Though we'd be forgiven for being nervous before a test, we don’t expect to get rejected a few minutes after picking up the pen or taking the wheel. This was the case for one man in Lucerne who failed a Swiss driving test without moving a metre.

Trailer driving test in Lucerne turns into a comedy of errors

According to a report from 20 Minuten, the incident occurred when a driver was attempting to get certified to carry a trailer. At his test on January 10, the 31-year-old explained to the Lucerne Road Traffic Office that he “absolutely needed this test because I’m a carpenter.”

Trouble began before he had even gotten behind the wheel. The man told 20 Minuten that while he was inspecting the trailer, he was docked points by the examiner for not checking under the drawbar for cracks, nor looking under the trailer for hazards.

Man failed the test without driving a metre

Once he got in the car he was then told to check that the trailer’s lights were working. Once he discovered that one of the lights wasn’t connected, he hopped out of the car with the engine still running. He later explained that this was what he was used to doing when he was out at work.

Barely before leaving the car, the instructor turned to him and sent him straight home with a failed test. “I was speechless”, the man told reporters, admitting that he wasn’t aware of the rule. He was left with the cost of the failed test - approximately 134 francs - and a newly booked set of driving lessons and trailer test totalling around 500 francs.

Instructor was right to fail the driver, say authorities

Daniela Portmann, who runs her own driving school, noted that leaving the engine running unnecessarily risks a fine of 80 francs from the police. She therefore argued that while it is up to the instructor how to enforce the rule, it is not wrong to fail a driver for the offence.

"According to the guidelines, it is a serious error to leave the engine running when leaving the vehicle during the trailer test," Canton Lucerne Justice and Security Department spokesperson Larissa Probst told 20 Minuten. She added that while the offence typically isn’t reason on its own to fail someone, combined with the other errors the examiner’s decision was justified.