Minor, serious and dangerous driving faults explained
How the three official fault categories differ and how they affect a result.
Direct answer: The official terms are driving fault, serious fault and dangerous fault. ‘Minor’ and ‘major’ are common informal terms, but they are not the labels used on the official result.
Pre-launch check: Check the DVSA publication each month and record the source date when data is refreshed.
The three categories
- Driving fault: not potentially dangerous on that occasion, although repetition can make it serious.
- Serious fault: something potentially dangerous.
- Dangerous fault: actual danger to you, the examiner, another person or property.
Context matters
The same basic mistake can have different consequences depending on traffic, road users and how you respond. Online lists cannot predict how an examiner will mark a particular event.
Practise safe observation, control and planning rather than trying to memorise a catalogue of faults.
Official sources
This guide paraphrases the official pages below. Open them to check the current rule or service.