Your Driving Life

At SDT, we don't just aim to prepare you for passing your theory and practical tests. We think it's equally important that you feel equipped with all the driving skills you need for a lifetime of enjoyable and accident-free motoring.     

You've passed! Finally, you're able to enjoy the freedom that being a qualified driver brings. Here are a few pointers to get your driving life off to a great start.

Get your full driving licence

Having passed both your Theory and Practical Tests, your examiner will apply to the DVLA for your full driving licence. The driving licence has two parts - a photo card, which is handy to carry in your purse or wallet, and a paper counterpart, which includes the details of your driving entitlement history and any endorsements.

What vehicles can you drive?

Your driving licence will show the vehicle classifications that you're authorised to drive. When you receive your full driving licence from the DVLA, check that it shows the driving entitlement that you expected to receive. For more information, see www.direct.gov.uk/motoring.

Thinking about buying your own car?

The AA and RAC can help with advice, our learning to drive pages show you some easy ways to make it affordable

Observing the rules

After the time and effort you've put into achieving your full driving licence, the last thing you'll want to do is lose it, so make sure you adhere to the 'rules of the road'. You can get penalty points for a number of driving offences such as speeding and driving without due care and attention, and it takes only six penalty points within two years of passing your test to lose your licence.

We want you to stay safe when you're driving. So we'll help you develop a wider range of skills to fully prepare you for all the different conditions you'll encounter.

A few facts about safety

Naturally, once you've passed your test, you'll want to stay safe on the road. Statistics show that new drivers are twice as likely to be involved in accidents than other road users, with 17 to 21 year olds

Helping you stay safe

To give you that extra edge on proficient driving, we recommend Pass Plus - a course designed especially for newly qualified drivers. The training course takes a minimum of six hours to complete and focuses on driving in town, out of town, in all weathers, at night, on dual carriageways and on motorways. There's no test, you just have to achieve the standard on each module to be issued with your certificate by your instructor (who must be registered as a Pass Plus instructor with the DSA). Better still, you could save on your insurance premiums when you successfully complete Pass Plus. If you learned to drive with SDT, there's a good chance that your instructor will be able to continue your lessons after your test and cover the Pass Plus training. Ask your instructor for details,

Driving on your own can feel a bit lonely and daunting at first. You'll be faced with various motoring challenges that weren't appropriate on your lessons, such as parking in a multi-storey car park and driving on motorways or even abroad.

Your SDT instructor will have done all they can to prepare you for every eventuality, but you may feel that you'd like to have some extra lessons. Your instructor can support you by covering whatever you need to help you feel more confident, whether it's the challenges of motorways, dual carriageways or parking. And you can take these extra lessons in your own car if you prefer (subject to insurance).

Ask your instructor for details, or click here for information on Pass Plus and a BTEC in Driving. Both schemes offer discounts on insurance, Pass Plus 30% and a BTEC 50%.