Andy - Automatic Driving Instructor, Portsmouth/Havant/Waterlooville, Portsmouth (2026)

08/10/2026

🎉 Congratulations, Sofia! 🚗✅

A fantastic result this morning — Sofia passed her driving test first time!

It was an early start today, and she had to be up very early to get to Portsmouth and be ready for the test, but all the effort was worth it.

She drove confidently, with just a few small imperfections here and there — all completely acceptable. Most importantly, the drive stayed safe, controlled and well managed throughout, which is exactly what matters.

A brilliant achievement and a well-deserved result. 👏

Thank you, Sofia, for trusting me with your driving lessons and for all the work you put in along the way. It’s been a pleasure helping you get to this point.

Wishing you many happy and safe miles ahead — and hopefully we’ll see each other again out on the road! 🚗💨

Well done again, Sofia! 🎉🥳

01/10/2026

🎉 Today we’re celebrating Deedat passing his driving test! 🚗✅

Unfortunately, his journey turned out to be a little longer than we would have liked, and it took three attempts to finally get that pass.

The first attempt was a very interesting one. We went into the test fully prepared, and as his instructor I genuinely believed that was the day he should have got his licence. Unfortunately, the examiner saw things differently and the standard on that day felt extremely tough.

The second attempt was probably one of the funniest and at the same time most frustrating fails I’ve ever seen — and I hope Deedat won’t mind me mentioning it! 😄

Right at the beginning, while still around the test centre car park, for some reason we ended up driving on the right-hand side of the road instead of the left. That one moment was enough to cost the test.

The frustrating part was that after that, he drove the rest of the test really well. He finished with only two faults in total — one serious fault from that mistake, and just one other minor fault for the whole drive.

Unfortunately, a fail is still a fail, no matter how well the rest of the test goes.

But today he finally proved what we already knew for quite a while — he was ready and he deserved that licence.

And honestly, the reaction after the examiner told him he had passed was brilliant. The happiness, relief and emotion that both the examiner and I could see in that moment are exactly the kind of moments that make this job so rewarding.

That’s why we keep working, keep practising and keep going even when things don’t go perfectly first time.

Deedat, I’m really happy I could help you on your journey. You’ve done a great job, you kept going, and today you got the result you deserved.

Massive congratulations, and good luck on the roads! 👏🚗🎉

18/09/2026

WHAT WENT WRONG? #5 – Speed Limit Awareness

In this test, we were driving on a 40 mph road, but unfortunately the 30 mph sign was missed. The pupil continued at around 37 mph into the new 30 zone and, because of that, received a Serious Fault for not complying with the speed limit.

It’s a very important reminder that during a driving test, and in everyday driving, you must always pay close attention to speed limit signs. Don’t rely only on the speed of the vehicle in front of you — always drive according to what the signs tell you, not what other drivers are doing.

Key lesson:

* If the speed limit drops (for example, from 40 to 30), you must reduce your speed before you pass the sign so that you enter the new limit at the correct speed.
* If the speed limit increases (for example, from 30 to 40), you should only begin to accelerate after passing the sign, once you are officially in the new speed zone.
* Examiners want to clearly see that you have noticed the sign and reacted to it appropriately.

Top tips:

✅ Keep scanning ahead for speed limit signs
✅ Be especially alert when moving between different road types
✅ Don’t let the speed of the car in front influence your decision
✅ Adjust your speed early and smoothly
✅ Show the examiner that you have seen and understood the change

A missed sign may only take a second, but the result can be a failed test. Stay observant, react early, and always let the road signs guide your speed.

15/09/2026

🚗 WHAT WENT WRONG? — #4: BLIND BENDS & ROAD POSITION

Here’s the fourth post in our “What Went Wrong?” series — real driving test mistakes and what we can learn from them.

This time, the problem happened on a narrow country road approaching a blind bend.

The road looked clear on the approach, but because of the sharp bend and the hedges, visibility ahead was very limited.

Unfortunately, the pupil stayed too close to the centre of the road instead of keeping well to the left. As we reached the bend, an oncoming vehicle suddenly appeared.

The pupil panicked and steered sharply towards the bushes. The examiner had to intervene and help with the steering to keep the situation safe.

That intervention resulted in a SERIOUS FAULT and, unfortunately, the test was over.

The important lesson here is this:

On narrow roads and blind bends, your position and speed are absolutely critical.

You should keep as far left as is safely practical, especially when you cannot see what may be coming around the bend.

