Learning to drive can be stressful, daunting and difficult. You get very accustomed to driving one car, so suddenly being asked to drive a different car can throw you and every car is different. Therefore, it is understandable if you want to drive your own car during the test instead of your instructor’s vehicle.
Can You Take the Test in Your Own Car?
So, can you take the test in your own car? Yes, is the short answer, but it can be more complex as there are a few rules and restrictions that you need to be aware of and these will be outlined later in this post.
Reasons to Use Your Own Car
There are a number of good reasons to use your own car. Many people spend most of their time practicing in their own car between lessons, so this is often the car that you feel the most confident in and it will also be the car that you plan to use after your test. The seat and mirrors will also be set up just as you like them, so this gives you one less thing to worry about on the day. In addition to this, you do not have to pay the instructor to use the car and your car is always available, so it should be easier to find a suitable date and time for the test (something many are struggling to do right now).
Insurance Requirements
If you decide to use your own car for the test, you will need to make sure that you have learner driver insurance in place. This is not an issue if you were to use your instructors car, but you need to arrange your own insurance if you use your own car (you will also need this for practicing in your own car).
Rules
As mentioned before, there are a few rules if you decide to use your own car. These include:
Must have valid car tax
Must have a valid MOT
Must have legal tread depth
Must be able to reach 62mph
Must have an extra rear-view mirror for your examiner
Must have L plates
Are There Unsuitable Vehicles?
You will find that there are some cars that are not suitable as they don’t provide all-around vision for the examiner. These include:
Toyota iQ
Ford Ka convertible
Smart Fortwo
VW Beetle convertible
BMW Mini convertible
You want to feel as confident as possible going into your driving test, so it is understandable that people would rather use their own car that they have practiced in for many hours. This is allowed, but you need to be aware of the rules and regulations so that you can get your test booked in and avoid any nasty surprises.
