(a) The department administers a road test to determine an applicant's ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control of a motor vehicle; such applicant must meet a predetermined score. The road test will be given in English or Spanish only and will consist of three separate standalone examinations, designated as the on-street test, the backing test, and parallel parking test, and will include the following maneuvers:
- (1) start;
- (2) quick smooth stop;
- (3) backing;
- (4) upshifting;
- (5) downshifting;
- (6) lane change;
- (7) merge;
- (8) use of lanes;
- (9) right-of-way;
- (10) posture;
- (11) approach to corner;
- (12) traffic signals;
- (13) traffic signs;
- (14) left turns;
- (15) right turns; and
- (16) parallel parking (if applicable).
(b) Rejection standards for road test are:
- (1) accident. Any contact with another vehicle, object, or pedestrian which applicant could have prevented, regardless of who was responsible, resulting in any damage or injury;
(2) dangerous action:
- (A) accident is prevented only by defensive driving on the part of another or dodging by a pedestrian;
- (B) any loss of control creating a hazard;
- (C) driver stalls vehicle in middle of busy intersection so as to obstruct traffic;
- (D) drives one or more wheels over the curb or onto the sidewalk;
- (E) accident prevented only by warning given by the examining officer; or
- (F) runs over parking standards on the parallel parking test.
(3) violation of law. Unless otherwise stipulated in scoring standards, a driver is disqualified for:
- (A) any act for which the driver might be arrested; or
- (B) any act which might make the driver liable for damages in case of accident.
(4) deductions. As soon as any of the following conditions occur, the applicant is disqualified:
- (A) various or repeated minor mistakes totaling more than 20 points deducted on the off-street road test score for motorcycles or more than 30 points deducted on the on-street test for any vehicle including a motorcycle;
- (B) various or repeated minor mistakes totaling more than 5 points deducted on the backing test; or
- (C) various or repeated minor mistakes totaling more than 7 points deducted on the parallel parking test for any vehicle.
(5) lack of cooperation or refusal to perform:
- (A) refusal to try any maneuver in good faith;
- (B) repeated failure to follow instructions;
- (C) offer a bribe or gratuity;
- (D) argument concerning scoring, not just a discussion of scoring; or
- (E) refusal to wear a seat belt when required and has no physician's statement for waiver or refusal to comply with a continuing, necessary restriction (e.g., "corrective lenses").
Source Note:The provisions of this §15.56 adopted to be effective October 30, 2000, 25 TexReg 10747; amended to be effective December 13, 2009, 34 TexReg 8786.