I feel like the test is overly strict but at the same time I feel like I did have bad luck and was overly nervous. I encountered a road hogging bicyclist, a family of bicyclists crossing the road, a slow moving tractor that was blocking the road and a truck on the motorway that I couldn't pass due to the road being chock-a-block.
Does anyone have advice or any previous experience with trying to pass the Swiss driving test, particularly in Ticino?
I know someone who passed on the 4th or 5th try, on the other hand my daughter passed on her first try.
Tom
From your examples, which are daily occurrences for most drivers but which look like difficulties for you, it looks like you need to build up your confidence. Practice more, and it should come!
Did you get a full breakdown on why they failed you? How is your driving instructor? What advice did he/she give you? Not all driving instructors are good in that some are impatient or don't deal well with nervous learners.
I had a great driving instructor - he understands & loves cars and is a great driver himself. When he told me I was ready for the test, I disagreed and marked out roads/routes I hadn't driven on and so continued to do a few more lessons. I was confident and passed first time, but I really wanted to learn to drive and drive well, and not just pass a test.
Don't be disheartened. Try to get to grips at what you're doing wrong and forget the next test, get back into the car and continue to learn and correct those mistakes.
Tom
Let Tom know when your next test is and I'll have him clear the road of any inconsiderate cyclists or farmers.
I'll also request all truckers to stop at the service station for coffee break.
Maybe you just not ready yet, i suggest you get a heap of practice in, 2-3 hours per week minimum to build up your confidence in all these inconsiderate groups of people.
PS. You'll see this and much worse quite often so if you can't cope with it, please don't drive.
Nothing beats driving experience to build one's confidence. When behind the wheel it is always important to "expect the unexpected" and to continuously read the road ahead (and behind, by use of all 3 mirrors and where necessary your blind spots).
You have no control of how other road users drive or how they react, but having an idea of what actions you would take in certain situations based on what is going on around you will make you a better driver and you will grow in confidence.
As a driving instructor many moons ago in the UK, I would place great importance on my pupils going out to practice in-between lessons, luckily for us at the time in Scotland, Arnold Clark had just started renting out dual-control cars by the hour to the general public (making it far cheaper than paying for an extra driving lesson, my hourly rate at the time was £13, and a dual control car hire was at £6.50), unfortunately I only know of one company doing this in Switzerland, and they are in Lausanne.
As for the driving test itself, 9 out of 10 pupils will never drive at their optimum ability (if taught correctly, you should reach a standard that is not simply to "pass" the test, but be above that so that when your standard drops during the test, you will hopefully still be above the required passing standard. As an aside, as driving was new to all my pupils, they had nothing to compare it to so what I did, and unbeknown to them at the time, was to teach them the Advanced Driving skills I had to learn for my part 2 ADI test, the test results backed this decision)
The fact that you are suddenly confronted by a person you have never met before sitting next to you and not engaging in any conversation (as you would with your driving instructor) can be very off-putting. Also, during the test you may find yourself in a road traffic situation you have never experienced before that will make you sweat (again, expect the unexpected), the idea is to remain calm and if you have constantly read the road ahead and around you, you will be more prepared to react correctly and in a timely manner.
Get out and practice every day if you can, and good luck with your next test!
All the "bad luck" elements you mention are a regular part of driving - you need to be able to spot things like this and react accordingly in a timely manner.
Get out and practice. Not when the roads are empty and all you have to do is steer, moderate your speed and follow the signage, but when all the road is full of tractors, lorrys, cyclists and such.
It's hard too, because in Switzerland if you fail for a 3rd time, you have to see a psychologist for an assessment.
So hope you find someone to help with plenty of road practice. I only had a few lessons, but drove non-stop as my BF at the time was very happy to hand over the keys so he could have a drink ... (or two, or more ...)