So you’ve passed your driving test: What now?
Months – possibly years – of practice goes into passing your driving test, but what do you do once you have that certificate in hand? First-time drivers are often hit with high insurance premiums but there are a number of different ways to decrease your insurance premium.
Once you’ve been driven home by your instructor, there are some vital things you need to do before you get behind the wheel.
Find that perfect first car
If you decide to buy your first car, there are a lot of things to take into consideration. The price may be a big deciding factor on whether you choose a second-hand vehicle or a brand new car. Used cars are a lot cheaper, but new cars have better warranties – they can be made affordable, with routes like finance being easily accessible.
When it comes to insurance, it’s best to add an additional driver onto the account to make it cheaper. If you’re the main driver, you need to state that, but you can have additional drivers - such as your parents - which could make it a little cheaper.
Tax your car
Go online and tax your car. It’s illegal to drive the vehicle without road tax – even if it doesn’t cost anything. It’s a simple process if you go on the GOV.UK website, you’ll find a step by step process to inform you how to tax your car. You don’t need to wait for anything to arrive, as tax discs are no longer used, but your vehicle will be legally registered online. You can either pay for your car tax in one lump sum amount or monthly.
Get car insurance
Once you make a decision on your first car, you then need to decide on insurance. If you’re already forking out cash to pay monthly for your car, it’s worth considering a black box to lower your insurance.
Consider getting a quote from a specialist in telematics, such as WiseDriving, to keep your premium as low as possible. A black box will measure how you drive and help keep the price down in the future too. You’ll receive money back on the cost of your insurance as you prove you can drive safely over time.
Once you’re taxed, insured and ready to go, it’s time to do the fun stuff. Pick up your car and fill it up with a full tank of petrol. You won’t need to go to your first car wash yet, because it should be nice and clean – but that’s something to look forward to. There are things including drive through’s and multi-story car parks that you’ll find yourself using often, but it’s not something you’ll learn on your test.
It’s essential to remain safe on the road, but you’ll revel in the freedom of your new wheels, particularly after putting in a lot of effort to pass in the first place.
