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It’s 90 years since the driving test became compulsory in the UK. Back then it cost just 37.5p to sit the test, and around two thirds of people passed. Now it costs £23 for the theory test, £62 for a practical test on a weekday and £75 at the weekend — and fewer than half of people pass.
But the cost of multiple tests is far from the only cost of getting on the road.
It starts pretty cheaply, with £34 for the provisional licence, but then the costs start mounting.
On average you need 45 hours of driving lessons and 22 hours of practice before you’re prepared for your practical test. Assuming you know somebody who is prepared to take you out, 45 hours of lessons at a typical cost of £45 will set you back £2,025. If you need more lessons or they’re pricier in your area, it’ll cost even more than that.
Once you’ve passed, you need to buy the car. On average people’s first cars cost £5,500. Then there’s insurance — the cheapest models can be covered for about £1,500, but beware, because you can easily find yourself facing a bill of around £2,500 for something that doesn’t feel particularly fast or risky.
Read more: How getting ahead on your tax return can help cut your tax bill
Add on £195 for the standard rate of car tax, and before you’ve driven a single mile — and accounted for petrol, servicing and the MOT — it will have set you back £10,352.
It means you need to consider how to cut the costs.
Driving lessons
These are in such high demand that there’s not much haggling to be had, but check whether you can get a discount for block bookings.
It’s also worth considering the balance of official lessons and private practice. If you have a friend or relative who is a calm and confident driver, they may be prepared to take you out more in order to save on lessons.
The car
There are a variety of techniques that can help you negotiate a good deal when buying a second-hand car. Research the going rate before you start, so you know what’s reasonable.
Check the car’s condition — if there are dings and scratches you can use this as leverage for a lower cost.
Consider the deal you’ll accept, and be prepared to walk away if they won’t go low enough. If you get within touching distance of what you consider to be fair, you can ask for them to throw in a service or MOT to make up the difference.
Insurance
Picking the right car is key, so take the time to check what it’ll cost to insure before you buy. There’s no point picking up a bargain that costs thousands of pounds extra every year in insurance.
Check if you can save money by adding a second named driver. This is very different from insuring it in someone else’s name and adding yourself second — that’s called fronting and is illegal. Putting an older and more experienced person on the insurance as a second driver can still shave hundreds or even thousands of pounds off the cost. Including it in a multi-car policy with other reliable drivers in the same household can also help.