Passing your driving test is one of the most liberating things that you can do. While it’s your skill and confidence that will ultimately determine your fate, you also need luck to be on your side. 

You might have driven perfectly for the entire test, only for a van to suddenly pull out on you and cause you to brake and lose your rhythm. Or perhaps a stray badger has decided to take refuge in the middle of one of the country roads along your test route on this particular day. There are so many things that can conspire against you on the day, so it’s important that you think carefully about the best times to take your test.

Have you considered the time of the day? Day of the week? How many hours you’ve logged? How about the time of year?

New research has shown that potential drivers gearing up to take the test, and those who passed their test years ago, have put a great deal of thought into when they would prefer to take to the roads to obtain that all important pass. 

Spring into Action

According to C&A Mackie’s new survey, which asked ‘In an ideal world, what time of year would you choose to take a driving test?’, a staggering number of participants opted for the warmer spring months.

Almost half (47.1%) of those who responded to the survey said that they would prefer to, or would have preferred to, take their driving test between April and June. The older participants of the survey were the most eager to take the test during this quarter, with 65% of 55 - 64-year-olds selecting this period.

The younger end of the survey’s spectrum were also keen to get their driving test over and done with during the warmer months of the year, with an overwhelming 78% of 18 - 24-year-olds stating that they would prefer to take the plunge between April and September. 

When it comes to gender differences, both male and female participants showed their preferences for April to June, with females taking the lead slightly with a 55% vote, compared to 42.3% from the men. 

Unsurprisingly, October to December was voted the least popular period for taking the test across all ages and genders, with only 7.8% of all those asked choosing the coldest quarter. 

Perfect Conditions

We can only speculate as to why most people would want to take their driving test when it starts to get a bit milder, although we only have to look to the skies to guess why.

Taking to the roads between April and June means you’re more likely to get the best of the weather, although in Britain this is never a guarantee! When spring rolls around, the worst of the winter weather has usually passed, meaning you avoid the most unfavourable conditions: snow, fog, wind and the dreaded black ice. On the other hand, avoiding peak summer means you steer clear of glaring sunlight which can be a huge impairment on your vision. 

With the added bonus of potentially better weather, the spring months could also be better when it comes to the amount of traffic on the road. There’s a 2 week Easter break in April and usually a half term thrown in there somewhere, which means fewer cars on the road and fewer hazards for you to contend with. 

The New Year Push

No doubt for many young people, those who have left it to later in life or those hoping to succeed next time around, passing that driving test will be top of many New Year Resolutions lists. Buckling down after Christmas and finally getting your licence could be the reason for people’s preference for taking their test in the April - June period, especially if they’ve already started on lessons the previous year. 

Then again, get your test passed in spring and you’ll gain the freedom to drive up and down the country on plenty of summer road trips. Now if that isn’t motivation, then we don’t know what is. 

Taking our findings into account, it looks like the next few months are going to be extremely busy for driving instructors. If you need any assistance with your driving instructor insurance policy, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the experts at C&A Mackie. 

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