When I was 16 and ready to take my licensing exam, I had done all my practice driving in midsize or compact sedans. When exam time came, I waited for my dad to pick me up. He was coming from work, and cutting it close. He sped up the driveway and I ran out to hop in his car. It wasn’t until we were well on our way to the BMV that I realized something critical. We were in his Toyota 4Runner, complete with grille guard and brush lights.
I was mortified. We arrived at the appointment and I anxiously waited for the exam administrator to call my name. When we walked back out to the SUV, my head swimming and a tight coil in my chest (we call this “anxiety,” a close friend to many), I was sure I’d fail. Instead, though, I soon discovered that I could see my surroundings much better in the 4Runner than in the small practice cars I was used to.
I passed that day, but not everyone’s so lucky. This week, one motorist went to Reddit to ask drivers how they failed their first licensing exam. Here are some of the more interesting answers.
The instructor had a brimming cup of hot coffee
“I remember him getting a coffee from a vending machine. It was filled to the brim and no lid,” one driver remembers. “He sat in the back and said let’s go. I was so focused on not spilling his coffee that i let my left wheel touch the white line while taking a right turn…Oh well.”
Driving too slow
“I purposely drove under the limit so that I didn’t end up speeding, but apparently I took it too far.”
A sudden medical condition
“I broke my collarbone the day before and couldn’t think for [curse] between the pain and the pain meds.” I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be driving on pain meds in the first place…
Drivers didn’t understand “automatic fail” moves
This reason seems to house the most failures in the thread.
One motorist was stopped in an intersection waiting for the opposing traffic to clear. “I turned my wheels in anticipation of the turn, automatic failure,” they explained. “I was steaming.”
“There were kids on a narrow street skateboarding and biking and I went too far to the right to make sure I gave them a wide berth,” a third said, “I hit the curb for an auto fail.”
“I didn’t stop at a stop sign, automatic fail,” another added.
Still, others share more auto fails: “Ran a red light. Don’t ask me how. I was panicking lol.”
Couldn’t drive backward
“I was told to drive backwards for about 100 feet,” one recounted, “I couldn’t stay in my lane. It was a secluded spot so there wasn’t traffic. But it was the first time I had ever done it. My parents never had me drive backwards other than reverse out of a space. Drivers Ed did not either.” Not to worry about them navigating in reverse near you now, though: “Since then, I am a pro and will do circles around you.”
Some drivers face mechanical woes
You might think things like stalling or shifting problems during an exam are a thing. They sure are, but some glitchy car problems land hopeful drivers an extra strange licensing attempt.
“My turn signals didn’t work,” a driver recalls. “The instructor told me that he was still willing to do the test if I signaled which way I was turning with my hands out the window. I was making a right turn and asked if he could stick his arm out the right window to signal to other drivers that I was turning right. He refused and said I had to do it, which of course I couldn’t because I was in the driver’s seat so I can’t stick my arm out the passenger window safely.”
They continue, “I tried to notify other drivers around that I was turning right by sticking my arm out the window and pointing with my thumb that I was taking a right turn. The instructor failed me because of a failure to signal. I was very annoyed because it was obvious he was just going to fail me from the start, and taking the entire test was just a massive waste of time. I went back the next month with my turn signals fixed and passed.”
All told, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that of some 1.8 million to 2.8 million folks who win their driver’s test in the U.S. every year, there’s going to be a few odd narratives thrown in. You can read the full thread on r/driving.
