Common Mistakes to Avoid During the Saudi Arabia Driving Test

The hard truth is that candidates who pass the Saudi Arabia driving test are those who avoid making simple mistakes. You could be the best driver but one simple mistake like failing to stop at a stop sign for a few seconds could cost you your driver’s license.

Nevertheless, you’ve come a long way to fail the driving test because of simple mistakes. That’s why we’ve come up with a guide listing all the common mistakes to avoid during the Saudi Arabia driving test. Let’s get right to business.

Nervousness

Technically, nervousness is not a common mistake, but it’s the leading cause of common mistakes. Being nervous can cause a cloud of fog in your brain, causing you to make mistakes you normally wouldn’t. For instance, if you’re too nervous, you could end up driving too slowly and stepping on the brakes frequently causing the car to jerk.

On the extreme, if you’re too nervous during the test, you might step too hard on the accelerator and go above the speed limit. The good thing is, you can calm down your nerves by practicing, and getting sufficient sleep the night before the test. In addition to that, you can avoid taking too much caffeine, and if the anxiety is overwhelming, you can take in sets of deep breaths 10 minutes before the test.

Forgetting to Buckle Up

Putting on your seat belt sounds obvious, right? However, it’s still a common mistake. Wearing the seat belt before you turn on the ignition is extremely important. If you forget to put on the seat belt, you might end up failing your driving test.

Not Dress Appropriately

Dressing might not seem like a big deal if you’re a foreigner. However, in Saudi Arabia, residents and citizens are required to dress modestly. Even if you’re a foreigner, you’re required to wear modest clothes that cover your shoulder and knees. Similarly, if you’re a man, you should avoid wearing shorts, sleeveless shirts, and skinny jeans.

A good rule of thumb is to wear what everyone else is wearing to blend in. Otherwise, if you give the driving instructor the wrong impression, it could affect your score.

Failing to Keep Time

Arriving at the driving test center on schedule will ensure that you have enough time to adjust to your surroundings. The last thing you want is to arrive late and not have time to calm down your nerves. What’s more, you could also get a few pointers from the other candidates to know what to expect.

Not Doing Proper Blind Checks

Failing to do shoulder checks and mirror checks before reversing, parking, or changing lanes during the test will get you an instant fail. More succinctly, if you just move your eyes without moving your head while doing mirror checks, the examiner might think you’re not doing it and you could miss out on a few points. To get all the points, exaggerate on the shoulder and mirror checks so that the examiner doesn’t miss out on them.

Rolling Stop

Another reason why most candidates fail the driving test is that they fail to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. Always keep in mind that there’s a difference between coming to a complete stop and slowing down. If there is a line at the stop sign, stop right behind the line; but if there’s no line, stop right at the stop sign. Don’t get tempted by other drivers when they drive past the stop sign when it’s clear.

Not to forget, if you’re at a stop sign and pedestrians are crossing, you should wait until the last pedestrian crosses.

Not Listening to The Examiner’s Instructions

It’s hard to pass the driving test if you don’t pay attention to the examiner’s instructions. This goes without saying that if you haven’t heard the instructions, you could kindly ask the examiner to kindly repeat or clarify.

If you’re a foreigner who doesn’t speak or understand Arabic, we would advise you to learn a few Arabic words because some instructors might say left or right in Arabic.

Being Unable to Read Signs

Mastering road signs and knowing what they mean is not only important for your computer test but also the driving test. The examiner might ask you to identify a road sign and explain what it means. When you come across hazard signs or children’s crossing, you could identify them out loud and tell the examiner what they mean.

Failing to Observe the Right of Way

Most people fail the driving test because they don’t know when to join an intersection. To prevent this, please remember that the driver who arrives at the intersection first has the right of way. If you arrive at the same time, the driver on the right goes first; although if you’re on roundabouts, the driver on the left is given the right of way.

Failing to Use the Indicator

When you want to change lanes, don’t forget to indicate the direction you want to go. This also applies to when you’re parking. Don’t forget that if you fail to indicate, you could fail the driving test.

Conclusion

In summary, passing the Saudi Arabia driving test is not that hard as long as you avoid making common mistakes. Making small mistakes like not putting on your seatbelt or adjusting your mirrors could mean the end of the road for your driver’s license.

Not to mention, always remember that you’re doing a driving test so avoid being tempted to do what other drivers are doing.