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Getting Started
Before
you start to drive, you must:
- hold a valid, provisional
driving licence for Great Britain or Northern
Ireland
- make sure that any vehicle you drive is roadworthy
and properly taxed and insured
It is important to learn safe driving practice
from the beginning of your driving career because bad
habits are hard to break.
It is unlikely that anyone except an approved
driving instructor (ADI) would have the experience, knowledge
and training to teach you properly. To learn safe driving
habits from the start using the
Learner Driving Tuition System will improve the safety
of yourself and other road users.
Licence Information
 Before
you can start your driving lessons you need to have a
Provisional Licence. Therefore, if you do not have one
you will need to apply for one from the DVLA. You can
obtain a provisional licence application form D1 from
your local post office or direct from the DVLA by phoning
0870 240 0009 alternatively, you can request the form
online at the DVLA
website.
Normally, for car drivers, the earliest date your provisional
licence can become valid is your 17th birthday, however
you can apply for the licence up to three months before
your 17th birthday. If you're claiming mobility allowance,
then you can apply at the age of 16, but this is the only
exception.
For more information on licences visit the DVLA
Website.
Practice
If you want to practice your
driving with an accompanying driver, the accompanying
driver must be at least 21 years of age and must have
held (and still hold) a full UK licence for three years.
All learner drivers are required to display
'L' plates in a conspicuous position on the front and
rear of the vehicle they are driving.
The
best way to learn to drive
 is
to take regular driving lessons spread over a few weeks
on a semi intensive basis. Using the “one-driving
lesson-a-week” approach often takes many months
to learn to drive. While this helps to spread the cost
it can cost more in the long run as you take more driving
lessons to pass your test.
How many driving lessons
The amount of lessons you need
will depend upon your motivation and aptitude for driving,
and whether you have had any relevant past experience
or are obtaining any supplementary practice between
lessons with a relative or friend. In the UK people
usually take somewhere between 30 and 45 hours to learn
to drive.
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