Passed today

[reptile_smile]

Hi all,

Passed my B to C+E today.

Just info if of use or interest to anyone:

• 49 year old
• Have previously been a driving instructor
• Have had some experience of reversing trailers through caravanning - whole different scale of things, but there was a familiarity around some of the concepts
• Trained with Avon Commercial Training. Can’t say enough good things about them. Magnificent. Also, based very close to the test routes, so whilst I already knew every road on the route I drove from my local knowledge, we’re actually done all of our training on those roads which was good for the confidence.

The 3a I found fine - I guess different things suit different people and for whatever reason, it suited me.

I passed with 2 driver faults. One was for just getting flustered on the first roundabout we got to, where a random builder asked the examiner to wind his window down and told him the reversing lights were coming on at the same time as the brake lights. I thought the examiner might well reject the test. I got a bit flustered, and, for the first time ever, stalled the lorry. Got a driver fault for that. Int he event, he pulled me in shortly after to check and said they were fine!
Another driving fault for a ridiculous ‘unforced error’ on a wide open roundabout where I was turning right, and didn’t give it enoughn room, and clipped the wheels on the roundabout. Was really annoyed at myself for that.

Amazingly (and I can’t get over this), he didn’t record what I thought was a serious fault - I was turning right at a particularly troublesome, busy and snug junction, and as I pulled forwards, I realised I couldn’t clear the junction due to traffic backing up on the major road. I stopped in time to not pull forwards on to the yellow hatched box, but not in time to miss the pedestrian crossing before it, and had no choice but to sit there fat, dumb and happy, blocking the crossing. I confessed my sin immediately. i suspect I got a bit lucky that no one appeared who then tried to use the crossing, but I was there for a while.
Was certain I’d failed for it. I don’t know why it wasn’t even marked as a fault. Maybe he forgot? Maybe the rest of the drive reassured him? Maybe my confession reassured him that I at least knew why I’d screwed up? Who knows. But very glad to get away with it - I would have failed me for it!

Anyway - through and done. No massive rush, but now am starting to scour the jobs listings for a ‘new passes accepted’ role to get my foot in the door. See you out there!

[njl]

Congratulations on the pass.

There are crossing placements before junctions or roundabouts where unless you can spot a gap to use and keep moving it becomes practically impossible to avoid pulling up to the give way line and thus blocking the crossing.

Not sure that there is an offical allowance but I would like to think the examiner decided you did the best you could in the circumstances.

[rog]

[k27]

Well done,and I am jealous I’ve not decided to do Class 1 yet

[noremac]

I know that the Highway Code says you can enter a box junction if turning right and the only impediment is the oncoming traffic.

At troublesome junctions there is often a filter to allow time for probably 2-3 cars or one artic to get round. If you are turning right with a car in front of you, probably best to stay right back and wait for the change of traffic lights because the likely scenario is that one or two of the cars coming the opposite way come through on an amber/red and the filter time is further reduced.

In the circumstance you describe, perhaps if you had pulled forward into the box junction you would have still been blocking the crossing due to the length of your vehicle. At the end of the day, when you crossed the line the lights were green and you are allowed to pull forward if turning right.

It didn’t warrant a driving fault, so happy days.