[apolocreed]

I'm turning 17 this september and have been wondering about how I go about getting my licence. I don't know much about the whole process, and it would help if someone could give me some info such as driving courses and such.

Sorry I'm being vague, but it would help if you could tell me how you went about getting your provisional and later your full licence.

Thanks in advance

[Ishy_Blackburn]

Went online and got my provisional licence which takes a couple if weeks to come through, found myself a driving instructor who teaches you how to drive. Then you take your theory test and practical driving test. If you pass you get your driving licence, simple!

[illyas]

Go to a post office and request a D1 form. You can do it online but you need a valid passport

[FXX]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/motoring...ce/dg_10012514
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...vers/index.htm

At least try using Google next time, please :/

[KCLeblanc]

When you look for an instructor try to talk to people who've learned recently and get some recommendations. This should get you a better instructor then going to the big schools, picking cheapest or picking the instructor with the coolest car.

Bare in mind that if you learn faster you'll need less lessons, so a good instructor that charges a bit more might be better value in the long run.

Don't commit to a big block of lessons until you're happy with your instructor. Sometimes people just don't 'click', and if you're not happy with the instructor it's better to give someone else a go.

I found (and it's different for different people), that there was no point in practising with my folks early on when there was still lots of learning to do. However when I got near to the test (the one I passed, I'd already failed twice) the extra practice helped a lot.

[ROG.]

If you do decide to have that extra practise with family then its worth paying for
30 mins of the instructors time to have a chat with those who will be taking you

That way those helping you as well as the ADI will be on the same page

[apolocreed]

Thanks a lot for all the info guys, really helped, and for those that said use google I did...and was overwhelmed by all the links on the gov website

[apolocreed]

(Original post by Ishy_Blackburn)
Went online and got my provisional licence which takes a couple if weeks to come through, found myself a driving instructor who teaches you how to drive. Then you take your theory test and practical driving test. If you pass you get your driving licence, simple!

This bit I don't quite understand, I always thought you needed to past a test to get your provisional, then after a certain period of time you get your fall licence?

[FXX]

(Original post by apolocreed)
This bit I don't quite understand, I always thought you needed to past a test to get your provisional, then after a certain period of time you get your fall licence?

No, that's now how it works at all. You might be confusing it with the CBT for bikes, but even then you aren't correct. Did you even read the links I posted?

[apolocreed]

(Original post by FXX)
No, that's now how it works at all. You might be confusing it with the CBT for bikes, but even then you aren't correct. Did you even read the links I posted?

Ok Ok the links will be read, it's just my wifi was down and it was hard to view things on my phone

[TheWorldEndsWithMe]

(Original post by apolocreed)
This bit I don't quite understand, I always thought you needed to past a test to get your provisional, then after a certain period of time you get your fall licence?

If you're in Northern Ireland it is kind of like that. You apply for your provisional, pass your test and get your full liscense but there's restrictions on it. Eg not allowed to go faster than 45mph for a year, and you have to display R plates in the way you would display an L plate. After a year the restitution is lifted and you can go the full speed.
The way they do it is changing though, but maybe that's what yoire thinking of?

[apolocreed]

(Original post by TheWorldEndsWithMe)
If you're in Northern Ireland it is kind of like that. You apply for your provisional, pass your test and get your full liscense but there's restrictions on it. Eg not allowed to go faster than 45mph for a year, and you have to display R plates in the way you would display an L plate. After a year the restitution is lifted and you can go the full speed.
The way they do it is changing though, but maybe that's what yoire thinking of?

Ahhh yup, that was how I thought it was done in England also. So after you've passed your test in England you're than given you're full licence?

(The gov website isn't the best at explaining things :/ )

[linkdapink]

Yeah, you get a provisional licence, which means you can only drive with someone else in the car who has 3 years experience and is over 21. Then you learn to drive, using a driving instructor or someone in your family (as above with 3 years etc). Then you need to take your theory test, which is a set of questions about driving, and also hazard perception clips, which is a series of video clips where there are things in it that you need to be aware of when you're driving (a cyclist pulling out for example). Then you need to take your practical driving test, which tests your driving ability. After that you get your full licence. You ARE on a probationary period for 2 years, which doesn't restrict you at all, but if you get more than 6 points on your licence (for example being caught speeding twice) then your licence is taken off you and you have to do everything again (though you might not need an instructor to teach you to drive again).

I think that's everything :/

[TheWorldEndsWithMe]

(Original post by apolocreed)
Ahhh yup, that was how I thought it was done in England also. So after you've passed your test in England you're than given you're full licence?

(The gov website isn't the best at explaining things :/ )

Yeah. Ours is a full liscense too, we just have the restriction on speed which the people on the mainland don't.
We have the same probationary period as them - two years, where 6 points gets our liscense revoked - the only difference is that we have the restriction for the first year.

Like I said though, I think they're changing the rules around it (they were certainly discussing doing it anyway) so ours is the same as the mainland. That could throw up a whole host of issues though.

[apolocreed]

(Original post by TheWorldEndsWithMe)
Yeah. Ours is a full liscense too, we just have the restriction on speed which the people on the mainland don't.
We have the same probationary period as them - two years, where 6 points gets our liscense revoked - the only difference is that we have the restriction for the first year.

Like I said though, I think they're changing the rules around it (they were certainly discussing doing it anyway) so ours is the same as the mainland. That could throw up a whole host of issues though.

Ahhh ok. I was looking around on tsr a bit more and see exactly what you're talking about.
Thanks