The short answer is yes, but there are valid reasons why learners may choose to drive more slowly on their driving test. So, how do you avoid your slow speed negatively impacting your test? In this article, we explain how and why you can be marked down, and help you avoid this driving fault on your test.
- Why you could fail for driving too slowly
- Is driving too slow a major fault?
- How slow is too slow on a driving test?
- How it is marked on the Driving Test Marking Sheet
- Progress appropriate speed meaning on a driving test
- Appropriate speed – common mistakes
- Undue hesitation meaning on a driving test
- Undue hesitation – common mistakes
Why you could fail for driving too slowly
Just like driving too fast can be dangerous, so can driving too slow. It can disrupt traffic flow, cause other road users to brake suddenly, and increase the risk of dangerous overtaking from frustrated drivers.
Your driving test is about showing that you can drive safely while keeping traffic moving. Driving too slowly can show the examiner that you are either unaware of other road users and road rules, or too unconfident to be driving unsupervised.
Is driving too slow a major fault?
Driving too slowly is usually marked as a minor fault, but it can become a serious driving fault if it is persistent and affects other road users. Occasional low speed is ok, but issues arise when you are holding up traffic for long periods, don’t accelerate on open roads, or repeatedly miss safe opportunities to move forward.
If your speed causes other drivers to brake, queue, or overtake unnecessarily, the examiner may see it as a safety concern. To avoid a major fault, drive with purpose. When conditions are safe, accelerate smoothly and keep a speed that allows traffic to flow naturally.
How slow is too slow on a driving test?
On your test, there is no set speed at which you will automatically fail. Driving “too slow” is judged in context, with the examiner considering:
- The speed limit
- Traffic flow, and whether you are holding up other road users
- Weather, visibility, and road conditions
- The presence of hazards, e.g. parked cars and pedestrians
You will be expected to drive at a speed that an experienced, safe driver would choose. If you can, you should be safely building up to the speed limit and smoothly maintaining it.
To give a recent example, we heard of a pupil taking driving lessons in Birmingham who kept driving at 25 mph on a 40 mph road. When it was safe to, their driving instructor encouraged them to drive at the speed limit, explaining that if they did not do this on their test, it would be marked as a fault. With the support of their instructor, the pupil overcame their anxiety and drove at the speed limit, progressing quickly to pass their test first time.
How it is marked on the Driving Test Marking Sheet
Your examiner is only there to mark the Driving Test Marking Sheet, so they won’t be trying to work out what you are thinking (that’s a job for your instructor in the lessons). They will simply mark you according to what you do with the car, as well as how you react and respond to activity on the road.
If your examiner thinks you are driving too slowly on your driving test, there is a category (section 20) on the marking sheet, known as ‘Progress’, which is broken down into two markable boxes:
- Appropriate speed
- Undue hesitation
Under these, you can receive a minor or major fault.
Progress appropriate speed meaning on a driving test
On their guide to understanding your driving test result, the DVSA explains that the “appropriate speed” section evaluates “your ability to drive at an appropriate speed for the road and traffic conditions”.
If your examiner decides that you are not driving at a “speed appropriate to the road”, they will mark you with a fault in this Progress section.
To make sure that you are driving at an appropriate speed, these rules of thumb can help:
- Use the speed limit as a guide, not a target
- Build up to the speed limit when the road is clear and conditions are good
- Reduce your speed for hazards, poor weather, or limited visibility
- Stay at the same speed as the flow of traffic, where it is safe to do so
- Always ask yourself whether a safe, experienced driver would be going faster
Wherever you are in the UK, whether you are taking driving lessons in Oxford, Edinburgh, or Cardiff, your driveJohnson’s instructor will ensure that you receive support and training on this so that you feel fully confident choosing the right speed on every road.
Appropriate speed – common mistakes
Here are a couple of the most common reasons learners are marked down under the “appropriate speed” section of the driving test, along with practical tips to avoid them:
- Driving at 5-10mph (or more) below the speed limit on a 30mph road. If it’s safe to do 30mph, then your speed should be between 28 and 30mph to avoid being marked down in this section.
- Driving 10mph (or more) less than the speed limit on faster roads. If it is safe to do so, you must show the examiner that you can drive at the appropriate speed limit on faster roads, such as dual carriageways. If you are doing 60mph on a 70mph road, the examiner may assume that:
- You think it’s a 60mph speed limit
- You lack the confidence to do 70mph
- You don’t feel comfortable/safe driving at higher speeds
- You don’t understand the dangers of not driving the speed limit when it is safe to do so, i.e., cars overtaking/tailgating more
A true story from one of our driving instructors…
“There used to be an examiner quite a few years ago who used to hint if you were driving too slowly. He’s now retired.
If you were driving too slow, he would often say, ‘At the end of the road, when you finally get there, turn left.’
Or, sometimes he’d tap his watch.
As instructors, we used to teach our learners that, if they were to get this examiner and he says the above or taps his watch, that means you’re going too slow, so check your speed and take the hint!”
Steven Crosswell – One of our driving instructors in Northampton.
Undue hesitation meaning on a driving test
Driving with undue hesitation basically means not leaving the junctions (such as roundabouts and T-junctions) when it is safe to do so.
Driving examiners are very used to seeing nervous pupils, and they will take nerves into consideration as they mark. However, if you are waiting at a roundabout for too long and you miss too many chances to go, they will have no choice but to mark you down in this section.
This does not mean you should rush to leave a junction to avoid stopping and waiting for too long. You can often receive 2 or 3 driving faults for undue hesitation and still pass the driving test. However, if you make one rash decision and decide to go when you shouldn’t, that will result in a serious or dangerous fault, which is a test fail.
Undue hesitation – common mistakes
When it comes to your test, nerves can make it hard to decide when to go on junctions, and it is common for learners to miss a gap in traffic and then panic. This is why all of our driving instructors offer supportive teaching so that they feel fully confident about when to move away.
Here are our top tips to avoid undue hesitancy:
- Check early. When approaching a junction, check it regularly and early – “early vision, early decision!”
- Don’t stare at the junction. Glance and then recheck what the traffic ahead is doing. Drivers who stare to the right often hit a vehicle from behind at junctions. This is known as a rear-end shunt.
- Slow down on the approach. When you approach junctions (especially busy ones), check your mirrors and then come off the gas. When you do that, you are purchasing “thinking time” to scan and plan ahead.
- Don’t stress. If you think you’ve missed 1 or 2 chances to go at a junction, don’t worry about what you have missed; focus on the next opportunity to go. Look for blockers (vehicles crossing the path of your danger) for opportunities.
Driving too slow on your test: key takeaways for learners
Many learners think that driving slowly on their driving test shows the examiner that they are a safe driver, but in fact, it can show the opposite. Understanding how to demonstrate that you drive at the appropriate speed and avoid undue hesitation, while building speed safely, will help you show that you have mastered driving safely on your test.
Remember to always drive with purpose, match the flow of traffic, and make confident decisions, and you will be on the road to passing your test first time.
Written by Anthony Johnson
Grade A - 51/51
ORDIT Registered Trainer
