Tips to stay safe after passing the driving test.

Have you said, “I passed my driving test”, and now you’re wondering what you should do to feel road ready? 

Have you passed your driving licence test in the UK after reading my tips to pass the driving test and now need help staying safe on the road?

Or did you get driving test insurance but need an insurance plan because you’re a licensed driver?

If not, you should claim your free driver test checklist. It will give you step-by-step actionable items so you’re ready to get your provisional licence in two weeks or less.

What could happen after passing the driving test?

Many things can happen to you as a newly licensed driver. For starters, you could not have the right type of insurance. 

If that happens and a police officer stops you, you could receive a penalty of six points on your driving license and a fine of £300. But it gets worse because you could be disqualified from driving if the case goes to court. 

It’s rare this could happen, but isn’t peace of mind better than taking a risk? Did you know that your existing driving test insurance is not valid after passing your exam? So, you need to get a new driver policy before you can travel freely without a parent or licensed driver in the car. 

And now you may be wondering, “but isn’t car insurance really expensive?” Yes and no. 

Most drivers in the UK overpay on car insurance by as much as £348 per annum. That’s because they don’t know where to look for insurance that’s both reliable and affordable. But, luckily you’ve found my school, and my goal is to help all drivers in the UK pass the theory and practical test the first time and help them save money. 

Considering the state of the UK economy, we’re all pinched for cash. So, if you want to reduce your insurance cost by up to 43.5%, I have a tool to help you do it. 

And the best part of the tool is it only takes 5 minutes of your time, and you can save not £100, £200 or even £300 per annum. 

But up to £348 per annum on a new driver insurance policy – that’s £29 per month in your pocket. Just click the link below to get started. You’ll immediately see your quotes from the best insurance providers across the UK at unbeatable prices. 

If you passed the driving test, you might have already paid MOT, but if not….

You will not be able to get your car insured. MOT is the Ministry of Transport. And they are strict on getting your car passing MOT before you can drive. If you haven’t passed MOT, there isn’t much you can do with your car. But why are they so uptight about MOT and why do you need it?

The strict regulation regarding the MOT isn’t necessarily bad. MOT testing is a strict set of regulation criteria defined by the DVSA. For your safety and that of the general public in the UK, your car needs to meet certain criteria so you can drive safely. 

If you forget to MOT your car, you’re not allowed to drive or even park your car on the road. If you do so and you’re caught, you’ll have to pay £1,000, and you could even have to go to court. To make matters even worse and cause you a bigger headache, driving without MOT will deem your insurance invalid.

So it’s best to start on the right foot and pass MOT first. I’ve made this easy for you. You only need to click the link below to tax your vehicle if you car has a valid, in date MOT, if it doesn’t take it too your local garage and get it done, and you can follow the instructions on the .gov website. Then, your car will be road ready, and you’ll protect yourself against any unwanted fines. 

After MOT you need to tax your car. If not you it could be wheel-clamped and you’ll be left on the side of the road. 

 Register your car and pay tax before driving. 

After passing the driving test, get breakdown cover before driving alone because…

There’s no denying that you will have immense peace of mind when getting breakdown cover. But, some people like to think it could be better value for money. But, having worked with many students who have had breakdown cover, I highly recommend getting breakdown cover as a new driver. 

When you’re a novice driver, you need to be hyper-aware of many things that could happen. When you get into your car, you need to check everything is ready to go before taking off. But, you may forget something when getting out of the car. 

Breakdown cover isn’t only helpful if you find yourself in a bump with another car. You can also use breakdown cover if you forget your keys in the car. If so, a call out by a locksmith could cost you £75, and that’s at the low end of the price range. 

But with breakdown cover, you will pay £75 a year, and your policy will include helping you regain access to your car if you lock yourself out of it.

And one of my students, Ellie, needed breakdown cover because her car stopped in the middle of a roundabout. She called the breakdown cover company, and they came to recover her vehicle and tow it back to her home over 40 miles away at no cost. The same service would have cost £275 or more had she not had breakdown cover.

So apart from being financially beneficial, breakdown cover always ensures you have help when you need it, and you can get it for as low as £5.25 per month. 

So, do yourself a favour and get breakdown cover.

After passing the driving test, you’re probably not thinking about dash cams, so…

You should consider getting one because insurance can only do so much! Imagine being in an accident that wasn’t your fault….

By default, when you bump into another car, you will have to pay for that vehicle’s repair. Your insurance will cover the cost, but you must pay an excess according to your insurance policy agreement. 

When this happens, your monthly insurance cost will skyrocket as a new driver. 

But a dash cam is the strongest, most efficient proof you can have for defending yourself in the unfortunate event of a car crash. You will benefit from increased safety while saving a lot of time and trouble in the event of an accident. 

And you’ll be aiding the police in their investigation if anything happens to you. It will increase your safety and the likelihood of the culprit responsible for your damage being caught and made to pay. 

Plus if you have a dash cam in your car, it will deter thieves. Your belongings will stay safe, and your insurance premium will decrease, reducing your monthly costs. 

