Automatic Fail: 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid on the Utah Driving Test

Passing your Utah road test is the final gateway to the freedom of driving. The Driver License Division (DLD) examiner will score your performance on a point system, deducting points for errors. However, certain mistakes are considered so critical to safety that they will result in an immediate, automatic failure, regardless of your score on other parts of the test.

Being aware of these common pitfalls is the first step toward avoiding them. Here are 10 of the most common mistakes that will automatically fail you on your DLD road test, with a special focus on the required parking maneuvers.

1. Striking a Cone or Curb During Parking Maneuvers

Utah's road test includes several specific parking skills, including parallel parking, hill parking, and the three-point turn.

The Mistake: Making contact with any of the uprights (cones), flags, or the curb during the parallel parking or three-point turn maneuvers. Any contact is an instant fail.
How to Avoid It: Practice relentlessly. Find an empty parking lot, measure out the space, and use your own markers. Learn the reference points on your test vehicle. Practice until the maneuvers are smooth and you can confidently place the car without contact.

2. Disobeying a Traffic Sign or Signal

This is a fundamental error that demonstrates a disregard for basic traffic law.

The Mistake: Failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign (a "rolling stop") or running a red light. This also includes ignoring "Do Not Enter" or "Wrong Way" signs.
How to Avoid It: At every stop sign, make a conscious effort to bring the vehicle to a full and complete stop before the white line. Feel the car settle before proceeding. Always be scanning ahead for upcoming signs and signals.

3. An Unsafe or Dangerous Maneuver

This is a broad but critical category. Any action that endangers you, the examiner, or the public will end the test immediately.

The Mistake: Pulling out in front of another vehicle and causing them to brake suddenly, turning from the wrong lane, making an illegal U-turn, or driving on the wrong side of the road.
How to Avoid It: Be a defensive driver. Always check traffic thoroughly before entering an intersection or changing lanes. Know the rules of the road from the Utah Driver Handbook so well that following them is second nature.

4. Speeding

Exceeding the speed limit, even by a small amount, shows the examiner you are not in control or are not paying attention.

The Mistake: Driving over the posted speed limit. Examiners are especially strict in school zones and residential areas where the limit is low (20-25 mph in Utah).
How to Avoid It: Be constantly aware of your speed. Glance at your speedometer frequently. If no speed limit is posted, know the default speeds (e.g., 25 mph in a residential district).

5. Examiner Intervention

If the examiner must intervene, either verbally (by shouting "Stop!") or physically (by grabbing the steering wheel), it is an automatic failure.

The Mistake: Approaching a stopped vehicle too quickly, drifting toward a pedestrian, or starting to pull out into traffic unsafely, forcing the examiner to react.
How to Avoid It: This is the result of other errors. By staying alert, maintaining a safe following distance, and checking your surroundings, you prevent situations that would require examiner intervention.

6. Failure to Yield the Right-of-Way

You must demonstrate that you understand when to go and when to yield.

The Mistake: Not yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, or taking the right-of-way from another driver at an intersection.
How to Avoid It: Patience is key. Never assume another driver will yield to you. Make eye contact with pedestrians. When in doubt, it is always safer to yield.

7. Lack of Cooperation or Refusing to Perform a Maneuver

You must follow the examiner's instructions throughout the test.

The Mistake: Arguing with the examiner or refusing to perform an instructed maneuver, such as a turn or parallel parking.
How to Avoid It: Listen carefully to the instructions and do your best to comply. Even if you perform a maneuver imperfectly (losing points), it's far better than refusing to try.

8. Failure to Use Turn Signals

Signaling your intentions is a basic and mandatory safety procedure.

The Mistake: Consistently failing to use your turn signal when changing lanes, turning, or pulling away from a curb.
How to Avoid It: Make signaling a habit during all your practice sessions. Remember to signal at least two seconds before you begin your maneuver.

9. Poor Vehicle Control

The examiner must feel that you are in full command of the vehicle at all times.

The Mistake: Consistently jerky braking/acceleration, weaving within your lane, or driving too close to the edge of the road or the center line.
How to Avoid It: Get comfortable in the specific car you'll be using for the test. Practice smooth starts and stops until they feel natural. Focus your vision well down the road to help you steer a straight path.

Relying only on your mirrors is not enough and is a common failure point.

The Mistake: Changing lanes or merging without physically turning your head to look over your shoulder and check the vehicle's blind spot.
How to Avoid It: For every lane change, make it a three-step process: check your mirrors, signal your intention, and then look over your shoulder before you begin to move.

By being mindful of these critical errors, you can approach your Utah road test with the confidence and skill needed to earn a passing score.