No. 10 Petition for U.S. drivers

Just my own 2 cents...

I moved here from Germany where I had lived for 6 years.  I did the whole rigmarole driving school and test in German - which is a nightmare to relate on a different day.

When I moved to the UK I went to swap my German permit for a UK one, they refused because I was American.  Even though I was swapping an EU permit, they said it didn't matter if the person was a non-EU citizen.

Legal proceedings ensued, and finally they relented and swapped my license.  And today, an American with an EU driving permit can trade it in for a British one.

So things are not as bad as they once were.

Apropos, by the way, the Lithuanian government (who are EU) is currently issuing driving permits for a cash payment of 500 euro.  These permits are swappable for UK permits, and since this has been happening traffic accidents are going up up up.  And we all know what that means for insurance prices 

yet the government will not enter into voluntary agreements with the various U.S. states to provide similar swaps for those with U.S. licenses.   

The UK government has no choice on this because the US Constitution forbids the States from making deals with 'foreign powers'. Perhaps we should start a campaign for an amendement to the Constitution .

Or alternatively, Federal driving licences would solve the problem too.

The UK government has no choice on this because the US Constitution forbids the States from making deals with 'foreign powers'. Perhaps we should start a campaign for an amendement to the Constitution .

Or alternatively, Federal driving licences would solve the problem too.

 

We make "deals" with foreign nations all the time. What else would you call the whole non-visa nation deal? Brits can come to the US without a visa for 3 months and Americans can go to the UK for 6 months without a visa (which I agree isn't really fair and should be even). This is a deal like any other, and in fact we would have a complete inability to have any kind of foreign relationships if our constitution outright forbid all foreign deals. I'd be interested to see where you got that piece of information from.

The reason that people from Poland and other eastern European nations can exchange their driving licence for a british one is because they are part of the EU. The USA is not, that's why you have to take your test. If America became part of the EU then you would be able to exchange your licence just like any other EU member country. 

So even though for the most part those coming to the UK from the US have had many years of driving experience, because we're not an EU member (which is nothing but a governmental organization and has absolutely nothing to do with a person's ability to drive), we are somehow unqualified unless we retake all the exams according to the UK rules of driving in comparison to someone from an EU nation simply because we're not part of the governmental organization that they are (which has nothing to do with ability to drive whatsoever)?  Sorry if I'm mistaken, but I didn't know that politics had anything to do with a person's ability to operate a motor vehicle.

We make "deals" with foreign nations all the time. What else would you call the whole non-visa nation deal? Brits can come to the US without a visa for 3 months and Americans can go to the UK for 6 months without a visa (which I agree isn't really fair and should be even). This is a deal like any other, and in fact we would have a complete inability to have any kind of foreign relationships if our constitution outright forbid all foreign deals. I'd be interested to see where you got that piece of information from.

The thing is, US driving licensing is controlled by the state, not by federal law.  And Hendy is right- according to Article 1, Section 10 of the US constitution, states are indeed prohibited from entering into formal agreements with foreign countries.

however, things like marriages (which are also controlled by state in the US) are recognized outside the US due to the doctrine of comity (reciprocity)...I'm not sure if there's a reason driver's licenses could not be recognized under the same doctrine, perhaps there is.

That makes sense! I figured I was just missing something there! Thanks

I think Canadians and other Commonwealth citizens can exchange for a UK license without having to take a test. Too bad the US isn't Commonwealth, we wouldn't be in this situation 

There's also a difference between a state entering into an official agreement with a foreign country and deciding to exercise a little discretion of its own accord.  As I mentioned earlier, Nebraska's usual waiving of all the tests for somebody with an out-of-state license was taken to include a foreign license as well.    And one or two states already have agreements (possibly "unofficial" as far as the U.S. Federal Govt. is concerned) with foreign countries, e.g. I believe there's such an agreement between South Carolina and France.

Would it hurt the U.K. to simply allow discretion in the same way as the individual states may do?   

I think Canadians and other Commonwealth citizens can exchange for a UK license without having to take a test. Too bad the US isn't Commonwealth, we wouldn't be in this situation 

Canadians definitely can exchange their licences for a British one, but are automatically restricted to automatics:

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022562

The problem comes when a British person wants to exchange there British licence for a particular province or territory in Canada, as it totally depends on the province or territory whether there is an exchange policy. See

www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1115143537784


Being able to exchange one's licence entirely depends upon the arbitrariness of intergovernmental agreements. Being a Commonwealth country may help, but I don't think it's necessarily a clincher.

   

Just having a read through Iowa's driver's license instructions and from what I can make out my DH might not have to take the full test either (when we move back there) if he does the following (will link it instead of copy and paste it all). We had assumed he would have to start from scratch as well.
http://www.dot.state.ia.us/mvd/ods/newresidents.htm

Sorry if I'm mistaken, but I didn't know that politics had anything to do with a person's ability to operate a motor vehicle.

It actually does, Becky.  The EU lays down the standards for driver's training and testing, and all members have to abide by them.  So while they don't control the ability of individual drivers, they actually do control that all drivers have had the same training and passed the same test.  This assures that all drivers have a minimal standard of ability. 

Even the UK has to do it.  And the UK is pretty minimal compared to Germany, where you have to know how the braking system works sufficient to do minor repairs.

So for the 'merkins to get in on it, they would have to climb on the EU bandwagon.  And there would be some rather stiff objections raised from France and Holland if they tried.

I like to whine about having to take the UK test as it was much harder then the US driving test......

but in the end of it all I'm glad i took the test and passed as it has made me a much better driver...even though my UK hubby doesnt agree- he does agree with the fact that americans do whine though

still its ok for me to whine though isnt it?  I think my UK hubby would pass the US test easily it would be a breeze for him....

The EU lays down the standards for driver's training and testing, and all members have to abide by them.  So while they don't control the ability of individual drivers, they actually do control that all drivers have had the same training and passed the same test.  This assures that all drivers have a minimal standard of ability. 

How about those people who passed their test before the EU interfered with (excuse me, I mean "harmonized") all the tests?    The rules still dictate that we must swap licenses for them as well.   It is primarily politics and not whether somebody is considered to have passed an equivalent test.

We have been over this topic a lot and I thought same boring stuff but it has turned out to be worth a look.


And now for something completely OFF TOPIC

- he does agree with the fact that americans do whine though

Hey Bondshania tell you're dh this Australian joke:

Two Australian's are down at the Wagga Wagga airport watching the planes coming in from all over the globe.

Bruce : Say Sheila, see that plane over there?
Sheila:  Yea?
Bruce: It's full of poms.
Sheila: How'd ya know that?
Buce: Well they turned the engines off and the plane's still whining.

 To which the Pommies reply: "Well, at least we arrived here voluntarily!"     

To which the Pommies reply: "Well, at least we arrived here voluntarily!"