Learning to drive is something that many of us do when we are young. A full driving license is required for many different careers, and although public transport is improving for those living in cities, a car is still very much essential in many parts of the UK and indeed the world. As a student, learning to drive can easily take a massive chunk out of your budget, whether you’re paying with funds from part-time work, using your student loan, or borrowing from your mum and dad. We’ve put together some handy tips to help you spend less when learning to drive.

Ask a Friend

Although you should definitely have the recommended number of learning hours with a qualified driving instructor before you take your practical driving test, once your driving skills are good enough, it can be a good idea to practice in somebody else’s car. As long as you’ve got the right insurance and they are over the age of 21 and have had their license for over three years, you’ll be fully legal (but don’t go on the motorway). As long as you drive carefully and safely, this can be excellent practice and a good way to boost your confidence driving in real-world situations.

Find Free Resources

Before you can even book your practical driving test, you must pass the driving theory test, which covers the Highway Code and measures your abilities for spotting hazards on the road. This test costs around £20 and official practice materials from the DVLA can also take a large chunk out of your student budget. But, don’t worry – Top Tests is free of charge and provides learner drivers with resources and practice tests for driving theory.

Research Instructors Carefully

When it comes to lesson prices, you’ll find that driving instructors and schools all tend to charge around the same price per hour. However, when it comes to discounts and special offers, this is where things really begin to get competitive. Before settling on an instructor to learn to drive with, be sure that you’re taking advantage of all the offers that they have available. Some instructors even have ‘refer a friend’ schemes, so if you know anybody else who wants to start learning to drive, you’ll be rewarded (usually with a free lesson) once they’ve booked and paid.

Learn in the Summer

As a student, you are learning something new every day. Because of this, learning to drive during term time can take you longer as you’ll be unable to fully focus on the task of passing your driving test. Along with this, if you are currently living in a university city away from home, learning to drive could be even more difficult and stressful on the busy roads. During the summer, you might want to consider an intensive driving course, which will allow you to focus solely on learning to drive and passing your test.

Share your ideas for learning to drive as a student in the comments below!

### February 14, 2017

We welcome your feedback to our work.

Email:  General Information   |   Prof. David C. Pecoraro

Thank you!

Daniel & David

Top Tips for Learning to Drive on a Student Budget