10 Most Common Driving Test Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Every year, the DVSA publishes detailed data on the most common faults recorded during practical driving tests. Remarkably, the same mistakes appear at the top of the list year after year. This tells us something important: these faults are predictable, which means they're preventable. If you know exactly what examiners are looking for and practise deliberately, you can avoid the traps that catch thousands of learners.

🎯

Know the Enemy, Avoid the Fail

Master these 10 common faults and you'll eliminate over 80% of the reasons learners fail their test.

📋 Understanding How Faults Work

Before diving into the specific mistakes, let's understand how the marking system works:

📈 The Three Types of Faults

⚠

Driving faults (minor)

Small errors that don't create danger. You can have up to 15 of these and still pass.

❌

Serious faults

Errors that could potentially be dangerous. One serious fault = immediate failure.

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Dangerous faults

Errors that actually put someone in danger. One dangerous fault = immediate failure.

A minor fault can become serious if it's repeated multiple times, or if it occurs in a situation where it creates genuine risk. For example, one missed mirror check might be minor, but consistently forgetting mirrors becomes serious because it shows a pattern of unsafe driving.

🔥 The 10 Most Common Test Faults

Based on official DVSA data, these are the faults that fail the most learners. Learn what goes wrong and how to avoid each one.

👁 Junctions: Observations

🔴 The #1 reason for failure, year after year

❌ What Goes Wrong:

• Didn't look at all before emerging
• Looked but didn't properly observe (eyes moved but didn't see)
• Looked too early and the situation changed before moving
• Failed to notice a hazard that was clearly visible

Junctions are everywhere. In a typical 40-minute test, you might encounter 20-30 junctions. That's 20-30 opportunities to make this mistake.

✅ How to Avoid It:

1. Approach slowly, give yourself time to observe
2. Stop at the line if it's a give-way or stop
3. Look RIGHT first (immediate danger on UK roads)
4. Look LEFT, then RIGHT again
5. If view is blocked, creep forward until you can see
6. Keep looking as you emerge
7. Keep looking as you emerge: Situations can change in seconds

Practice this routine until it's completely automatic. You shouldn't have to think about it. it should just happen at every junction.

Fault #2: Mirrors. Change of Direction

Your mirrors should be checked before any change in speed or direction. This fault is marked when you fail to check mirrors before:

Signalling
Turning left or right
Changing lanes
Overtaking
Moving to the left or right around obstacles

Why It's So Common

Mirror checks need to happen constantly. potentially dozens of times in a single test. It's easy to get distracted by other aspects of driving and forget. The problem is that each missed check is recorded, and multiple minors can add up to a serious fault.

How to Avoid It

"MSM: Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre. Say it in your head before every action. If you're signalling, you should have just checked your mirror. If you're turning, you should have just checked your mirror. Make it a reflex."
. DriveThruL Instructor

The key is to check the interior mirror first, then the relevant door mirror. Turning left? Interior mirror, then left door mirror. Turning right? Interior mirror, then right door mirror. Every single time.

Fault #3: Control. Steering

Steering faults include:

Drifting: Not maintaining a straight line, wandering across the lane
Cutting corners: Crossing into the opposite lane when turning
Mounting the kerb: During normal driving or manoeuvres
Late straightening: Not straightening the wheel quickly enough after a turn
Jerky steering: Sudden, unsmooth inputs

Why It's So Common

Most steering errors come from looking at the wrong place. If you stare at the kerb, you'll hit the kerb. If you look at the car in front, you'll follow too closely. Your hands naturally steer where your eyes are looking.

How to Avoid It

Look well ahead: Your primary focus should be 10-15 seconds ahead of you
Look where you want to go: When turning, look into the road you're entering. your hands will follow
Keep a relaxed grip: Tension creates jerky movements
Small adjustments: Gentle inputs rather than big corrections
During manoeuvres: Use slow speed and full observation. accuracy comes with reduced speed

Fault #4: Junctions. Turning Right

Turning right is more complex than turning left because you're crossing oncoming traffic. Common faults include:

Cutting the corner and entering the wrong lane
Not positioning correctly before the turn (too far left)
Turning too early or too late
Poor observation of oncoming traffic
Hesitating when a safe gap is available

How to Avoid It

Right Turn Technique

Position: Just left of the centre line, or in the right-turn lane if marked
Timing: Wait until you can see it's safe. don't rely on gaps in traffic
The turn: Aim for the centre of the road you're entering
Look: Keep checking for oncoming traffic right up until you turn
Finish: End up on the left side of the new road

Fault #5: Move Off. Safely

Every time you move off from stationary. whether at the start of the test, after a manoeuvre, at traffic lights, or after stopping behind another vehicle. you must do so safely. Faults include:

Not checking the blind spot before pulling away
Moving off when it's not safe (into the path of traffic)
Stalling and rolling backwards
Moving off too slowly and causing obstruction

How to Avoid It

Follow the same routine every single time you move off:

Prepare: Clutch down, select first gear, set the gas, find the biting point
Observe: Check interior mirror, right door mirror, then right blind spot
Signal: If necessary (not always needed)
Move: Release the handbrake and move off smoothly

If you stall, don't panic. Apply the handbrake, restart the engine, and go through the process again. A stall with good recovery is only a minor fault.

