Will You Fail the Driving Test If the Car Stalls During the Uphill Section in Subject 2?
2 Answers
Stalling during Subject 2 does not result in an automatic failure but will incur a penalty (10 points). If the car stalls during the test, it must be restarted within ten seconds; exceeding this time limit will result in disqualification. Proper clutch control during the uphill section of Subject 2 can prevent stalling. If stalling occurs during the uphill start, remain calm, shift the car into neutral, and restart the engine. However, attempting to restart the engine while in gear will result in an immediate failure. Note that the uphill start requires the engine to be restarted within 30 seconds, so the candidate must act quickly, accurately, and steadily. Penalty standards for the uphill parking and starting in Subject 2: Failure to stop at the designated point: 100-point deduction; Front bumper not reaching the control line after stopping: 100-point deduction; Rolling backward more than 30 cm after stopping: 100-point deduction; Rolling backward less than 30 cm after stopping: 10-point deduction (previously 20 points); Driving over the solid edge line: 100-point deduction; Exceeding 30 seconds for starting: 100-point deduction; Front bumper not reaching the parking line after stopping: 10-point deduction (previously 20 points); Right front wheel more than 30 cm from the edge line when parking: 10-point deduction (previously 20 points).
After years of teaching driving, I've found that students fear stalling the most during hill starts. The exam rules clearly state that stalling once or twice isn't a major issue—it deducts at most 10 points, and you can still pass with 80. The real danger lies in panicking after stalling, which can cause the car to roll back over 30 cm, resulting in immediate failure. Yesterday, a female student stalled, then slammed the accelerator without releasing the clutch, causing a 40 cm rollback before being stopped. My advice: during practice, have the instructor adjust the seat position to ensure full clutch pedal depression. Also, avoid gripping the steering wheel too tightly during starts, as it can unconsciously affect ankle movement, leading to unstable clutch control.
