Legal Definitions - major-and-minor fault rule

The major-and-minor fault rule is a driving rule that is used to determine whether a driver has passed or failed their driving test. It is also known as the major-minor fault rule.

During a driving test, the examiner will mark any mistakes made by the driver as either a major or minor fault. A major fault is a serious mistake that could potentially be dangerous, such as running a red light or not stopping at a stop sign. A minor fault is a less serious mistake, such as not checking the mirrors before changing lanes.

The major-and-minor fault rule states that a driver can make up to 15 minor faults during their driving test and still pass. However, if they make a single major fault, they will automatically fail.

For example, if a driver forgets to signal when turning, this would be considered a minor fault. However, if they run a red light, this would be considered a major fault and they would fail their driving test.

Another example would be if a driver forgets to check their blind spot before changing lanes. This would be considered a minor fault. However, if they swerve into another lane without checking their blind spot, this would be considered a major fault and they would fail their driving test.