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Before you can drive, you need to know how to check your vehicle is safe. Here's the full guide.
Basic vehicle safety checks are part of the driving test (through Show Me Tell Me questions) and essential for real-world driving. A car that isn't roadworthy shouldn't be on the road — knowing how to check yours takes 10 minutes and could prevent a serious breakdown or accident.
Check the oil dipstick with the engine cold and on level ground. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, reinsert fully, pull out again. The oil level should be between the min and max marks. If it's below minimum, top up with the correct grade (shown in your owner's manual). Running an engine with low oil can cause irreparable damage within minutes.
If you have a test date but want an earlier slot, TestSwap matches you with someone who needs your date.
Find a SwapIf your instructor can't provide a car for test day, TestDay.co.uk offers emergency driving test car hire services across the UK.
Emergency Car Hire ↗Thousands of UK learners use TestSwap to get an earlier — or later — DVSA test date. The matching engine runs continuously. Registration is free. Swapping is free.
Test types covered
Practical, Theory, Extended, ADI
Cost to swap
£0 — completely free
Engine runs
Continuously
Test centres
All 359 UK DVSA centres