Yep, I'm talking to you! You have taken the first step to getting your driver's licence by visiting our website! Now I'm here to get you feeling safe, confident and happy in your driving.

So, what now? Have you heard the saying that you learn from failure? Well take note of these top reasons why people fail their PDA (Practical Driving Assessment) and dont make the same mistake they did!

The common mistakes

The officers agree that the big mistakes are the small but important things like signalling – either forgetting to indicate or not doing it for long enough and observation – failing to check your mirrors or blind spots. Stop signs can also be troublesome, particularly when it comes to stopping before the line.

Signalling

Don’t just flick your indicator and drive off, you must signal for at a least 5 seconds before leaving a parking space or moving from a kerb. It is also important to signal at the right time because signalling too early, too late or leaving your indicator on can confuse other road users.

Blind spots

Not checking blind spots is another common error. You need to check your blind spots and mirrors when merging, changing lanes and during your manoeuvres. Drivers often forget to check their left hand side blind spot when turning left off wide roads.

Stop signs

A common mistake is not stopping at stop signs and just slowly rolling through. You have to stop the whole car behind the line at a stop sign and traffic lights. Stopping behind the line at traffic lights and then creeping forward does not count – you have to stay behind the line.

So.. prepare!

Paper work

Be sure to read all the paperwork and make sure all forms and sections of your log book are completed correctly and signed.

Be punctual

It’s important to arrive early to give yourself plenty of time to get to know the location. If you're late then the test can't go ahead. You don't want to be rushed when you're doing your test – it just doesn't help. But, if you are doing your test with Busselton Driving School, then I'll make sure you are delivered to the right spot with plenty of time!

Calming the nerves

Take a deep breath, talk to the testing officer or whatever works for you and remember to take your time. Try treating the test like any other driving lesson and not think of it as a test.

Nerves affect everyone differently; we are all human including testing officers. Testing officers are not there to put you under any more pressure than you already feel. Remember the old saying "You cannot change the past" therefore if you make a mistake don't dwell on it. We know it's easier said than done, but some learners make additional mistakes because they are worrying about a minor error they made, instead of concentrating on the remainder of the test. Students who pass are confident and relaxed – or at least they appear to be confident and relaxed! If you obey the road rules and drive safely often everything else will fall into place.

So, what are my tips for success?

One word – practise! It all gets easier with practice. Practise in different locations - for example, don't always reverse park in the same street and on the big day don't over-think the manoeuvres.

Read the Guide 'How to pass your driving assessment' and book in some lessons with Busselton Driving School. With all of our lessons, we will go through the in's and out's of the test, and even do a few 'dummy' test runs. That way you'll know exactly what will happen before the real-deal.

You're ready – but what about your car? If you are going to use our Busselton Driving School car, then book it in in advance, and feel safe in the knowledge that our car is fully-road safe and tested.

May be the driving force be with you!

Michelle :)

Owner - Busselton Driving School