5 Reasons New Drivers Fail Their License Test

When it’s time for your kids to start driving, something that might not pop up on your radar is the possibility of them failing their license test. It’s easy to get wrapped up in being so concerned for their safety that you look past them even qualifying for driving in the first place!

Unfortunately, failing their driving test, whether that’s the written or demonstrative portion, is a real likelihood. Many new drivers fail at least once and there are many reasons why this might happen.

One of the biggest mistakes your child can make is choosing to ignore the handbook. The driving handbook for your specific state contains all the information they’d ever need to pass, but neglecting it makes failing simple.  

To help you ensure that your child gets their permit or license, we’ll outline a few common reasons for failure to avoid below.

Misapplying a Driving Concept

One of the biggest reasons for failing a driving test is misapplying a driving concept.

This is an easy pitfall for new drivers because fully understanding all the rules of driving is hard to accomplish. Because of this, your child might comprehend something incorrectly and apply their knowledge during the test.

Two common scenarios for this include watching and turning at junctions. These both include junctions, which means being stopped at an intersection or stop sign. 

When you’re waiting at an intersection, there are several things that you need to observe before proceeding. You’ll need to look out for oncoming traffic and only go when it’s your turn. 

Drivers usually know that they need to observe before proceeding, but don’t do it correctly. They may fail to look in a direction or go when they don’t have the right of way. This is hazardous because it can lead to an accident.

Additionally, new drivers struggle with turning at an intersection. Turning right on red is usually allowed, but only after fully stopping and ensuring that you won’t hit oncoming traffic. 

Where new drivers misunderstand this is not knowing when it’s safe. They might turn without a large enough gap, forcing oncoming traffic to slow down for them. Alternatively, they may fail to check for pedestrians crossing the street.

Your teen might have the right idea, but don’t know how to perfectly execute it. This can easily lead to them failing their driving test.

Making a Major Mistake

Closely related to misunderstanding a concept is making a major mistake.

In this situation, your child will get something entirely wrong. Picture something like failing to stop at a stop sign or running a red light. While it’s unlikely that they make a major mistake about something obvious, seemingly smaller errors can quickly lead to test failure. 

Here are a few that your teen driver might make during their test:

• Slowly rolling through a stop sign.
• Changing lanes in an intersection.
• Abrupt braking.
• Failing to yield to pedestrians.
• Not using turn signals.

While there might not be a malicious intent, an error is still being made that indicates unsafe driving. As a result, your child will surely lose points on this portion of their exam.

It’s up to you to help prevent this by ensuring that your teen understands these ideas and performs them correctly. Make sure to address anything wrong when it happens so they don’t develop bad driving habits!

Nerves and Underperformance

While your child may be a great driver, their nerves can lead to underperforming. If they suffer from test anxiety, this can cause them to mess up on something that they do understand correctly.

If your child is “blindsided” by nerves during the test, this can result in making major mistakes that, if they were to relax and anticipate, could be the difference between passing and failing. 

For example, a motorcycle that sneaks up alongside us or just out of sight could mean that if we set off without seeing them, could spell danger for the motorcyclist and a failed test for your child. Many motorcycle accident lawyers say the biggest cause of motorcycle accidents is because they are treated as a nuisance, but if they sneak up on your nervous child during a test, it can be incredibly frustrating.

Getting a driver’s license or permit is a major milestone in your child’s life. It means freedom and independence, something that teens crave. 

Failing their driving test means a delay in being able to drive. Not only is this soul-crushing, but it can cause logistical complications if they intended to use a car for commuting to work or school. 

Having a car means that it’s easier to get around and this means that it’s a major shift in your child’s life. Because a license or permit is so significant, there’s a lot of pressure for your teen to perform.

This pressure can make them anxious, nervous, stressed, and on-edge, which can sabotage their efforts. Making matters worse, if they’ve already failed a driving test before, there can be fear of failing again or never being able to pass.

To help your child out, do your best to help them remain calm and collected. Remind them that they’re fully capable of passing, but failure doesn’t mean forever.

The Tests Are Difficult

New drivers also fail their tests because the tests themselves are quite difficult. This applies to both the written and practical tests. 

The written test contains highly specific knowledge that usually can’t be guessed. It requires your teen to know all the answers rather than getting lucky. The wording of some of the questions can also be tricky and make your child not understand what’s being asked.

The practical test is also complicated because it requires precision. Your kid might fully understand a concept, but not execute it to the standard of the person testing them. 

This means that passing both tests is certainly challenging and there’s nothing wrong with failing. To be fair, driving tests shouldn’t be easy because there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with driving.

That said, your teen will need to rise to the occasion if they want their license or permit. 

Inadequate Preparation

A final reason for driving test failure is inadequate preparation.

Even if your child gets decent grades and can pass tests in school without needing to study, driving tests just aren’t something that can be passed without it. 

As mentioned above, the knowledge needed for a written test is highly specific. Questions relating to how you should react in a situation, exact amounts of fines, and what a traffic sign mean all require your teen to know the right answer.

Additionally, not having enough practice time will also sabotage their efforts. They need to practice for dozens of hours on the road and in a variety of situations. If your child doesn’t get all the practice that they need, then they might be lacking confidence going into their test.

Make sure your teen spends plenty of time both studying and practicing to give them the best odds of passing the first time around!

So…

Driving is an exciting new way of getting around for your growing teen, so a lot is riding on them passing their driving tests. Unfortunately, this is no easy task and many things can cause them to fail their test.

A few common culprits include misapplying a concept, making a major mistake, test anxiety and underperformance, the tests being difficult, and not having enough preparation. 

While driving tests are certainly difficult and failing is a big possibility, you can help improve the odds for your child passing their first time. Giving them all the tools they need and offering them support will go a long way toward accomplishing a major milestone in their young life!