[drago-mir]

hey, ive just been doing a mock practical test with my driving instructor and he said i failed because i was going too slow in a 40mph zone but i was doing 36mph. im just curious would i actually fail my driving test for this or is he just being a little too strict ?
thanks in advance
Dan

[Dennis W]

What was the speed limit?

[drago-mir]

the speed limit was 40mph

[Beelzebub]

The answer is probably both!

Driving too slowly is certainly a fault, and if you're actually holding up other traffic it can be a serious one, i.e. a fail.

The instructor will almost certainly be more strict than an examiner: the instructor's job to make you a good driver, and he should point out all faults. The examiner's job is to check that you meet a minimum standard, and he will only mark those faults he considers significant.

[Santa]

Every driving examiner is different. Of course there could be circumstances where 36 in a 40 limit might well be seen as dangerously fast - parked cars, pedestrians, bicycles can all make a slower speed appropriate.

What you are expected to do is keep up with the traffic, without going over the limit of course. When you have passed your test, you will find that being 'stuck' behind someone at 36 in a 40 limit on an open road is very frustrating.

Driving examiners are of course aware that a learner driver is inexperienced and nervous and so may drive a little slower and hesitate a little more than experienced drivers. Although driving too slow during a driving test may be acceptable to a degree, there can be a point where it can become dangerous. Driving too slowly can result in drivers behind getting frustrated, impatient and will to take risks to overtake. To be honest, even examiners find persistent learners who drive to slowly an irritating and tedious test to conduct.

An example of driving too slowly during a driving test would be a clear and straight 30 mph road with little or no hazards where a learner may drive between 20 and 25 mph unnecessarily, not where hazards such as parked cars, cyclists or bends in the road may reduce the speed of a vehicle. Persistently and unnecessarily driving too slowly can result in a serious or over 3 minors within the same category which also equates to a serious mark.

http://www.drivingtesttips.biz/speed-awareness.html

[smudger]

Well at least it was a practise test, so now you know not to drive so slowly on your actual test.........As for keeping up with the flow of traffic, I have found on some occasions that I was driving over the speed limit, just with keeping up with the flow.............On one occasion I realised that just in time, as the police had a mobile speed camera set up that I managed to see in the distance, and slowed down in time. ...............I'm not sure if any of the drivers in front got done for speeding, as they just send the driver a NIP through the post.

[Dennis W]

In my opinion 36 mph in a 40 mph limit area is NOT too slow.

The speed Limit is just that a "Limit" It is NOT the Target speed. People do get confused by this, don't they?

[Santa]

Originally Posted by Dennis W

In my opinion 36 mph in a 40 mph limit area is NOT too slow.

But you are not a driving examiner. Fortunately :)

[Dennis W]

Originally Posted by drago-mir

hey, ive just been doing a mock practical test with my driving instructor and he said i failed because i was going too slow in a 40mph zone but i was doing 36mph. im just curious would i actually fail my driving test for this or is he just being a little too strict ?
thanks in advance
Dan

Has the world gone mad?

Personally, I would change my driving instructor if this had happened to me.

The Speed limit is NOT a target speed, it is a LIMIT

[Beelzebub]

Dennis, the world hasn't gone mad.

I failed my first test for (among other things) going too slowly in traffic. That was in October 1967.

[smudger]

Aye! I got failed for stopping to let a woman with a pram, which had bags of shopping hanging from it, and two toddlers beside her, to cross the road, and that was back in 1972?