Learning To Drive A Car In The UK

The content of this page is copyright of CDT (author) February 2012. Please DO NOT copy or reproduce elsewhere either in print or online.

* photos of Clearway Driver Training vehicles shown on this page are copyright of Clearway Driver Training and are used with permission

There seems to be a LOT of confusion about whether or not the age at which you can start learning to drive a car in the UK has gone up!

Let me put the record straight:
THE AGE AT WHICH YOU CAN LEARN TO DRIVE HAS NOT GONE UP TO 18, 21 OR ANYTHING ELSE...AND WHAT'S MORE IT'S NOT GOING TO INCREASE IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE!

For most people, the age at which they can start taking driving lessons is 17 - and it's staying at 17!

There has been a rumour going around for as long as I can remember that the driving age is going to increase but lately, the rumour seems to be even more active than ever before.

The reason for the confusion is that the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), the government department who set the driving tests, employ all the driving examiners and regulate the driver training industry etc, issued a Consultation Paper a couple of years ago in which a number of different proposals concerning the driving test and the way people learn to drive in the UK were under consideration. However, raising the driving age was NOT one of the proposals discussed - prior to the Consultation Paper being published there was a lot of speculation that raising the driving age was going to be under consideration, but as it turned out, it wasn't!

Most people in the UK can start learning to drive a car when they are 17.

The exception to this is people who have a disability and receive the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (the higher rate of DLA). If you receive higher rate DLA you can apply for a provisional driving licence any time from 3 months before you are 16 and start to learn to drive a car from the date of your 16th birthday.

Those NOT in receipt of higher rate DLA, can apply for a provisional licence 3 months before they are 17 and start driving lessons from the date of their 17th birthday.

To apply for a provisional driving licence, get form D1 from a Post Office or the DVLA form ordering service, fill it in and send it off with proof of ID, a recent passport size photograph and the fee of £50.00. For more information visit the DirectGov website - Applying for a provisional driving licence.

For more information about what vehicles you can drive and how old you must be to drive them, see the DirectGov website - Vehicles you can drive and how old you must be to drive them.

Everyone who wants to learn to drive on the public road needs to have a suitable driving licence. For most people, this will be a UK provisional driving licence.

You will need to be in possession of a valid signed driving licence before you drive on public roads.

Young Drivers
You may apply for your provisional licence up to three months before your 17th birthday. Just follow the instructions below.

Disabled Drivers
If you are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance at the higher rate, you are able to take driving lessons from the age of 16 and may apply for your licence up to three months before your 16th birthday.

Applying For A Provisional Driving Licence
A provisional licence currently costs £50.00.

You can apply for your first provisional driving licence for a car, moped or motorcycle on the DirectGov website

Alternatively, you can apply in person or by post. Simply complete the D1 application form that is available from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) form ordering service or Post Office branches.

Foreign Licence Holders
If you already hold a driving licence issued in another country, there are some quite complex rules as to whether you are able to drive in the UK. For full details on these rules, please see DirectGov-Driving In GB On A Foreign Licence

You should take good care of your driving licence as it is an important document and is widely acceptable as proof of identity - losing or throwing away the paper part of your driving licence could easily leave you vulnerable to identity fraud

YOU MUST PRODUCE BOTH THE PAPER AND PHOTOCARD PARTS OF YOUR DRIVING LICENCE WHEN YOU TAKE BOTH THE THEORY AND PRACTICAL DRIVING TESTS - IF YOU DO NOT PRODUCE BOTH PARTS OF YOUR LICENCE YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TAKE EITHER TEST AND YOU WILL LOSE THE FEE YOU HAVE PAID FOR THE TEST

You must replace your driving licence if it has been lost, stolen, defaced or destroyed.

You must also report changes in your circumstances that affect your driving licence.

Both the photocard and paper counterpart constitute your driving licence and they should ideally be kept together.

When you pass your driving test, your provisional licence is upgraded to a full driving licence for no extra cost!

