I've got to ask but do you know of anyone who failed a driving test more than once...

[lynn]

My ds has failed twice. When he drives with us he's does well but when he gets with the driving test people he just gets nervous and messes up, nothing dangerous but looses to many points to pass. I am at a loss of what to tell him, he's so discouraged.

[Melissa in Australia]

there is someone in my homeschool group who failed 7 times. he eventually got his licence. it wasn't because of his driving. According to his mother, it was because he couldn't keep his mouth shut and kept on giving silly comments.

[hornblower]

My mom failed a bunch of times. She has very bad test anxiety and she kept freezing and doing stupid things. And then she knew she was doing stupid things and she did more.....

 

I failed once :) : Overly aggressive on a left turn on yellow. That tester was also very anal, Mr. Checklist ready, reading glasses perched on nose, clucking noises etc. I took that left the same way I take my lefts now & every day since I finally got my licence, but now I know that I should not do it on a driving exam. :D

 

The next guy I had gave a good impression of someone who needed a 10 minute nap. He put his clipboard under the seat, leaned back and just said Ok, let's go for a drive. I think he might have dozed off ....

 

Maybe have him drive with several adult family friends (one at a time) who would simulate a driving test? Or check out another neighbourhood? I know after I failed several friends recommended going to another area - I was testing in a very hilly neighbourhood with bad traffic. If you go further in the burbs, you drive on a more empty, flat road.

 

He has my sympathies - - it seemed like the end of the world when it happened to me (& my mom too!) though it wasn't.

[JoyfulMama]

I failed twice. My parents didn't understand it, as they felt I was a much better driver than either of my brothers. However, the driving rules were different for me just because of activity schedules. We had to take our tests in the "city" which I never drove in, but my brothers both did. They were familiar with the area, with the streets. I wasn't I never drove there. It wasn't that I couldn't, but it took more concentration, and the examiner sitting next to me took some of that concentration too.

The first time I failed it was because people waiting to cross the street had one person with a foot off the curb. I didn't stop for them, yet no one else around did either. The second time I failed it was because I got nervous and couldn't remember how to defrost the windows.

So I convinced my folks to let me drive to another testing station, and there I passed easily, on other small town roads that I was used to, and with an examiner that didn't look like he had just eaten his last student.

[SproutMamaK]

I failed twice. After that, I took a "refresher" driver's ed lesson (in car) with an instructor from that area. She told me all of the specific little things that the examiners looked for along the routes they traditionally take, and the next day I passed with flying colours. And for the record, since that time (11 years ago), I've had one accident that was my fault, and that was courtesy of black ice. He'll be jsut fine. From my experience, I'd say it may be worth it to invest in a refresher in-car driver's ed course in that area - one that'll let him drive his own/your car from practice, not theirs.

[Cheryl in NM]

My mom and her siblings had to take it more than once. They said Wisconsin is just hard to pass the driving test. They are all good drivers; haven't had accidents & don't get tickets.

[Laurie4b]

Raising hand: I did!

 

We took the test in a parking lot "obstacle course" kind of thing instead of on real streets. The first time, I forgot to put on a turn signal when turning in a parking lot obstacle course. :glare: The second time, I was so nervous that I drove through the stop sign that was about 5 ft in front of where you started. (Lots of people got caught on that one because of it's position, but I was so nervous that second time that I forgot.)

 

It had nothing to do with my real driving ability: I was competent at the things I failed and drove too fast when on my own (which should have prevented me from being behind a wheel) , but would never have done that during a test.

[Crimson Wife]

I failed twice.

 

The first time was deserved because I took the test before I was truly ready & there were certain tasks the evaluator asked me that I didn't know how to do.

 

The second time I did not feel I deserved to fail. I had the misfortune to get an evaluator notorious for failing girls from the affluent suburb in which I lived on very minor technicalities. Rumor had it that he had a grudge against "those spoiled rich girls who live in ____ " and took pleasure in denying them their licenses.

[lllll]

..

[rose_king]

I failed twice. Once I went the wrong way down a one-way road. Another time I couldn't parallel park. I still can't parallel park. :)

Me either!:lol::lol:

[The Girls' Mom]

I only failed once, but really SHOULD have failed the second time! lol.

 

The first time was due to a rolling stop...I had come to a complete stop at the sign, but couldn't quite see down the road, so I rolled up the tiniest bit and didn't come to a complete stop the second time.

