My kid finally got his dr lic but got dinged for understeer?

[look 171]

WTF is that or does the testing person even know what it means? I ask him if he was going too fast and he said no how can he its testing. You have to be hauling ass to get an old 4 runner to under steer or any car for that matter. He also got dinged for not looking around at a red light when it turned green. Who the heck does that even though I do it at times just to make sure no nut job is coming but most times, you know who's there without having to look as you see them pull up slowly to a stop.

[ckissick]

That's not possible. The tester has no idea what that means.

[masraum]

Sounds like the tester was having a bad day/grumpy or on a power trip, "understeer".

Wait, it just occurred to me, what WE mean by "understeer" is probably not what the tester meant by understeer. My guess is that the tester meant that mini-Jeff didn't turn the wheel enough while turning which either resulted in a slightly wider turn or meant that mini-Jeff didn't straighten the wheel fast enough after turning.

Not looking when leaving a red light. May be nit-picky, but come on, you can't be mad about that, it's a good idea whether everyone does it or not.

I hope/assume he can test again soon and does better. I don't know how it works over there, but maybe try to get a bunch of seat time with him before that happens.

Definitely sucks!

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by look 171

He also got dinged for not looking around at a red light when it turned green.

You do that in Florida. A red light means three to five more cars can proceed through.

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by masraum

My guess is that the tester meant that mini-Jeff didn't turn the wheel enough...

By Jove, I bet that's it!

[Baz]

Some, like me, have very good "Peripheral Vision".......and can see to the side without turning their head.

[porsche tech]

Did the tester speak English?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Dixie

You do that in Florida. A red light means three to five more cars can proceed through.

What really got me when I moved from Tampa to Houston is that in FL when you turn right or left, you must turn into the nearest lane (if multilane) of the direction you're going. In Texas it's totally legal to turn right into the far left lane if there are 3 lanes going that way.

It's also not uncommon for there to be dual turn lanes at some intersections. As you can imagine, if it's legal to turn into any lane you want, and there's also times when you may have folks turning side by side, it's also not surprising for the person on the inside lane to try to turn into the outside lane where the other car is.

[Tervuren]

Sometimes I'm lazy and look around for traffic after the light went green.

When I'm not lazy, I'm watching the cross traffic and if I can see into it the cross traffic's signal lights. When all the cars start a forwards weight shift going into braking that's a pretty good signal in and of itself.

This lets me start rolling before my light even turns green providing no one in the cross traffic instead had rearwards weight shift of accelerating to cross.

I'd probably get dinged for that.

[berettafan]

I remember my test. 'why didn't you look left coming out of the multi point turn?' 'it's a coned off testing lot, I knew there were no cars coming'.

not the first or last time I thought I was smart.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I remember my test. During the driving test it started to rain, then pour, then hurricane, end of civilization as we know it, animals were pairing up looking for the ark. Windshield wipers on high, had to do a 3 point turn in a neighborhood with both side parking. Back window was opaque. Did a 5 point turn. State Police officer turned and said great job, I'm passing you. He canceled the rest of the test and we went back to the registry to get our licenses. Will never forget it.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by masraum

What really got me when I moved from Tampa to Houston is that in FL when you turn right or left, you must turn into the nearest lane (if multilane) of the direction you're going. In Texas it's totally legal to turn right into the far left lane if there are 3 lanes going that way.

It's also not uncommon for there to be dual turn lanes at some intersections. As you can imagine, if it's legal to turn into any lane you want, and there's also times when you may have folks turning side by side, it's also not surprising for the person on the inside lane to try to turn into the outside lane where the other car is.

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.545.htm

Texas Transportation Code - TRANSP § 545.101. Turning at Intersection
(a) To make a right turn at an intersection, an operator shall make both the approach and the turn as closely as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Baz

Some, like me, have very good "Peripheral Vision".......and can see to the side without turning their head.

We have a gift, a skill that took years to hone looking at girls at the beach without every moving our heads.

[billybek]

Lol. I remember doing my driving test as close to my 16th birthday as possible.
I had to parallel park a 74 LTD. No problem. What I didn't do was put it in park and set the emergency brake.
As the instructor and I drove around I had mentioned that I wouldn't be driving the big boat LTD but had a VW Thing. Turns out the instructor was a VW guy and we toured the NW part of the city talking about VWs.
Passed!

[look 171]

He's actually a pretty good driver but was allowed only so many mistakes. Some are just stupid like rough stopping or too far from the line. I know he isn't that rough but brakes before a stop a tad too soon and roll up to the red and brake again to finally stop the car, got nailed for that. I know most people get too close or pass the pedestrian crossing line at an intersection. That would be a deduction fr sure but I have no idea that you must be close or within x amount of feet? He said he was about a car or half car length away. He was dinged for not looking in rear view mirror before right lane change. He looked , only to use his eye balls but the tester wanted him to make it obvious and move his head to see then look turned to look at his blind spot. Instead he took a glanced at his passenger mirror at the door before he turned to look at the blind spot. That was what got him. He should have never rely on that door mirror. Some of those guys are real idiots. I don't think I have turn my head to look at my blind spot for over 30 years. That little mirror is all I use.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.545.htm

Texas Transportation Code - TRANSP § 545.101. Turning at Intersection
(a) To make a right turn at an intersection, an operator shall make both the approach and the turn as closely as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.

I think that's the norm throughout the US. Sometimes places have their own local driving habits even through its may not be legal. For example, following too close. at 55, it must be so many seconds between the car in front. Try that around here, the entire LA will cut into that slot ahead of you on the way home during rush hour. It becomes norm.

[Scott Douglas]

I failed my first test for cornering too fast.


In a Studebaker of all cars too.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.545.htm

Texas Transportation Code - TRANSP § 545.101. Turning at Intersection
(a) To make a right turn at an intersection, an operator shall make both the approach and the turn as closely as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.

Well, the official Texas driver's manual says you should turn into whichever lane is best. Maybe it's just a left turn thing.
https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/forms/dl-7.pdf

[masraum]

Yep, rules for turning right and left are different. Genius!

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Understeer?What was he driving?