The day of your driving test is coming up, Christmas has taken a pinch out of your wallet and you are faced with the prospect that you now have to pay your driving instructor to borrow their car for 3 hours.   So how can you save money when you are finally nearing the end of your learner driver journey? Ever thought about using a family member’s car and taking out insurance for the day of your driving test?   Our temporary learner driver insurance can cover you just on the day, or leading up to your driving test. Here is why driving test insurance may just be a good idea:-  

• It is recommended that you have a practice drive before a practical driving test, so it is common for learners to have an hour’s lesson before the test. Practice before the test is mainly just driving to the test centre, running through everything one last time and getting to the test centre within perfect time, ready to attempt to calm your nerves.

The driving test is then taken which lasts around 40 minutes, followed by a review of the driving test and then confirmation of the result.

• It is then time to drive home, but most driving instructors will not allow you to drive home from the test centre if you pass or if you fail. Taking a driving test can be a very nerving experience and from hearing you have passed or you have failed – chances are your mind is going to be preoccupied and you will be worked up so it is best to sit in the passengers seat and well…chill out!

This makes a grand total of three hours that you will have to use your driving instructor’s car. Three hours of using your driving instructor’s car can cost around £70, which is on top of the £60 - £70 you are already paying for the practical test to be taken. However, learner driver insurance covers you during a practical driving test and will cost around £20 for one day of insurance. You do the maths...

• If you pass your driving test, the insurance allows you three hours after passing your test to drive home. Although, if you are borrowing a family members car, who is also supervising why not let them chauffer you home! (providing they are insured to drive the car)

Driving test insurance and taking the driving test in a family member’s car also comes with a whole host of benefits in addition to saving you money. If you have been undertaking private practice in somebody else’s car then it is likely you have spent a considerable amount of time making the most of having unlimited driving practice. Spending a lot of time practising is similar to practising a sport, the more you do it, the better you get. But imagine practising football every day for months and then on the day of a big match, changing your boots? Avoid being thrown out of your comfort zone.  

Your Driving Test Insurance Questions Answered:

Does the car have to have dual controls? No you can use a normal car, just check that it is eligible. Does the car owner have to sit in on the test with you and the examiner? No as long as you have a DSA examiner with you you'll be covered. Will it affect my chances of passing the driving test because I might look like an armature without a driving instructor? No, driving examiners judge learner drivers purely on their driving ability.

The DVLA state that your vehicle must:

- Be properly insured and taxed - Be roadworthy and have a current MOT (if it needs one) - Be checked and fixed if it has a known safety fault - Have a seatbelt for the examiner - Have an interior rear-view mirror for examiner (these are available from most motor stores) - Have a proper passenger head restraint (not a slip-on tyre!) - Be a smoke-free environment (you can’t smoke in the vehicles just before or during the test) - Have 4 wheels - Be able to reach at least 62 mph - Have a speedometer measuring speed in mph - Have no warning lights showing – for example, the airbag warning light - Have L-plates (or D plates for Wales) - Have a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of no more than 3,500 kilograms - Vehicles fitted with electronics parking brake can be used for a test - Vehicles with space saver tyres can’t be used for a test   Get a quote for a days learner driver insurance ready for your test today via our sister site Any queries just drop us a comment below!