 

The second time I had a very sweet gentleman that passed me, even though I turned right without using the very obvious turn lane. Oops. I was just so nervous the second time, and he knew it. He gave me a lecture about being more careful and passed me.

[jujsky]

My cousin failed her test 4 times, I think.

[DarlaS]

I failed twice with the overly-anal witch from the DMV. The first time, the only thing I did "wrong" was turn into the lane I wanted to be in at the intersection instead of taking the closest lane and then merging (There was no way anyone would have been there--I still turn that way. :D). The second time she made me so nervous I ran a stop sign.

 

After that, my mom took me to another town (much larger and with way more traffic even) where I took the test with a policeman in the passenger seat--and passed with flying colors.

 

Cops don't make me nervous like that woman from the DMV. She had a thing for intimidating teenage girls--a prime example of a grown up "mean girl" bully. :glare: For years after, whenever I went in to renew my plates she was STILL witchy until I was in my late 20's. Then she actually smiled at me. Weird.

[Starr]

Many of the kids around here have to take the test 2 or 3 times. The tester just isn't very personable. One friend took her child to a different town that was more in the country and that test was passed.

[bluemongoose]

I failed once...but I do not consider it my fault. I was taking the test in a town I had never been to before and the stop sign had been knocked down recently. They had bent it back up, but it was missing the little white sign below that said crossing traffic doesn't stop. How was I supposed to know that it was not my turn???

[Leanna Tomlinson]

My dd failed twice (she's 19). She didn't get her license until she was 17 and 3mos. She failed maneuverability the first time, and made a driving error the second.

 

Leanna

[DarlaS]

Many of the kids around here have to take the test 2 or 3 times. The tester just isn't very personable. One friend took her child to a different town that was more in the country and that test was passed.

 

Some of those testers apparently make more money for the state than others. :tongue_smilie:

[peachskittles]

I failed my first time. I had a mean lady that was hellbent on finding something wrong with my driving. Finally, she had me at parallel parking. I totally and completely suck at it. Once I managed to parallel park, she said "Great job, now turn your wheel to right", "Keep going, keep going" and then my tire touched the curb. Automatic failure. I never took another driving test again. I have a permit and once that expires I will walk where I need to go. My mother did it (as did her mother), so I'm sure I can do it as well.

[*Inna*]

I failed twice. I was pregnant with my second and really needed a car to get around the town. I also was very emotional. :tongue_smilie:

[Amy in TX]

Mainly nervousness, and inability to parallel park. Before taking the test for the fourth time, my mom took me to a part of town with narrow streets, and we practiced parallel parking for a good hour. By then I was relaxed and passed the test that day!

 

Tell your ds to relax, he's in plenty of good company!

 

Amy

[gingersmom]

I did not fail but I really should have!

 

I went through a yellow light, over a curb (back tire) and was just generally awful.

 

When I parked back at the DMV the instructor started listing everything I did wrong. It was a looooong list. Then there was a 2-3 minute silence before I finally asked if I passed.

 

I almost fainted when he said yes!

 

Go figure.

[Mommyfaithe]

My ds has failed twice. When he drives with us he's does well but when he gets with the driving test people he just gets nervous and messes up, nothing dangerous but looses to many points to pass. I am at a loss of what to tell him, he's so discouraged.

 

One of my dd's failed it twice. She passed the 3rd time and she is by far my best driver. The extra practice and learning to not be nervous was actually good for her. I would rather her drive than my other 2 who both failed once and then passed the 2nd time.

 

~~faithe

[Liz CA]

I would let him take a break unless he needs the license right now. Take a while and practice exam situations. Does he have similar anxiety when taking tests on paper or when speaking publicly?

 

There are tricks to overcome this. You could google or get a book on managing testing anxiety if it is a general thing.

 

If it is particular to driving, drive, drive and then drive some more until he has been down every street in town, forward and backwards.

I did this with my son - he only took the test once and passed, but this was after driving for nearly a whole year as a student driver.

[Mabelen]

I know tons of people who failed their driving test, but they are all from either Spain or the UK where the standards for passing a driving test are really really high. It's normal to fail at least a couple of times. I failed twice myself. First time round I just wasn't ready yet, second time round I was nervous, third time lucky!