Immediate fail errors

An Immediate Fail Error is when you do something that puts you, other road users, or property in immediate danger.

If you make just one of these errors at any stage during your restricted licence test, you will immediately fail.

Intervention

If the Testing Officer has to do or say something to prevent an unsafe situation from developing, or to prevent a crash, then that's an Immediate Failure Error.

Fail to carry out an instruction

You'll immediately fail the test if you can't carry out the Testing Officer’s instructions, either because aren't confident enough to do something you're asked to, or don't have the skill.

You shouldn’t be failed because you didn’t hear an instruction properly. If you’re not sure what was said, it’s OK to ask the Testing Officer to repeat the instruction.

Collision

If you hit an object, the kerb, a vehicle or another road user, that’s another Immediate Fail Error. There are a couple of exceptions to this:

• If only one wheel mounts or bumps hard into the kerb during a reverse parallel park or three-point turn, that’s a Critical Error. If two or more wheels mount the kerb, that’s an Immediate Fail Error.
• If another road user is completely at fault in a collision with you, that won’t be counted as an Immediate Fail Error against you.

Fail to give way

Failing to give way anywhere—not just at Give Way signs—is an Immediate Fail Error.

So make sure you know the give way rules!

Excessive speed

You shouldn't go above the speed limit at any stage. In the test, you'll get an Immediate Fail Error if you drive:

• between 5 and 10 km/h over the speed limit, for 5 seconds or more
• 10 km/h or more over the speed limit at any time.

Stopping in a dangerous position

If you stop in any of these places, you’d be stopping in a dangerous position and get an Immediate Fail Error:

• In intersections where you stop in a position that either blocks or sticks out into the stream of other traffic
• On a pedestrian crossing and, as a result, a pedestrian has to walk off the crossing to get past you (unless you need to stop there to be able to see oncoming traffic at an intersection)
• On railway crossings
• On parts of the road marked with cross-hatched yellow ‘no-stopping’ lines or keep clear zones.

Failing to stop

If you don’t come to a stop where you are required to do so, that’s an Immediate Fail Error.

So remember to:

• Stop at red traffic signals (and yellow ones, if it’s safe to do so)
• Stop at railway crossings with flashing lights activated and/or barrier arms lowered; and
• Come to a full stop at Stop signs.

Any other dangerous action

This means anything else that causes immediate danger to other road users or property.