Taking your road test in New York can feel intimidating, but many of the most common mistakes are simple and preventable.
In this article, we’ll break down the seven most common mistakes on the New York Road Test and teach you how to avoid them.
1. Rolling Through Stop Signs
A “rolling stop” – when you slow down at a stop sign but don’t come to a complete stop – is one of the most common automatic fails on the New York road test.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Always come to a full stop just before the stop line, crosswalk, or intersection. Your wheels should stop moving – no creeping forward. To emphasize your stop to the examiner, slowly count to three in your head before continuing.
2. Forgetting to Check Blind Spots
Blind spots are areas around your car that you can’t see in your mirrors. Before changing lanes or turning, it’s essential to do a quick glance over your shoulder – called a shoulder check – to make sure the blind spot is clear of cars, cyclists, or pedestrians.
How to Avoid this Mistake: After checking your mirrors, quickly turn your head to glance over your shoulder in the direction you’re moving. Only proceed once you’ve confirmed the blind spot is clear. To make it obvious to your examiner, exaggerate the shoulder check movement slightly.
3. Not Yielding to Pedestrians
Failing to yield to pedestrians, especially those in or near a crosswalk, is a serious mistake that can result in an automatic fail. This includes crowding, which happens when you start creeping into the crosswalk while a pedestrian is still crossing.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Always scan intersections for pedestrians. If someone is crossing or preparing to cross, remain stopped behind the crosswalk and wait until they’re fully across to proceed.
4. Speeding
Driving over the speed limit, even by just a few miles per hours, is a common reason for failing the New York road test. This includes driving too fast for current road, traffic, or weather conditions.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Pay attention to posted speed limit signs, especially in school zones and construction zones, where limits often change. In heavy traffic or poor weather, slow down and leave a safe following distance of about 3-4 seconds between you and the vehicle ahead.
5. Poor Steering
Steering issues – such as drifting within your lane, making wide turns, or over-correcting – are red flags to your examiner that you’re not fully in control of the vehicle.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Prior to your road test, practice keeping your car centred in your lane and making smooth, controlled turns. Working with a licensed instructor can help you perfect your steering and feel confident on test day.
6. Hitting the Curb While Parking
Parallel parking is a standard part of the New York road test – and one that can be challenging for new drivers. If you hit the curb or need too many adjustments, you’ll gain infraction points.
Not sure how the road test is scored? Check out our breakdown of the New York Road Test Scoring Sheet.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Like steering, parking is a skill that improves with repetition. Aim to finish within 12 inches of the curb without touching it and practice until you can do it smoothly on your first try.
7. Not Signalling Correctly
Failing to signal or signalling too late makes your actions unpredictable to other drivers and can be dangerous.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Always use your turn signal at least 100 feet before turning or changing lanes. Make it a habit to signal early, even in parking lots or quiet residential areas. Your examiner will be watching!
Final Thoughts
By practicing key skills, and avoiding the seven mistakes above, you’ll set yourself up to pass the New York road test on your first try.
Our 10 Hour Package is designed to help you become a safe, confident driver and be fully prepared for test day.
Still figuring out the licensing process? Check out our Guide to Getting Your Driver’s License in New York.
