Things They Don't Tell You When You've Passed Your Driving Test

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Longest blog post title ever? I passed my driving test in December last year which was a massive thing for me and luckily I pass second time round. Yes, passing is down to knowledge and the skill of driving but it's also just as much down to luck on the day, the examiner and so many other factors, some of which are out of your control such as other drivers, pedestrians, unclear road marking or even the weather and your mood. Learning to drive is an essential skill and you learn so much but there are some things they don't tell you:

Driving Alone 

While you are learning to drive, you cannot drive on your own. I drove with my parents and my instructor so driving on my own for the first time was so nerve wracking as I hadn't done it before and you lose that safety net of being able to ask someone questions or having that extra person watching out for dangers. The other thing that is odd that I found about driving on my own is the silence, I was used to my parents talking or my driving instructor asking me questions but on my own there was nothing but the noise of the engine which was so strange at first!

Insurance & Extra Costs

While learning to drive you are covered by your instructors insurance or you can buy learner driver insurance which is what I did but after that it gets so much more expensive. I thought that if you are over 25, which I nearly am, that insurance decreases but it isn't by much! Also I thought that Pass Plus would decrease insurance too but again, it isn't by much at all. Road tax and breakdown cover are also costs that I completely forgot about too. The there's random things like a steering wheel lock, car cleaning products, sunglasses... and of course, petrol.

Car Maintenance 

In the UK as well as learning how to drive you also have to answer some 'show me, tell me' questions about where things are in the car and under the bonnet such as the oil and water, for example. However, you aren't told how to change a tire, change a windscreen wiper, what to do if your car breaks down, how to dispense petrol or how to change a headlight bulb, most of which I've had to do since passing my test. Practical knowledge and skills like that aren't taught and I think they should be!

Becoming A Taxi 

This is an unexpected one but only a week or so after passing my test, I was ferrying my parents around and picking people up and now I know what it was like for my dad to drop me off and pick me up from friends houses, birthday parties and school...I actually like driving on the whole but being a taxi isn't so fun; however it is all good practice and helps build confidence.

Renting A Car & Experience Restrictions 

Once you have passed there are still restrictions, for example, renting a car usually needs 12 months experience of driving before you can rent and sometimes you have to be over 25 too. Also if you are thinking about driving abroad then you might need more experience, you'll have to check specifically for that country as laws and restrictions vary.

Can you drive? What was your experience of learning to drive and passing? Have you experienced any of the points I've mentioned? 

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