner drivers struggle with this too.

Examples include going to the wrong side of a ‘keep left’ sign, ignoring a ‘stop or ‘no entry’ sign, driving in a bus lane, choosing the wrong lane at a roundabout with clear signage and acting late or not at all to speed limit changes.

9. Not having control of the vehicle when moving off

A big part of driving is having control of the vehicle so, obviously, there may be some cause for concern if a learner is completely out of control.

Examples of this include stalling or rolling back when trying to move off, repeatedly stalling when moving off, stalling repeatedly when moving off on one occasion and trying to move off without selecting a gear and then rolling back.

The guide says: “There were 942 reported accidents in Great Britain in 2019 caused by driver error when moving off at junctions.”

10. Not keeping control of the vehicle during reverse parking

Okay, you can hardly blame the poor learner drivers for this because, as anyone who’s driven before will know, reverse parking is easily the worst part of driving.

Examples include wheels ending up on the pavement at the end of a parallel park, too many attempts to reposition when parking, losing control of the car when parking in a bay and ending up barking outside of the bay.

You can read the full government guide here.

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Former Corrie actress Helen Flanagan reveals psychosis episode due to ADHD medication reaction

Flanagan shared the health update on Instagram after taking a break from social media

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Former Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan has revealed she experienced an episode of psychosis after having a ‘bad reaction’ to ADHD medication.

Flanagan shared that she had been struggling with her mental health after splitting from her ex-partner 18 months ago.

She said she had been really struggling with her mental health in December and January.

@hjgflanagan / Instagram

She also had to pull out of a theatre tour where she was supposed to play the role of Miss Scarlett in Cluedo 2 – The Next Chapter.

The 33-year-old who is a single mother to three children – Matilda, seven, Delilah, five, and Charlie, two, who she shares with Scott Sinclair – is best known for playing Rosie Webster in Coronation Street.

She split from footballer Sinclair in October 2022.

In a post on Instagram, after ‘having a few months off’ from social media, Flanagan wrote: “Had a few months off from social but I’m back now xxx. So basically I really struggled mental health wise December/ January xxx.

@hjgflanagan / Instagram

“I felt really not great in my head over Christmas and I didn’t really feel that much different when I took the kids away for new year xxx 

“I had a lot of difficult things going on things I just can’t talk about on Instagram x.”

Flanagan continued: “I felt terrible, so I was due my theatre tour which I was excited about so when I came back from holiday I thought it was best for me to take some medication so I’d feel better and be able to cope better with being a working single mum of three and I was emotionally struggling with the break up from the father of my kids but I had a really bad reaction though to the medication ( an ADHD medication) and it sent me into a psychosis for a few days which I didn’t know I was in x.

@hjgflanagan / Instagram

“I just love my kids so much x this bad reaction though was a few days before rehearsals were starting and sadly I just wasn’t mentally well enough to do it xxx.

“I was heartbroken as I’ve always been professional as an actress but i needed to stay at home and feel better for me and my kids, with the help of my amazing parents xxx.”

The actress and model added: “I’ve always been honest on here and I feel in a really good happy place now xxx.

“therapy can be amazing and I feel like I’ve worked on myself with things that were quite tough to me but I feel lighter now anyway sending love and please be kind.”

In the comments section, Girls Aloud member Nadine Coyle wrote: “Sending loads of love gorgeous girl!!! Xxx.” Carol Vorderman also posted: “Sending huge love my little meerkat angel.” And former Made In Chelsea star Ashley James commented: “I love you. nice to see you back.” 

About Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), NHS England says: “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people’s behaviour. 

“People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.Symptoms of ADHD tend to be noticed at an early age and may become more noticeable when a child’s circumstances change, such as when they start school.

“Most cases are diagnosed when children are under 12 years old, but sometimes it’s diagnosed later in childhood.”

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Northern hiring train drivers with salaries of £54,000 per year

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Northern

Northern, which operate trains across Greater Manchester and the North of England, is looking to hire train drivers.

The company is hoping to entice people who haven’t considered a career in rail before, with no experience required.

If successful you’ll eventually earn £54,000 per year, following a 64-week training course – the starting salary during this training period is £23,000.

Northern


And if you fancy becoming a conductor instead, wages start at £22,000 before rising to £29,000 following a 16-week training course.

Throughout the year Northern wants to hire more than 300 train drivers and conductors,  which breaks down as 108 drivers and 198 conductors.

Recruits will be able to train in both Manchester and Leeds, and you must finish a paid apprenticeship in one of these two training academies.

Available roles will be advertised over the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled.

Northern


The company’s chief operating officer, Tricia Williams, said: “We have a range of rewarding roles for anyone who wants to become part of a dedicated team that runs more than 2,500 services a day to over 500 destinations.

“We are looking for customer-focused people with excellent communication skills who thrive in a dynamic environment and may not have considered a career in rail before.

“Successful applicants will demonstrate a high level of responsibility, a strong work ethic and a commitment to maintaining safety standards.

“We’ll be recruiting throughout the year and provide all the training you need. We want our workforce to reflect the communities we serve and we’re proud to include people from all walks of life in our team, from military veterans and ex-police officers, to former office workers and stay-at-home parents.”

Head to Northern’s careers page here for further info and job alerts.

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Drivers are now realising they’ve been using roundabouts wrong

Are you using roundabouts correctly?

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Rumeysa / Pexels & Gerald England / Geograph

They may have passed their tests a while ago, but some drivers are only just realising they have been using roundabouts wrong.

When it comes to roundabouts, most drivers will probably feel very confident they know what they are doing and think they how to use them correctly.

So, you know to give way to the right, but which way should you be indicating and which lane should you select for the turn-off you want?

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We all remember being a nervous learner driver and the sheer panic that would overcome you when approaching a roundabout.

But after plenty of practice they soon become a doddle – until you’ve been driving while and have picked up some bad habits.

Roundabouts are some of the most common places where you hear angry drivers beeping their horns because someone has pulled out or driven into the wrong lane, and all sorts of silly reasons.

Rumeysa / Pexels

Many motorists will already know that if you’re taking the first exit off the roundabout, you select the left-hand lane and use your indicator to signal left – unless some signs or markings indicate otherwise – as per the Highway Code.

And when you’re turning right, you should select the right-hand lane with your indicator signalling right – and keep to the right before you need to change lanes.

However, if you’re driving straight over the roundabout, this is where many drivers get a little confused and make common mistakes.

Gerald England / Geograph

According to the Highway Code, if your ‘intermediate exit’ is positioned at 12 ’o’ clock, you need to be in the left-hand lane – not the right-hand lane as many drivers seem to think.

It sates that you should ‘select the appropriate lane on approach to the roundabout, you should not normally need to signal on approach, you should stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout, and you should signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want’.

It says that when there are more than three lanes at the entrance to a roundabout, you should use the most appropriate lane on approach and while you’re driving through it – which basically means you should use your common sense based on the rules of the roundabout.

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The Highway Code also says: “When reaching the roundabout you should give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights, check whether road markings allow you to enter the roundabout without giving way. 

“If so, proceed, but still look to the right before joining, watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all and look forward before moving off to make sure traffic in front has moved off.”

And when it comes to looking out for cyclists, it adds: “You should give priority to cyclists on the roundabout. They will be travelling more slowly than motorised traffic. Give them plenty of room and do not attempt to overtake them within their lane. Allow them to move across your path as they travel around the roundabout.”

 

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