door Rider » 11 jun 2026, 00:39
Hello,
I recently took my practical driving test in Brussels and failed after only a few minutes. I'm wondering whether the failure was justified and whether it would be worth contacting the chief examiner.
I had already failed the risk perception test once (I was unprepared), so this was my last attempt before having to take an additional 6 hours of driving school lessons.
Right after leaving the parking lot, I was driving at around 15–20 km/h with a large truck behind me. As I approached a traffic light, it changed from green to yellow when I was approximately 3–4 metres away. My instinct was to continue through the intersection, because I felt that braking at that distance could be risky and might leave me stopped on the pedestrian crossing.
However, the examiner told me to stop. Because of that instruction, I braked and ended up with the car partly on the pedestrian crossing. The examiner then told me to return to the test centre because the exam was over.
On the result sheet, the reason given was: Failed - intervention of the examiner because of lights or injunctions. So the stated reason was the examiner's intervention, not the fact that I stopped on the crossing.
I understand that perhaps I should have reacted sooner and stopped before reaching the crossing. However, from my perspective, when the light turned yellow I believed it was safer to continue than to brake abruptly, especially with a truck behind me. Had I continued as I initially intended, I believe I would have cleared the intersection without any problems. But from what the examiner said in the car, I had time to break...
What makes me frustrated and uncertain is that, from what I have read online, crossing on yellow is not automatically considered an eliminatory fault, whereas crossing on red is. Since the examiner instructed me to stop at the yellow light, and that intervention was recorded as the reason the exam was failed, I am wondering whether this was sufficient grounds.
Would it be worth writing to the chief examiner to ask for a review, or is it likely that the examiner's judgment would simply be accepted? On one hand, I feel that I may have been failed unfairly. On the other hand, I'm worried that making a complaint could mess up my relationship with the exam centre or the examiner as I have to return there in the future.
Unfortunately, I have no evidence regarding the exact speed, distance, or timing, so it would essentially be my word against the examiner's assessment.
I'd appreciate any advice.
Hello,
I recently took my practical driving test in Brussels and failed after only a few minutes. I'm wondering whether the failure was justified and whether it would be worth contacting the chief examiner.
I had already failed the risk perception test once (I was unprepared), so this was my last attempt before having to take an additional 6 hours of driving school lessons.
Right after leaving the parking lot, I was driving at around 15–20 km/h with a large truck behind me. As I approached a traffic light, it changed from green to yellow when I was approximately 3–4 metres away. My instinct was to continue through the intersection, because I felt that braking at that distance could be risky and might leave me stopped on the pedestrian crossing.
However, the examiner told me to stop. Because of that instruction, I braked and ended up with the car partly on the pedestrian crossing. The examiner then told me to return to the test centre because the exam was over.
On the result sheet, the reason given was: Failed - intervention of the examiner because of lights or injunctions. So the stated reason was the examiner's intervention, not the fact that I stopped on the crossing.
I understand that perhaps I should have reacted sooner and stopped before reaching the crossing. However, from my perspective, when the light turned yellow I believed it was safer to continue than to brake abruptly, especially with a truck behind me. Had I continued as I initially intended, I believe I would have cleared the intersection without any problems. But from what the examiner said in the car, I had time to break...
What makes me frustrated and uncertain is that, from what I have read online, crossing on yellow is not automatically considered an eliminatory fault, whereas crossing on red is. Since the examiner instructed me to stop at the yellow light, and that intervention was recorded as the reason the exam was failed, I am wondering whether this was sufficient grounds.
Would it be worth writing to the chief examiner to ask for a review, or is it likely that the examiner's judgment would simply be accepted? On one hand, I feel that I may have been failed unfairly. On the other hand, I'm worried that making a complaint could mess up my relationship with the exam centre or the examiner as I have to return there in the future.
Unfortunately, I have no evidence regarding the exact speed, distance, or timing, so it would essentially be my word against the examiner's assessment.
I'd appreciate any advice.