Fault #6: Response to Signs. Traffic Lights

This fault covers failing to respond correctly to traffic lights, including:

Going through a red light (immediate fail)
Going through amber when you could have stopped safely
Stopping unnecessarily on green
Not anticipating light changes
Stopping over the stop line

How to Avoid It

Scan ahead: Look for traffic lights early and assess whether they're likely to change
Green doesn't mean go: Green means proceed if safe. always check the junction is clear
Amber means stop: Unless stopping would be dangerous (you're too close at too high a speed)
Stop line: Stop before the line, not on it or over it

Fault #7: Positioning. Normal Driving

Positioning faults during normal driving include:

Driving too close to the centre line
Driving too close to parked cars
Straddling lanes
Incorrect lane choice on roundabouts
Not positioning correctly for hazards

How to Avoid It

Normal driving position: About one metre from the kerb (roughly where your left-hand wheels should be tracking).

Passing parked cars: Leave at least a door's width (about one metre). assume a door could open at any moment.

Narrow roads: If you can't leave enough space, slow down significantly. In really tight gaps, you might need to stop and let oncoming traffic through.

Fault #8: Mirrors. Change of Speed

Similar to Fault #2, but specifically when changing speed rather than direction. Your mirrors should be checked before:

Slowing down
Braking
Accelerating significantly
Stopping

Why It Matters

If you brake suddenly without knowing what's behind you, you risk being rear-ended. If you accelerate without checking, you might miss a vehicle about to overtake. The examiner wants to see that you're aware of what's happening behind as well as in front.

How to Avoid It

Get into the habit of a quick interior mirror check before any change in speed. It only takes a fraction of a second and should become automatic.

Fault #9: Move Off. Control

This is about the mechanical control of moving off, including:

Stalling
Rolling backwards on hills
Excessive revving (over-revving the engine)
Harsh clutch control causing jerky movement
Moving off in the wrong gear

How to Avoid It

Smooth Move-Off Technique

Clutch down fully. Press it to the floor
Select first gear. Make sure it's engaged properly
Set the gas. Gentle pressure, aim for around 1500 RPM
Find the biting point. Lift the clutch slowly until you feel the car want to move
Hold the biting point. Keep your feet still for a moment
Observations. Check mirrors and blind spot
Release handbrake. The car should start to move
Gradually release clutch. While adding slightly more gas

Hill starts require extra care. Use more gas, find a higher biting point, and only release the handbrake when you feel the car pulling against it.

Fault #10: Response to Signs. Road Markings

This covers all road markings, including:

Lane markings (especially on roundabouts)
Stop lines and give-way lines
Box junctions (yellow criss-cross markings)
Bus lanes
Chevrons and hatched markings
Speed limit markings on the road surface

How to Avoid It

Lane markings: Stay within your lane. If arrows are painted, follow them.
Stop lines: Stop before the line, not on it.
Box junctions: Don't enter unless your exit is clear (unless turning right and only blocked by oncoming traffic).
Hatched markings: Don't cross solid boundary lines. Broken lines can be crossed if safe.

The Two Root Causes

If you analyse all ten common faults, they almost all come down to two fundamental issues:

Root Cause #1: Not Looking Enough

Faults 1, 2, 5, 8, and elements of 3, 4, 6, and 10 all involve insufficient observation. The solution is simple but requires constant practice: look more. Check mirrors constantly. Scan the road ahead. Check junctions thoroughly. Look where you're going.

Root Cause #2: Not Planning Ahead

Faults 6, 7, 10, and elements of others involve failing to anticipate what's coming. The solution: think ahead. What's that traffic light going to do? What lane do I need for this roundabout? Is that parked car likely to have someone in it?

If you can build habits of constant observation and forward planning, you'll avoid the vast majority of test faults before they happen.

How to Practice These Skills

Focused practice: Instead of general driving, spend lessons working specifically on weak areas
Mock tests: Simulate exam conditions to reveal which faults you're prone to
Self-commentary: Narrate what you're observing and doing. "Mirror, clear behind, signalling left, mirror, checking left..."
Instructor feedback: Ask your instructor to mark you as an examiner would and review the faults

Ready to work on eliminating these common faults? Book a lesson with DriveThruL. our instructors know exactly which faults appear most often on East London test routes, and we'll help you avoid every single one.

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