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Are you 17 or over?

 

To start learning to drive you need to be at least 17 years old, which is the minimum age that you can legally drive a car on public roads in the UK. There's been some speculation about raising the minimum age to 18, but this is under review by the Government and no decision has yet been made.

Under 17?

 

Of course, if you're not yet 17 and want to start practicing on private land, that's ok, but remember that places like supermarket car parks are classed as public roads. If you want to try an off road driving experience before you are 17 then contact us and we can arrange it for you.

 

If you want to start learning to drive on private land, the site you have access to must be gated and remote from all public highways. However, if the land is connected to any form of public highway, then, irrespective of its ownership, it is illegal under the Road Traffic Act for any under age or unlicensed learner to drive there.

 

You can also get ahead by applying for your provisional licence three months before your 17th birthday. And if you're disabled and receiving mobility allowance, you can start at age 16.

Check your eyes

 

There's a minimum standard for driving so it's worthwhile to check that your eyesight is OK. Make sure that you can read a car number plate from the minimum distance. If you need glasses or contact lenses, that's OK, but you must wear them whenever you drive and, of course, when you take your test.

 

You must be able to read an old-style number plate in good daylight from a distance of 20.5 meters (that's 67 feet, or about five car lengths). The distance for the new-style number plates introduced in September 2001 is 20 meters (66 feet).