Insurance Document For The Practical Test??

[musicmad]

Hi

With regard to passing the practical driving test, is it obligatory to provide an insurance document for the examiner on the day of the test to confirm that it’s ok for you to drive that particular car for the practical test? Example: having not my own vehicle I was considering hiring a rental car or borrowing a friends for the test, and if the insurance is obligatory this would be an administration process for other people which I wouldn’t wish to burden them with. Would the test center just except the vehicle being insured without an additional cover note?

[ScoobyChris]

As far as I recall from when I did my test in my Mum's car, the examiner asked to see documentation to say that the car was insured so you would need a cover note explicitly stating you as a named driver. I'm also not sure many rental companies will entertain a learner driver.

Would it not be easier and cheaper just to hire an ADI for a couple of hours and use his car which will be fully insured?

Chris

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

If you rent a car, you will have the rental document, with the appropriate insurance details on it, even if they will accept a learner driver, which is unlikely, as Chris points out above.
If you use your wife's car, you will presumably have access to her insurance certificate.
If you use a friend's, they will have to add you to their insurance, and hence will receive either a cover note or a new certificate.

YOU CANNOT TAKE A TEST IN A CAR YOU ARE NOT INSURED ON!

Yes, insurance is obligatory. You must be insured at least 3rd party to drive any vehicle on the public road. Having proof of that insurance may not be specifically requested (I bow to superior knowledge from others who may know that it will be), but you must be insured, and if you are insured, then the appropriate paperwork will be generated as a matter of course.

[TripleS]

Would it not be easier and cheaper just to hire an ADI for a couple of hours and use his car which will be fully insured?

^^ This ^^

Just book a two hour lesson and use it to get a second opinion/final brush up before taking the test in the school car. It's what I did (albeit a long time ago now).

That does seem like the best plan, which is what I did, an even longer time ago than young Mark.

The driving school folk were very supportive and helpful, clearly anxious to get me launched and be rid of me ASAP.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[Russ_H]

Musicmad,

When you attend for your test you will have to sign a declaration that your car meets all
legal requirements, including insurance. You will not be asked to produce a cover note or
other evidence.

You can use a friend's vehicle, but you must ensure that the insurance covers you for test
purposes. It is highly unlikely that hire car insurance will cover test use. You will probably
find that the small print specifically excludes such use.

The easiest way to make sure that all of these issues are satisfactory is to go to an
approved driving instructor. Be aware that most reputable instructors will want to see
you drive convincingly before they are prepared to allow you the use of their car.

Regards,

Russ

[fungus]

Musicmad, I would agree with Russ H.

When you take your test the examiner asks you to sign the marking sheet which is declaring that the vehicle is properly insured.

The comments made by others regarding hire cars should be taken ,as it's very doubtfull that a hire company would allow a learner to drive any of their cars.

It would surely be better to take a few lessons with an ADI who would confirm your test readiness. You will find that ADIs will require you to have some lessons before letting you use their car for a test. And most ADIs will also withold the use of their car if they feel that a pupil is not test ready.

Nigel ADI
IAM trainee observer

[martine]

Musicmad,

From this question and the others you've posted recently it would suggest you are very unsure of the whole learning/testing process. I would strongly recommend you take some lessons with an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) who can brush up your driving but also answer all these queries and get you properly ready for the test. The L-test pass rate is around 40% and it's best to be prepared as best you can.

It would be money well spent and save your nerves/time in going in for a test if you're ill-prepared.

[crr003]

The L-test pass rate is around 40% and it's best to be prepared as best you can.

Is that going it alone or using ADIs?

[Porker]

That's the overall rate I believe. Might be a little higher than that but from memory it's still below a 50% pass rate.

P.

[martine]

The L-test pass rate is around 40% and it's best to be prepared as best you can.

Is that going it alone or using ADIs?

Nationwide Pass Rates (alone and using ADIs)...
Car 45.65
Bike 64.15
Lgv 48.39
PCV 45.94

Not sure how up to date this is.

Pretty poor really.

[musicmad]

I am most grateful to all of you for your replies thank you... So from what I can gather the best thing to do would be for me to approach a driving school take a couple of lessons then ask the ADI would they be so kind as to lend me their car for the practical test, do they normally do this? Even after a couple of hours of driving lessons, assuming they deem me fit for the test of course?

[ROG]

Or have I missed something here?

Test nerves - incurable - multi millionaire status for anyone that finds a cure

[waremark]

Or have I missed something here?

Test nerves - incurable - multi millionaire status for anyone that finds a cure

And - the test is pretty hard. Recent research showed that half of experienced drivers would fail (I was surprised the failure rate would not be higher)
And - learners get impatient with learning, and think they can drive.
And - those paying for lessons apply pressure to keep the number of lessons to an affordable level.

I am surprised at reference in this thread to learning without use of an ADI. Do many people do so? Musicmad, how have you learned?

DSA say that successful candidates on average have had 45 hours of lessons with an ADI and 20 hours practise with family or friends.

[Stephen]

I would agree that most people these days want to learn in the quickest time possible and spend as little money as possible. I would say that to make a good driver an average of around 40 to 50 hrs would stand you in good stead to do this.
I learnt my lad from start to finish only letting him go with an ADI for 1hr to see if he was ready for his test, he was and he passed with only two faults and they were observation during manoeuvres. Pretty damn good even though I say so myself,I downloaded the instructors sheets and filled in 1 and a half sheets which gave him 52hrs of driving.
What I would say to you musicmad is if you have not had someone who in my opinion has got an interest in driving teaching you and only had a hand full of lessons do yourself a favour and take the advice given to you, go and seek professional instruction / opinion and if they say you are ready for test then judge for yourself.
Remember if you sign the examiners disclaimer and heaven forbid something happens and it turns out that you dont have any insurance for whatever reason then you will be starting off with minimum of 6 points,think about it you are asking for peoples opinion / advice so take it and do the right thing. Good Luck
Stephen

[TripleS]

Even allowing for test nerves those figures are disturbingly low.

If the pass figures were higher would we then have even more people saying that the test is too easy?

I would have thought the starting point should be the establishment of a test that is fully satisfactory for the purpose, then we want training regimes that get new drivers to that standard as quickly and efficiently as possible. Anything that falls short of that is, at best, wasting a lot of time and money for all concerned.

Best wishes all,
Dave.