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Learn to Drive
If you are 17 or nearly 17, you might be desperate to get behind the wheel, but before you head to the shops for the furry dice and spend your parent’s savings on a new car, read the information below to see what’s involved.
The minimum age which you can legally drive a car on the public roads is 17.
If you are disabled and in receipt of mobility allowance, the minimum age is 16.
Before you can learn to drive you will need to apply for a provisional driving licence.
You can apply for a provisional driving licence quickly and easily online or by completing the D1 application form available at most post offices. We suggest that you send off for your licence in good time, (allow about 3 weeks) so that you are not delayed once you have made the decision to get started. You must NOT drive until you have one.
The current cost of a first provisional licence is £45.00
Lessons
Learning to drive is not free it costs money! Lessons can cost anything from £18 to £30 per hour, depending on how many you want. Most driving schools do discounts and special offers for beginners, but remember the cheapest is not always the best.
If you're going to get lessons, you will need to find a Driving School.
How Many Lessons do I need?
The Average for a a total beginner is 40 to 50 hours.
Have lessons as frequently as you can afford. At least one per week. Two is much better, you will learn more than twice as quickly. However, we do not recommend that you have lessons too intensively, if you can avoid it.
Have lessons regularly. If you have lessons now and then, you will make progress, but you will probably end up taking more lessons this way. If you train regularly and frequently, you will not get "rusty" between lessons. You will not spend a part of your lesson getting back to where you left off last time. Most pupils' report that they prefer two hour lessons rather than one hour. They feel these longer lessons give them more time to get into their driving. Others prefer the traditional one-hour lesson. Lessons of less than one hour are too short. They simply do not give you enough time to get "warmed up" and into the lesson. Allow your instructor to organise a properly structured training schedule for you Tests
Before you can take to the wheel, you'll have to pass your theory and practical test. Passing these tests isn't a doddle: the theory test is tough and you'll have to study hard.
IMPORTANT: You have to pass the Theory Test before you can apply for the Practical Test.
When it comes to the practical test, the more experience you have behind the wheel, the better. If you don't have access to a car at home, you'll probably need to take more lessons
Theory Test Fee: £28.50 from 3rd September 2007
Practical Test Fee: £48.50
All about the Theory Test
All about the Practical Test
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