Help is at hand! We share everything you need to know so you can confidently get up and running with your first car!
Buying your first car is a memory that will last you a lifetime, but it can also be a little overwhelming. Everything from your own safety to everyone else’s safety, legal requirements to just general maintenance and reducing your outgoings – it can be a big responsibility and a lot to take in to consideration.
Research your insurance options
It is really important to shop around for the best value-for-money cover. Policy prices will vary depending on your age and the vehicle that you are purchasing and going for the very cheapest policy available is not always the best way!
Look into what levels of cover are available, what the excess is and any additional driver options. Ideally you will want fully comprehensive cover, and you may want to consider black box insurance to help keep your costs down.
Pinpoint a few possible policy options and research each particularly company. Some insurance company’s reputation may be significantly better than the others, which could also influence your decision.
If looking for car insurance is getting your head in a spin, read our guide on how car insurance works.
Read your handbook
Spend some time finding out what features your car comes with and how everything works so that you feel completely confident before driving your new vehicle regularly.
The tyre pressures on your vehicle should be checked before you purchase the car but there is no harm in double checking what the pressures should be in the handbook for future reference.
In the handbook will also find information such as servicing & maintenance schedules – very important for keeping your car running smoothly and prolonging its life.
Stay up to date with service and maintenance schedules
Following on from checking your handbook for all your maintenance schedules; it is really important to keep on top of these schedules as well.
The vehicle must be MOT'd annually to ensure it is legally roadworthy.
Servicing however is a little different. Technically you don’t have to service your vehicle, however this could impact the reliability of your car & your vehicle could develop issues further down the line.
Not only this but it will also have an impact on your car’s re-sale value and future part exchange valuation if you decided to part exchange it for a newer car at a later date. If a car has full-service history, it will be worth more than a car that has no history or even partial service history.
Drive safely and efficiently
It may sound a little obvious but driving safely is not just for your safety and to prevent the chance of a road traffic accident but also to save you money! By implementing good driving habits and driving sensibly, you will put less stress on the vehicle and its components. The brakes and tyres will wear at a slower rate and we can guarantee you will find yourself at the fuel station less often!
We share more advice on how to drive more economically and efficiently.
Keep your car clean
There is no shame in having a bit of pride in your first car purchase. Keeping it clean and tidy not only looks good but it will also prevent a build up of dust and rust, which could lead to costly repairs.
Research local mechanics
Pinpointing a local mechanic with a positive reputation is good to make a note of. Whether that is a family or friend’s recommendation or just reading reviews online, you want a reliable trustworthy technician that you know is going to be reasonably priced and will always do a great job of maintaining your vehicle.
Check the essentials before a long journey
Fuel level/electric charge, oil & coolant levels, lights, brakes and tyres are all essential things that need to be checked before a long journey.
Information on how to check these will be in the vehicle handbook.
Emergency kit
Breaking down completely out of the blue is a very daunting position to be in for anyone, let alone as a new driver.
When collecting your car, make sure it has the essentials:
- A locking wheel nut should be present if the vehicle has alloys as this will allow you or a technician to take the wheel off should you ever need too.
- The vehicle should also come with either a spare wheel or a compression kit to help you if one of your tyres ever suffers a puncture.
Alternative specific emergency kits can be bought online which can include high visibility jackets, survival blanket, first aid kit, safety hammer, a light stick, a whistle and a torch. Kits like this can be extremely useful if you ever breakdown remotely and even more so if you are by yourself.
You should also think about what to include in an emergency kit should you have a breakdown in winter during more treacherous driving conditions. Some of the essentials we’d recommend are a shovel, torch, warm clothes and blankets, food for anyone who might be in the car, hot drinks carried in a sealed flask, water, de-icer, and chains or snow grips for your tyres, a high vis jacket or vest, plus anything else you think you might need.
Still on the hunt for your perfect first car?
We have a great choice of cars available if you are still looking for your first car. Buying used or nearly new from Motorpoint means that all cars are sold with a warranty so you can buy with added peace of mind. Check out our top picks for first time drivers, browse our full range online or visit your local store to see one in person and take one out for a spin!
