If you are ready to take your driving test in New Zealand, then you have probably had your restricted permit for the requisite amount of time and have practiced adequately to ensure that you will pass your driving test. While we wish you luck, you may be wondering, what are the easiest ways to fail your driving test? Knowing these in advance can set you up for success so that you do not make these mistakes.

Firstly, there are two types of errors that will ensure that you fail either your restricted or your full licence test and those are:

• * Critical Errors – during the first stage of your test you can make just one critical error and up to two in total for your entire test. More than two errors will result in an automatic fail.

• * Immediate Fail Error – an error under this category will be cause the test to be ended.

What are Critical Errors?

These errors are serious, but the are not the type of error that poses a risk to other drivers on the road or to you. The following are examples of critical errors:

• * Failure to signal. You must ensure that you signal a minimum of three seconds prior to commencing a lane change or move more than a car width to the left or the right. You also must signal when you cross the centre line of the road, leave a kerb or turn into a roundabout except if you are travelling straight ahead. Your testing officer will be watching for the appropriate signals on each of these moves so you will need to ensure that you complete this correctly.

• * Driving too Slowly. Driving slowly can impede traffic and if you are driving more than 10 km/h below the posted speed limit in ideal conditions, this will be counted as a critical error. It is acceptable to drive slower than the posted limit if the roads are icy, there is a lot of water on the road, or the road is not paved.

• * Driving too Fast. If you are driving more than 5km/h over the posted speed limit but not 10km/h over for more than 5 seconds, this is a critical error. The testing officer will be watching your speedometer to ensure you stay within the posted limit.

• * Not Checking Correctly. You must do your shoulder checks at every blind spot when it is necessary. When you come to an intersection, you need to look in both directions to ensure the road is clear before proceeding. Pulling away from a kerb requires a shoulder check and when you change lanes. When you come to a railway crossing, it is crucial to come to a complete stop and look both ways. Cutting off another driving and causing them to brake hard is a critical error.

• * Blocking a Pedestrian. If you block a pedestrian this is a critical error. This means that you are taking up the crosswalk with your car because you stopped too late.

• * Failing to Stop. You must always come to a complete stop at a red light or a stop sign. Failure to do so is a critical error in your restricted test, but an immediate fail in your full licence test.

• * Stalling Your Car. This does not normally occur if you are driving an automatic vehicle. If you are driving a standard vehicle and you stall it, you are demonstrating that you do not have good control of your vehicle. If you cannot restart the car without the assistance of your testing office, it is an immediate fail.

• * Stopping for no Good Reason. If you stop at a pedestrian crossing when no one is there to cross the street or you stop at a green light when there is no traffic to stop for, this is a critical error.

• * Hesitating. If you are nervous and are not paying attention, the light turns green and you do not move forward, you are causing a delay for traffic behind you. This can cause an accident and is a critical error.

What are Immediate Fail Errors?

Immediate fail errors create serious and immediate danger to other users on the road, to yourself or to the property of other people. If the testing officer must intervene because you cannot deal with the situation yourself, you will immediately fail, and your test will end. The following are examples of situations where you will receive an immediate fail:

• * You hit something. Whether you hit the kerb, a pedestrian, another car or anything on the road, it is an immediate fail.

• * Failure to Stop. If you fail to come to a complete stop when the light is red, if there is ample time to stop at a yellow light, at a stop sign or at a railway crossing when the lights are flashing, these are all immediate fails.

• * You are Speeding. If you are driving faster than the speed limit that is posted by more than 10km/h for longer than 5 seconds, you will receive an immediate fail.

• * You Fail to Give Way. When you come to an intersection and you pull out in the path of another car or merge into a lane where another car must take evasive action, this is considered an immediate fail error.

• * Intervention by Testing Officer. If your testing officer has to take control of your car by taking the steering wheel or activating dual controls in the testing vehicle, you will receive an immediate fail.

• * Not Following Instructions. You must do what your testing officer directs you do to. If you do not because you lack the ability or the confidence, you will receive an automatic fail. If you do not understand the instructions that are given, ask the testing officer to repeat them.

• * Dangerous Situation. If you stop on a railway crossing, on a pedestrian crossing or some other location that is considered dangerous, this will result in an immediate fail. This also applies to driving over a traffic island or a roundabout.

• * Dangerous Actions. If you take any type of action that poses a danger to anyone on the road, including passing on a solid yellow line, looking at your cell phone, driving in the wrong lane, driving at an excessive speed or following another vehicle too closely, these are all automatic fails.

Many of these items are common sense and everyone knows that it is obvious that these are not things that you should do. When you are doing your driving test, these are all things that you should avoid. If you have formed any habits that include some of these actions, then now is the time to break them before you try to take and pass your driving test.