Installing a dash cam can save up to 15% of your monthly insurance premium. To put that into perspective, if you’re paying £600 per annum, you could reduce the cost to only £510. That’s a savings of nearly £100. 

And the best news is dash cams are very affordable. I recommend the Minieye C2L 4K dash cam where you get both front and rear for the price of most single dash cams and are really good quality. So, by investing only a few quid once, you’re saving more than 2x that amount per year.

After passing the driving test, you’ll go new places, so here’s a tip for never getting lost. 

Your newfound freedom will be an exciting experience. But what happens if you find yourself in the middle of nowhere without a car charger and a dead cell phone? How are you going to find your way back home? 

You could be lost, scared and worried if your car doesn’t have a Sat Nav.

A Sat Nav can become a lifesaver in instances like these. And you can also use them to get real-time traffic data that your phone may take ages to deliver. Unlike a cell phone, a Sat Nav uses satellite GPS data. It makes seeing what’s happening on the road as easy as glancing at the dashboard where the Sat Nav is installed. 

And Sat Navs are wired into your car’s battery, so you’ll never need to worry about being lost when travelling alone. 

There’s a reason 80% of all practical driving tests use the TomTom Start 52 instead of a phone, the Tom Tom VIA 52 is very similar and just as good. They consistently give you reliable data and superior directions, so you always get where you need to go on time and safely. 

So, why not invest a small amount so you always have peace of mind no matter where you’re going? 

Plus, your insurance costs will reduce even further because a GPS instils confidence that police will recover your car in the event of theft. 

Avoid becoming stranded after passing your driving test.

Could you imagine going down the road and suddenly hearing a loud thump echo from your tyre? You may think, “no, that’ll never happen to me.” But seven tyre punctures occur every second in the UK. 

That means your chances of puncturing a tyre are VERY HIGH. You could puncture a tyre with something small like a nail or even a tiny piece of broken glass. 

So what are you to do in a situation like this? 

The best solution that my students also find extremely helpful is a tyre pump. The beauty of a tyre pump is they’re small and portable. You can pull them out and pump your tyre enough to get it to a shop. Breakdown cover could also help you with this. But do you want to ring them and wait for them to come to you if all you need is a bit of air?

Is an hour of your time worth more than 30 quid? If so, you’d be well off grabbing the WindGallop car tyre inflator. For less than the price of a good meal at Pizza Express, you’ll gain peace of mind that you’re covered for anything that could happen when driving. 

And the electronic gauge will tell you when you’ve reached the right air pressure in your tire. Even better, if you get stranded at night, it has an ultra-bright LED flashlight built-in, so you can use it in any situation that requires you to look under the bonnet of your car. 

Another must-have for any driver is a tyre tread depth gauge. These handy little tools will keep you legal. If your tyre has less than 1.6mm of tread, you’re driving illegally and putting yourself at risk of drifting when you turn corners. You can pick up a tyre thread depth gauge from Halford’s for about £5, and it will help you avoid a hefty fine if the police stop you and your tyres don’t have the legal tread required for the road. 

Are you ready to drive without safety gear after passing the driving test?

A lot of people get in the car and go. But there’s a downside to doing this. There are certain steps you should take to maximise your safety. What if you have a flat tyre and must wait on the roadside for your breakdown cover helper to arrive? Or, what if you don’t have the breakdown cover and need to change a tyre or inflate it yourself? 

The most dangerous thing you could do is not have the tools you need to keep yourself safe and let others know you’re working or waiting for help. It is challenging to see when people are driving, especially at night. So you need a bright object to ensure a car going by doesn’t knock you into next year. 

I recommend to anyone driving, not just new drivers or learner drivers, to get a safety triangle. The safety triangle is a well-known symbol across the UK that lets all drivers know they are approaching a stationary vehicle.

A safety triangle is important if you become stranded on a dual-carriageway. Cars travelling at speeds of 50, 60 or 70 miles aren’t focused on what’s around them as much as they are on what’s ahead. 

A safety triangle will keep you safe by letting other drivers know they are approaching an idle vehicle. You should place these about 45 meters behind your car so approaching vehicles know to slow down. It will greatly increase your safety. 

And as of the first of July 2006, all motor cars are required to carry at least one emergency reflective warning triangle by law. 

So, apart from safety, you also comply with the law by getting a warning triangle. 

Last but not least, you should never drive around without a first aid kit. It will be out of sight and out of mind until you need it. Many accidents could require you to use a first aid kit. You could cut yourself, drop something heavy on your hand or even be bleeding after a small incident. 

A first aid kit is indispensable in a car because you and your friends will travel to many new places now that you’ve got a licence. 

Make sure you are all safe and prepared for anything that could happen.

After passing the driving test, these items will keep you safe and road ready. 

Although you may opt not to purchase the items I’ve listed, I have recommended them because of my experiences working with hundreds of learner drivers. After working with people who have passed their tests and received a licence, the things listed here have helped them. 

I hope they can help you too. When you have everything listed here, you will feel safer and have greater peace of mind. 

It’s better to be safe than sorry. Right?

Good luck, and congratulations on your new licence!