If you are going to be taking your practical driving test and hope to be in the market for new driver insurance soon, then it certainly pays to make sure you have revised well before sitting next to the examiner on the day.
Driving tests are quite pricy, and so passing first time is not only a great confidence boost but a way to save money. Obtaining young driver car insurance from us is yet another way of saving money.
The practical driving test
It is important to remember that your practical test isn’t just about driving, it’s also about knowing your way around a car well enough to be able to maintain it correctly therefore reducing the possibility of an accident.
You will be asked a number of “show me, tell me” questions. For example the examiner might say, “Tell me how you would check that the brakes are working before starting a journey”, or, “Show me where you would check the engine coolant level”.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then it is worth asking your instructor and covering everything you are unsure about just in case.
When you do start driving on the test, the examiner will be marking any faults and will total them up to see if you have passed or failed.
The examiner’s paper will have four columns on it marked “minor faults,” “total minor faults,” “serious” and “dangerous”.
If you receive one mark against the “serious” or “dangerous” column, for a driving fault which could have caused an accident, injury or death, then this usually means that you will fail.
Test candidates are allowed to make up to 15 minor faults, such as harsh use of brakes or steering by crossing one hand over the other, before totting up enough to fail the test. These are faults which do not cause actual danger to other road users. Minor faults can also be received on the “show me, tell me” questions.
However, committing the same minor fault in one area of your driving will result in a mark in the serious driving fault column and will most likely mean failing the test.
To avoid making too many minor faults, check all your motoring problem areas with your instructor prior to the test.
It might also help to keep the date of your driving test to yourself, as a flood of “good luck” and “break a leg” texts and Facebook messages on the day could serve to increase your stress and the pressure you feel to pass.
Finding new driver insurance
If you’ll soon be looking for car insurance, then we could save you money on your annual premium by offering you the possibility of earning yourself Bonus Miles.
Contact one of our helpful team members about receiving new driver insurance on 0333 123 1308 or click on the get a quote button to see how much you could be saving on your future insurance.
Oh, and good luck on that test!