Nerves make learners commit the strangest of errors. We have heard of quite a few, and I am sure we have all committed various blunders whilst learning to drive.

It is commonplace to hear of learners driving on the wrong side of the road, cutting people up on roundabouts and crossing their hands over the steering wheel. We have even heard people selecting reverse gear instead of first gear and crashing into a wall. But have you heard of the pupil saluting each time they turned the corner or the pupil who wished to take her driving lessons in an Eskimo outfit? These are all real-life stories experienced by instructors in the UK.

Driving tests have seen even stranger occurrences. One particular learner from Guildford drove straight into the river Wye at the start of her 5th driving test. The car sank, she swam ashore and the examiner, who could not swim, crawled onto the roof of the vehicle screaming for help. Another learner accidentally drove the car straight through the test centre, demolishing the building.

On another test, the blunder was committed by the examiner. The examiner was working at a different test centre to usual and went out to conduct a test. Colleagues started to get concerned after the examiner hadn’t returned in two hours. The examiner and pupil then arrived back at the test centre in a taxi. The examiner had gotten completely lost and apologised to the driving instructor that he had no idea where his car was.

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Many learners are resorting to various rituals in the hope they pass their practical test. One particular student’s mother cracked an egg on every tyre before the test whilst another pupil spent the last lesson prior to the test parking up and standing on drain covers every time she spotted them in pairs.

These rituals may seem far-fetched but both students passed.

A driving instructor has been reported to make sure his cuddly monkey toy is safely strapped in for every test. He also gets his pupils to book tests in the morning.

Other anecdotes include a pupil wearing the same T-shirt on her test that she wore when she gave birth to her daughter.

With the number of first-time passes falling, the message is ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try again’. One 24-year-old pupil even took 24 attempts before passing her test and was one of either Britons who have racked-up at least 20 tests by the end of 2013 according to the DVSA.

In the end, it is good driving that will ensure a learner passes. However, if superstitions ease the nerves, then this can’t be harmless.

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Older, experienced drivers do fear getting into a car with a newly qualified young driver, gritting their teeth and clutching at the sides of their seat. Is this a fair criticism of young drivers?

A poll of more than 2000 adults found that 68% supported some form of ‘graduated licensing’ for young drivers in their first year of driving. The type of restrictions backed by those who were polled included limitations on the number of passengers they could carry and restrictions on driving between midnight and 5am.

Almost one in eight of all injuries and deaths on the roads involved a driver aged 17 to 19 despite the fact the age group only represents one in 60 of all licensed drivers. This explains the reasoning behind placing some restriction on their driving to improve their safety.

However, is this a good idea? There are risky drivers of all ages, is it really fair to curtail the freedom of young drivers? Do restrictions really help young drivers learn safety on the road?

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