Manual or automatic car - what's the difference?

Well, very simply put, these are the differences between manual and automatic cars;

A manual car has gears and three foot pedals, including the clutch that is operated with the left foot. You have to change up and down the gears yourself. If you pass your driving test in a manual transmission car, your driving licence will permit you to drive both manual and automatic transmission vehicles.

An automatic car has an automatic gearbox that changes the gears for you and only two foot pedals which are operated with the right foot. This makes learning in an automatic a popular choice by learners who find it difficult to get used to the gears and clutch when driving a manual car or for older or disabled learner drivers. If you pass the practical driving test in an automatic car you will not be licensed to drive a manual. If you pass in a manual you can drive both legally.

Here's a link to some useful info for those who are not too sure of what's involved in driving automatic vehicles - Driving An Automatic Car

Most people learn to drive in a manual car.

There are far more driving instructors who teach in manual cars than teach in automatic cars, so it may be more difficult to find an instructor and lessons in an automatic car tend to be more expensive.

Altough it may seem far easier to not have to worry about gears and a clutch pedal, in reality, most people have few problems mastering them and after you pass your driving test, there is a much wider range of vehicles available than if your restrict yourself to automatic.

How much does learning to drive cost?

There's no simple answer and no magic formula to work it out...it depends on lots of things!

The overall cost of learning to drive will vary from one person to another. Variables include whether you fail your Theory or Practical tests and have to take them again, what area of the country you live in as driving lesson prices vary throughout the country, how many lessons you need, whether you can get any private practice, etc.

Here's some of the most important things you should take into account;

Driving licence
Everyone who wants to learn to drive legally in the UK MUST have a valid provisional driving licence. The current cost of a UK provisional licence is £50.00. As this is a fee payable to a Government department it's not negotiable and it's unavoidable. Once you pass your test though, your provisional licence is upgraded to a full licence for no further cost.

Test Fees
Also unavoidable and non-negotiable are the costs of the two statutory tests. Currently the Theory Test costs £31.00 and the Practical Test costs £62.00 on weekdays during the daytime, or £75.00 weekday evenings and weekends (see Driving Test fees for full info)

Insurance
If you don't take lessons with a driving instructor, you need to ensure that the vehicle you are using is properly insured for you to learn in it, which may entail some cost.

Driving lesson prices
If you take lessons from a driving instructor, the fees charged for lessons vary throughout the country and from instructor to instructor. Many instructors will give some kind of discount to those paying in advance and block booking a course of lessons rather than paying as you go. Some will also give other discounts such as discounted introductory lessons or discounts for students or those in certain types of low income professions etc. Discounts are entirely at the discretion of the individual instructor or driving school, so it's usually worth asking whether any discounts are offered.

Sometimes however, you'll come across driving lessons offered for well below the average lesson rate in an area. If you're on a budget, this may seem like the answer to your prayers, but offers along the lines of "5 Lessons For £25" may well turn out to be much less of a bargain than they seem at first sight...price is only one factor you should consider when choosing a driving instructor...(see the section - How To Choose A Driving Instructor for more advice on what else to look for.)

How Many Lessons
The Driving Standards Agency guideline states that "Those who pass their driving test have had, on average, about 47 hours of professional training combined with 20 hours of private practice..." (see How Many Driving Lessons Will I Need? for more details.)

Remember...both the Theory Test and the Practical Driving Test are very challenging and require a significant amount of preparation. Don't under-estimate what is involved...thorough preparation and a realistic approach to the cost, timescale, complexity and your own level of competence is far more cost effective than inadequate preparation and/or taking the tests before you are ready

On the DirectGov website, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) state:
"Those who pass their driving test have had, on average, about 47 hours of professional training combined with 20 hours of private practice."

In reality, everyone is different and learns at their own pace - some people will need longer and some people will be able to learn more quickly.

Your driving instructor will be able to advise you how many hours tuition overall you are likely to need as your lessons progress.

