Passing your Alberta road test can be challenging, but if a driver avoids common mistakes will boost their confidence and increase their chances of success. The following are list of most commons mistakes a driver should avoid if they want to impress the driver examiner during the road test.
Failing to Check Blind Spots:
One of the most frequent mistakes the drivers make is “not checking blind spots properly”. Always shoulder check before changing lanes, merging, or turning. Relying only on mirrors isn’t enough, and examiners watch for this closely.
Rolling Stops at Stop Signs
A full and complete stop is mandatory. Rolling through a stop sign (even slightly) is an automatic fail. As driver you want to make sure that your vehicle comes to a complete halt (i.e your body feels the resting position) behind the stop line, and check for pedestrians and other traffic before proceeding.
Speeding or Driving Too Slowly
If the driver exceeds the speed limit by 2-5 km/hr can result in a fail. If the speed limit is 30 km/h ideally you want to keep your speed between 27-30 km/h during road tests. However, driving “too slowly” (without a valid reason) can also be marked an impeding/obstruction other traffic behind you.
Improper Lane Changes
A driver should always “signal in advance”, check mirrors, and shoulder check before changing lanes. Cutting off other vehicles or making unsafe lane changes can lead to fail in the road test.
Not Yielding to Pedestrians / Right of why Violation:
Alberta law requires drivers to “yield to pedestrians” at crosswalks, intersections, and even when turning. Failing to stop pedestrians while crossing the road is a critical error and will lead to fail.
Parallel Parking / Hill Parking
Another common mistake is failing to do parallel parking / hill parking, practice until you’re confident. Common mistakes include:
- Hitting the curb hard / climbing over the curb
- Being too far from the curb (more than 50 cm)
- Taking too many adjustments
Incorrect Four-Way Stop Procedure
At a four-way stop, the rule is first STOP by stop line, first Go. If two vehicles STOP at the same time by the STOP line, the one on the right has the right-of-way. Hesitating or going out of turn can confuse other drivers and lead to a fail.
Not Scanning Intersections Properly
Always scan left, centre, and right before entering an intersection, even if you have a green light. Examiners want to see that you’re aware of your surroundings.
Distracted Driving
Avoid adjusting the radio, using your phone, or getting distracted by conversations. Keep both hands on the wheel and focus 100% on driving.
Nervous Driving Mistakes
- Oversteering or jerky movements
- Forgetting to cancel turn signals
By avoiding these mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to passing your Alberta road test with confidence!