And your speed must match what you can actually see.

A good rule to remember is:

You should always be able to stop safely within the distance you can see to be clear.

So even if the posted speed limit is 30 mph, or even if the road is under the National Speed Limit, that does not mean you should approach a blind bend at that speed.

The speed limit is a maximum — not a target.

If visibility is poor, reduce your speed early, stay in control and be prepared for something unexpected around the corner.

👉 Keep well to the left.
👉 Reduce your speed before the bend.
👉 Make sure you can stop within the distance you can see.
👉 Expect an oncoming vehicle, even if you can’t see one yet.
👉 Keep the car controlled throughout the whole bend.
👉 Once the road opens up and visibility improves, then you can safely build your speed again.

And don’t let a vehicle behind you put you under pressure.

If the road ahead requires you to slow down, then slow down. The driver behind you will also need to adjust their speed.

Your job is not to keep them happy.

Your job is to keep the car safe, controlled and correctly positioned.

A blind bend is exactly that — blind.

You don’t know what is waiting around the corner, so drive in a way that gives you time and space to deal with it.

Good position. Appropriate speed. Be ready for the unexpected.

13/09/2026

🚗 WHAT WENT WRONG? — #3: REVERSING OBSERVATIONS

Here’s the third post in our “What Went Wrong?” series, looking at real driving test mistakes and what we can learn from them.

This one is all about observations when reversing.

Whenever you carry out a reversing manoeuvre, it’s not enough to just check your mirrors and then start moving. You need to make sure you have a proper all-round view of what is happening around the car.

That means turning your head, checking your blind spots, looking through the rear window and continuing to observe while the car is moving.

Why?

Because the situation behind you can change very quickly.

A pedestrian can walk behind the car.
A child can appear.
A cyclist can come past.
Another vehicle can move into the area behind you.

And because you are changing direction and moving backwards, good observation becomes even more important.

Unfortunately, I’ve already had a driving test where the pupil drove really well overall, but during a reversing manoeuvre they failed to properly look behind through the rear window.

The examiner considered this to be unsafe and marked it as a SERIOUS FAULT.

That meant the test was unsuccessful, despite the rest of the drive being very good.

So remember:

👉 Don’t rely only on mirrors.
👉 Check all around the vehicle before you move.
👉 Check your blind spots.
👉 Look through the rear window.
👉 Keep observing throughout the manoeuvre.
👉 If anything changes around you, be ready to stop.

Examiners pay very close attention to observation during manoeuvres because this is directly connected to safety.

A manoeuvre does not need to be perfect.

But it does need to be safe and controlled.

Good observation gives you the information you need to keep everyone around the car safe.

Take your time. Look properly. Keep checking.

One missed observation can be enough to turn an otherwise good test into a fail.

09/09/2026

🚗 WHAT WENT WRONG? — #2: MISSED YOUR TURN?

Here’s the second post in our “What Went Wrong?” series, looking at real mistakes from driving tests and what we can learn from them.

❌ So, what happened here?

The examiner asked our pupil to turn left at the junction.

Unfortunately, the pupil realised a little too late where the turn was and had almost passed it. Instead of accepting that the turn had been missed and continuing safely along the road, they tried to make the turn at the last moment.

That one decision turned a very simple situation into a serious fault.

The car crossed into the oncoming side of the road, and when the pupil realised what had happened, they reacted suddenly, steered sharply and came extremely close to the kerb. For a few seconds, control of the car was lost.

⚠️ The important lesson here is very simple:

Missing a direction does NOT mean you have failed your driving test.

If you realise too late that the examiner wanted you to turn, don’t panic and don’t make a sudden change of direction just to follow the instruction.

In the situation shown in the picture, the safest option was simply to follow the green route and continue along the road.

Nothing dramatic would have happened.

The examiner could have changed the route, given another direction, or found another safe way to get you back onto the planned route.

🧠 Remember the priority:

SAFE DRIVING comes before following the route.

If you miss a turning:

👉 Keep control of the car.
👉 Stay correctly positioned on your road.
👉 Don’t brake or steer suddenly.
👉 Don’t cross into another lane or into oncoming traffic just to make the turn.
👉 Continue safely and wait for the examiner’s next instruction.

The examiner is assessing your driving, not your ability to memorise or perfectly follow a route.

If you genuinely don’t understand an instruction, you can also ask the examiner to repeat or clarify it.

In this case, continuing along the green route would have been completely manageable.

