You’ve just passed your test and freedom is at your fingertips – well, almost. It’s an exciting feeling passing your test – but with no more driving lessons to worry about and your pink license on its way, what happens now?
Buy your own car
The obvious thing to do after passing your test is to save up and buy a car right away. If you want to get on the road right away, buying your first car is the best choice for you. It can provide your first taste of real freedom – if you want to go somewhere, you just need to jump in your car and go! But buying a car is an expensive business, and some people can’t afford it right away. Not only do you have to pay for the car, MOT and road tax just to own the car, but there’s insurance and running costs to consider too. Petrol is expensive, and older (cheaper) cars aren’t as economic as the more expensive, newer models. But if you can’t afford to get yourself a car right away, don’t worry – freedom can still be yours.
Become a named driver
If buying your own car is too much right now, you may want become a named driver on a parent, sibling or partner’s car. If you have someone who is willing to add you on to their insurance policy, you can still drive whenever you need to. This can be worthwhile if you’re not driving regularly enough to warrant having your own car, but still want to take to the road every now and then. You can still drive when you need to, providing the owner hasn’t taken the car out, but without the expense of your own car and insurance policy. However, the insurance policy will still be affected by your driving – so, if you were to make a claim, this would affect the owner’s policy and no claims bonus – and having a named driver with little experience can increase a person’s insurance premium, so bear this in mind.
Consider car sharing insurance
If you don’t drive very often – for example, if you’re at university – car sharing insurance might be the best option for you. Not driving for a long period of time can damage your confidence, but with temporary or car sharing insurance, you can drive for a short period of time to keep you in practise. With temporary insurance, you only pay for when you’re driving. Instead of paying to be insured for the year, and not driving your car for the majority of that time, you only have to pay for a month or so at a time. This means you can get some time behind the wheel without having to pay for an annual policy.
Carry on learning
Of course, if you’re not sure you’re ready to hit the road in your own car yet, you can carry on learning instead. Many instructors offer Pass Plus, which continues to improve your driving skills after you’ve passed your test – in these lessons, you can experience driving in different weather conditions, new routes, and even on the motorway, expanding on what you’ve already learnt from your lessons. Pass Plus can even sometimes reduce the cost of your insurance when you do decide to get your own car, as well as improving your skills.
No matter which option you choose, drive safely and enjoy your new found freedom!
