How to get "test" ready

suitcasepink

Right so I have done my 12 EDT lessons since last year and then early this year I inherited a car, a Suzuki swift.
I'm still on my learners license however and I don't know how to go forward with it. I definitely need to do a few more lessons for confidence and that but my instructor was quite clear in telling me that I need to be driving outside of the lessons also.

The problem is I don't know how I'd afford insurance on the car as the main driver with my provisional licence? Surely that would be huge money? A family member has a Corsa that I could probably get insured on but I hate to see my own still sitting idle months later..
I haven't a clue what's the smartest, best way of going about this? I just want my full licence and to be driving my car ASAP but it just seems like a vicious circle of "insurance is too expensive on a provisional, can't get a full license without insurance"

Just looking for advice really on what others would recommend in my situation!

cantdecide

Motoring can be an expensive business to start at so the best thing to do is confirm the actual numbers you'll be dealing with and take it from there. Assumptions are not the fastest way to a full licence; just get stuck in and see what the story is for you.

If insurance is your biggest hurdle then the best thing to do is just pick up the phone and just start ringing all the insurers and brokers- there is no easier way. Every case is different; that's what the insurers want- try and keep everyone guessing and catching people on the hop. At least you have an insurance friendly car so that's one variable taken care of.

If the expense seems insurmountable, see if you can get insured on your relative's car (only on the basis they'll let you drive it extensively) and set the ambition to pass the test within the year, if that's viable for you.

As regards the rest of it; there's no substitute for hours in the driver's seat while staying in touch with your instructor as required. Identify your weak areas and create exercises to help you with those- don't give in to the temptation to get into a comfort zone rumbling about doing what you did yesterday because it feels good. Once things start falling into place, focus on your next weak area. You should feel challenged for the first few months.

Your rate of progress simply depends on your ambition and work ethic.

suitcasepink

cantdecide wrote: »

Motoring can be an expensive business to start at so the best thing to do is confirm the actual numbers you'll be dealing with and take it from there. Assumptions are not the fastest way to a full licence; just get stuck in and see what the story is for you.

If insurance is your biggest hurdle then the best thing to do is just pick up the phone and just start ringing all the insurers and brokers- there is no easier way. Every case is different; that's what the insurers want- try and keep everyone guessing and catching people on the hop. At least you have an insurance friendly car so that's one variable taken care of.

If the expense seems insurmountable, see if you can get insured on your relative's car (only on the basis they'll let you drive it extensively) and set the ambition to pass the test within the year, if that's viable for you.

As regards the rest of it; there's no substitute for hours in the driver's seat while staying in touch with your instructor as required. Identify your weak areas and create exercises to help you with those- don't give in to the temptation to get into a comfort zone rumbling about doing what you did yesterday because it feels good. Once things start falling into place, focus on your next weak area. You should feel challenged for the first few months.

Your rate of progress simply depends on your ambition and work ethic.

Yeah you're definitely right regarding assumptions, I've been throwing around the "it'll be huge costs to insure" without actually doing the calculations.
This is probably a really stupid question but are you able to take out insurance for less than 12 months? Like if I were to just get insured on my relatives car but I ended up passing my test in less than 12 months, would I lose out financially?

Since typing it all out it I've been thinking it does make the most sense for me to get insured on their car and continue working with the vision of getting my full license in the next number of months. Then to to get going on my car.
It's just so difficult to see it standing there only turning the engine on occasionally!

cantdecide

deise_girl wrote: »

This is probably a really stupid question but are you able to take out insurance for less than 12 months? Like if I were to just get insured on my relatives car but I ended up passing my test in less than 12 months, would I lose out financially?

Not a silly question.

It depends on when their renewal is. If their insurance is up for renewal in 6 months time, you'll pay something like half of what the annual loading for their insurance. If they pay by the month, it'll increase the remaining payments by that amount.

If you take out your own insurance, the policy will be based on a year's premium but if you quit halfway through, you'll get back most of the remaining half of the premium back. If you take out a policy where you pay by the month, most of the time it seems that you just cancel the policy and stop making installments.