Trying to rescue the missed turn at the last second created the dangerous situation — crossing onto the wrong side of the road, followed by a sudden correction and loss of control.

❌ Missed turn + safe driving = not a disaster.
❌ Missed turn + panic + unsafe manoeuvre = potentially a failed test.

So if this ever happens to you on your test:

Forget the missed turn. Keep the car safe. Keep driving. 🚗✅

The examiner can always find another route.

They can’t undo a dangerous decision.

07/09/2026

🚗 Taking your driving test around Portsmouth & Fareham? This is one...

07/09/2026

🚗 WHAT WENT WRONG? — #1: ROUNDABOUTS

Here’s the first post in our new “What Went Wrong?” series, where we look at real mistakes that have happened on driving tests and, more importantly, what we can learn from them.

❌ So, what happened here?

Our pupil was approaching the roundabout intending to go straight ahead.

Another car was already on the roundabout, coming from the right. That car was continuing around the roundabout and taking a later exit.

Unfortunately, our pupil decided there was enough time to enter. There wasn’t.

The other driver had to slow down because of our car, and that resulted in a SERIOUS FAULT.

This is actually a very common problem. You’ve been sitting at the roundabout waiting… and waiting… and eventually you start thinking:

“Surely I can go now!” 😅

That’s when people can become tempted to squeeze into a gap that isn’t really big enough.

⚠️ Remember: you don’t get priority just because you’ve been waiting for a long time.

When deciding whether it’s safe to enter a roundabout, look at the whole picture:

👀 Speed — how quickly is the vehicle approaching?

📍 Position — where is it positioned and where does its road position suggest it may be going?

💡 Signals — is it indicating? Signals are useful information, but don’t rely on an indicator alone. Look at what the vehicle is actually doing.

📏 The gap — do you genuinely have enough time to enter and build up speed without affecting the other vehicle?

The important question isn’t simply:

“Can I get out before that car reaches me?”

A much better question is:

“Can I enter safely without making that driver brake, slow down, change direction or take avoiding action because of me?”

If the answer isn’t clearly yes, wait for the next safe gap. A few extra seconds are much cheaper than a failed driving test. 😉

🔄 One more useful tip: break the roundabout into stages

1️⃣ Enter and build speed
Once you’ve identified a safe gap and committed to going, move away positively. Don’t crawl onto the roundabout.

2️⃣ Control through the roundabout
Once established, use an appropriate speed for the size and shape of the roundabout. As you approach your exit, you may need to ease off slightly so you have good control, time to observe and time to position correctly.

3️⃣ Exit and make progress
Once you’ve left the roundabout and the road ahead is clear, build your speed appropriately for the new road. Don’t continue unnecessarily slowly after the hazard has passed.

And throughout the whole process: mirrors, observations, correct position and appropriate signals.

In this example, waiting just a little longer would probably have changed the result of the test.

❌ One rushed decision = Serious Fault.
✅ One extra safe gap = potentially a completely different result.

That’s exactly why we’re doing this series — not to criticise anyone for making a mistake, but so other learners can understand it, recognise the same situation and hopefully avoid making it themselves.

Learn from real mistakes. Drive safer. Be better prepared for your test. 🚗💪

06/09/2026

While I was away on holiday, things were a little quieter when it came to driving tests, as quite a few of my pupils were also away or waiting for me to come back.

But now I’m back, lessons are back in full swing, and we’re continuing to prepare for all the tests coming up. 🚗💨 Hopefully, we’ll have plenty of successful ones to celebrate! 🤞🎉

Unfortunately, not every test ends with a pass first time. A few of my pupils took their tests and didn’t manage to get that pass.

So I thought — why not learn from it?

I’m starting a new series of posts:

❓ WHAT WENT WRONG ON THE DRIVING TEST?

We’ll look at real mistakes my pupils have made during their tests, explain what happened, why it resulted in a driving fault or a failed test, and most importantly — what you can do differently to avoid making the same mistake.

No names, no embarrassment and no judgement — just real test situations that we can all learn from. 👍

Because sometimes the best lessons don’t come from the tests that went perfectly — they come from understanding the ones that didn’t.

Learn from real mistakes. Be better prepared. And hopefully… pass! 🚗✅

Andy - Automatic Driving Instructor

08/10/2026

01/10/2026

18/09/2026

15/09/2026

13/09/2026

09/09/2026

07/09/2026

07/09/2026

06/09/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request