Speed limits and progress
Speed is something examiners watch constantly, and it is one of the longest chapters in Sevenoaks Driving Test Secrets. Sevenoaks has limits from 20 mph to 70 mph, generally well signed and often painted on the road.[1]
Reading the limit
- 30 mph roads are often not repeatedly signed. A road with regular street lighting and no signs saying otherwise is usually 30 mph.[1][2]
- "Residential" or "near a school" does not automatically mean 20. Newman hears this assumption often.
- The national speed limit is a maximum, not an expectation. Many country lanes carry it simply because they have no street lights. That does not make 60 mph safe on them.
- Dashboard speed-limit displays are unreliable. Newman's wife's car sometimes shows 80 mph, which is impossible in the UK. A wrong low reading causes undue slowness; a wrong high reading can lead to speeding, and the display is no excuse.[1]
Below the limit
Driving below the limit can be right, and driving at it can be a fault. Newman gives local examples:[1]
| Road | Why slower | Suggested |
|---|---|---|
| Ashgrove Road | Very narrow in places | About 20 mph |
| Garth Road | Very uneven surface | About 20 mph |
| Solefields Road | Two school entrances | About 25 mph |
Over the limit
Examiners don't disclose their thresholds, but Newman has heard of 24 mph in a 20 zone being marked as a serious fault, and has seen 21 mph in the 20 zone through Sevenoaks Weald marked as a driving fault. Repeated speeding can become serious. A candidate who notices they are speeding should simply reduce speed smoothly and not dwell on it.[1]
Too slow
The speed limit is a limit, not a target, but it is no licence to crawl. A long queue behind, or unnecessary overtaking by others, suggests inappropriate speed, which can be a serious fault. Newman's examples are pulling out of Gracious Lane onto Hubbards Hill, a national-limit road, too slowly, which risks a vehicle running into the back of the car, and sitting in the A21's left lane with lorries passing.[1] See The A21 on Sevenoaks tests.
Undue hesitation
"Undue hesitation" is the examiners' term for waiting too long at junctions, roundabouts or when pulling out, missing safe gaps and holding up traffic. Missing a single good gap is normally allowed. The fault is recorded when a candidate repeatedly misses safe opportunities and others are held up. Newman's balance: pulling out when it isn't safe is far worse, but a ready driver should judge gaps efficiently and go decisively.[1]
Don't rush
Finishing quickly earns nothing. A candidate who rushes may arrive back near the test centre early, and the examiner may then extend the route, adding more roads, junctions and chances for error.[1]
Car parks
There is no national speed limit in car parks, and Newman has never seen an examiner concerned about slightly exceeding a 5 mph sign. What matters is a slow, safe speed that gives everyone time to react.[1]
References
- Newman, Geoff (2026). Sevenoaks Driving Test Secrets, chapter 19.
- "The Highway Code: General rules, techniques and advice (103 to 158)". GOV.UK.