New driver FAQs
We’ve answered countless questions from new drivers over the years. Here are the answers to the most common queries.Car insurance can be a real headache for new drivers due to its high cost. There are a handful of tactics you can use to keep your insurance bills down, however.
First and foremost, make sure you choose a car from a low insurance group, which are usually cheaper, smaller vehicles with the least powerful engines.
It might also be worth looking into insurers that offer telematics systems. While these black boxes might give you big-brother vibes as you drive around, they can help keep your insurance bills down.
Finally, we suggest making sure you compare quotes from several insurers or comparison sites before choosing the cheapest provider. Getting quotes a few weeks before your insurance runs out is another great way to keep costs down because insurers will charge more for customers that need cover to start straight away.
You certainly don’t need to take the Pass Plus course to be able to drive on UK roads, but it might still be worth considering.
For one, it provides you with training on motorways, which can take a little getting used to if you’ve only been driving on slower city streets. It’s good experience to have with the reassurance of a qualified instructor sitting next to you.
Secondly, Pass Plus can also help cut your insurance costs which, as a new driver, can potentially make up for the cost of the course in the savings you’ll earn.
New licence holders should always approach new driving scenarios with an abundance of caution, but we’d encourage you not to avoid challenging roads if you can help it.
It may be tempting to take a longer route home that avoids a tight dual carriageway or an awkward right turn but, if you never tackle these challenges, you’ll never learn how to navigate them safely.
Our advice in these situations, is to approach them at your own pace, keep up good observations and avoid the temptation to rush.
Just as with trickier roads, we’d also encourage new drivers not to avoid driving just because the weather turns nasty.
Learning to drive in bad conditions is a useful skill because you may encounter future situations where you have no choice but to drive through snow or rain. In these cases, it’s much better to have already practised a few times in less stressful situations.
The first thing to do is remain calm – letting your emotions get the better of you in an accident can make reaching a good outcome much harder. If you’re able to move the affected vehicles off the road in a safe manner, do so – if not, phone the emergency services and await their help. If possible, take plenty of photos and videos of the accident scene for later reference.
If you’re in an accident that you know or suspect is your own fault, you should give your insurance and contact details to any other parties. Try to establish at the scene whether anyone is hurt, and whether there’s been any damage to personal property – this can deter people from adding damaged items to claims later on.
If you suspect the accident was the fault of another motorist, explain your position and request their insurance details. If they refuse, phone the police – it is an offence to leave the scene of an accident, so let the authorities deal with it.
Firstly, don’t panic. If you can safely get your car to the side of the road, do so. Otherwise, turn your hazard lights on and move yourself and any passengers to a safe place, leaving the vehicle where it is. If you have to pull over on the hard shoulder of a motorway, always stand behind the crash barrier and far away to the rear of your car – this will keep you out of harm’s way in the event of a secondary accident should another vehicle crash into yours.
If you have breakdown coverage, which is an optional extra in many car insurance or extended warranty products, phone your provider and they’ll talk you through the process of getting your car recovered.
If not, it might be worth getting in touch with your preferred garage or service station and discussing your situation with them. They might be able to arrange for a recovery truck to move your car to their shop to assess the problem.
This is a tricky question because your opinion on whether it’s worth paying for fully comprehensive insurance is probably linked with the levels of risk you’re generally happy to accept in your day-to-day life.
Brand new drivers can occasionally get cheaper insurance quotes if they only accept coverage for third-party damage, fire and theft. However, this can be a false economy if you get into an accident that’s your own fault – you’ll be covered for any damage you do to others, but you’ll be on the hook for any repairs your own car needs, and will lose everything if it’s written off.
Fully comprehensive insurance is, in many cases, not that much more expensive than third party, fire and theft policies. In most cases, we’d suggest going for the fully comprehensive option for the added peace of mind, unless you’re dead-set on saving as much money as possible.
If you get a total of six or more penalty points on your licence within the first two years of passing, your licence will be revoked and you’ll have to retake your test.
New drivers effectively get one chance at a minor infraction before they must retake their test because most driving offences in the UK carry three points.
Beware, however, because driving while using your mobile or without insurance both carry six points, so can lead to a new driver getting instantly banned.