The following videos have been made by a fully qualified and experienced driving instructor & are intended to supplement your professional driving tuition.

Your own driving instructor may teach these subjects slightly differently - remember there's more than one way to end up with the right result!

If you are in doubt about any aspect of learning to drive, always discuss your concerns with your driving instructor!

The above fees only cover the driving examiner's time, so if you're using your driving instructor's car to take the test in, don't forget that you have to pay your instructor for the time you're using their car and travelling to and from the test centre too!

Driving Test Success All Tests 2012 Edition (PC)

Driving Test Success All Tests 2012 Edition (PC)
by Focus Multimedia Ltd

Recommended and endorsed by the leading driving instructor associations: Motor Schools Association (MSA), Driving Instructors Association (DIA) and Approved Driving Instructors National Joint Council (ADINJC).

"Focus Multimedia produce the best driving test software available." Approved Driving Instructor News

* THEORY TEST - ALL the official DSA revision questions with full official explanations to help you understand and remember the correct answers
* HAZARD PERCEPTION TEST - Includes the 10 OFFICIAL DSA Hazard Perception sample video clips and OFFICIAL introduction video
* PRACTICE - unlimited mock tests for both the multiple choice Theory and Hazard Perception tests
* PRACTICAL TEST - Over 50 high quality video tutorials including the new INDEPENDENT DRIVING part of the driving test
* MOCK DRIVING TEST - Watch a full, up to date mock driving test from inside the car and find out exactly what the examiner is looking for
* ROAD SIGNS TEST- Test your knowledge of every road sign that you may come across in your theory exam
* SHOW ME, TELL ME (Vehicle Safety questions) - all the official DSA test questions and expert answers, plus step-by-step video tutorials
* The OFFICIAL Highway Code
* Learn ON THE GO using your iPod, mobile phone or portable music player

For those who don't have access to a computer, this interactive DVD is invaluable. It will run on a DVD player or DVD compatible games console and enables those without a PC to get useful visual help and practice for both the Theory and Practical tests.

Driving Test Success All Tests DVD 2012 Edition (Interactive DVD)

Driving Test Success All Tests DVD 2012 Edition (Interactive DVD)
by Focus Multimedia Ltd

Requires a DVD player with remote, a DVD-compatible video games console, or a Mac fitted with a DVD drive.

Plays on any DVD compatible device including:
DVD player
Xbox 360
PlayStation 3
PC/MAC

Set of 3 DVDs:
DVD 1 - THEORY TEST - all the OFFICIAL DSA revision questions, explanations and practise questions covering everything you could be asked in your Theory Test, along with interactive mock tests, traffic signs and road markings and the latest digital edition of The Highway Code.

DVD 2 - HAZARD PERCEPTION TEST - over 100 interactive test simulation video clips that will help you to practice for the Hazard Perception part of the Theory Test.plus hundreds of interactive mock tests to prepare you for your exam

DVD 3 - PRACTICAL TEST - includes over 50 video driving lessons from professional driving instructors, the Show me, Tell me questions and expert advice on what's required to pass your driving test.including a full Mock Driving Test so you know what to expect and gain an insight of what the examiner will be looking for.

More Information About The UK Theory Test
Theory and Hazard Perception Test
Traffic Signs Quiz

Preparing For Your Driving Test
Learning To Drive A Car
How To Find A Driving Instructor
How To Beat Driving Test Nerves

How To Pass Your Driving Test
Driving Test Manoeuvres
How To Reverse Around a Corner
How To Do A Turn In The Road (3 Point Turn)
How To Bay Park
How To Parallel Park
How To Do An Emergency Stop

What Happens During The Practical Driving Test
Practical Driving Test (Cars)

Study Aids For Learner Drivers
Recommended Books For Learner Drivers
Best DVDs For Learner Drivers
Gift Ideas For Learner Drivers

Foreign Language Translations For The UK Driving Theory Test
Theory Test In Punjabi
Theory Test In Urdu
Theory Test In Polish