Driving Test (Preparation, Etc)

Hey again everyone!

Haven't spoken to you all in a while, but I have come back with good news (and a bunch of questions)! I've been really busy working in Stirling (commuting from Kinross currently) and I've been lucky enough to catch rides with my Uncle-In-Law. However, eventually I'm going to need to secure my own way to get there and back, which involves me getting my driving license here, even though mine is good until this October I believe.

A little backstory, though. I've just recently moved here in October and have just paid for driving lessons so that I can learn how to drive a manual car and to get the experience of driving around in Scotland. I've actually had my US driver's license for about 6 years now, so I'm well aware of the rules of the road, etc.

It's been a bit rough on me only because I can take my lessons once per week and by then I feel as though I've forgotten everything I've learned the week before, though this Saturday (the 16th of feb) will only be my third lesson, so maybe it just takes a while.

In any event, question time!

• How long do I have to wait before I can sit my driving test? (I vaguely remember reading that I have to wait 6 months?) I'm on a spousal visa so maybe it's different?
• Are there any specific sites/study guides I should go to (or buy) to get information about the driving rules in the UK? (sites that offer practice tests, books I should buy, etc -- just something to help me along.)
• Any particulars I should know when I try to get a vehicle insured? (As it stands I'm used to be under my Mother's name in the states, so I pretty much have to start from a fresh slate here, luckily I'm married but I'm only 22 at the moment, which might make my insurance cost more if I remember correctly?)
• Anything else that might be helpful to me?

Any and all responses are always very much appreciated. As I did when I was applying/getting my Spousal Visa, I'll be more than willing to write a guide for the aquisition and process of getting a driver's license in the UK so that people in the future won't have to ask all the same questions that I do.

If there's already a guide on this sorry for asking, but even searching I didn't find much that applied to my situation (only a thread on someone staying here as a student, which wasn't much help to me).

Thanks for Reading,
(Seriously) Sean

I will only comment on this insurance aspect at this point

We originally insured with the cheapest we could find when we arrived a few months ago.  It was a bad experience, but in the process we learned that GEICO insures overseas.  Since they are an American based company they are set up to deal with your license, driving record and are quite helpful.

I'm guessing you already have a copy of the Highway Code?  I've got insurance with the Post Office, and they're shockingly reasonable.  In the same boat as you, good luck!

Okay, firstly, I'm not sure whether you are correct in saying you have to wait 6 months to take the test. Since your US license is only valid for 12 months in the UK, I believe you are advised to take the test as soon as possible as it can take more than one attempt to pass the test and there can be a waiting list of a couple of months between tests (although, someone please correct me if I'm wrong).

In terms of books and guides to buy - definitely get hold of an up-to-date highway code - it contains all the rules of the road. Also, places like WH Smith sell a range of books/CDs/DVDs to help you pass your theory/hazard perception/driving test.

Insurance costs usually depend a lot on your age and your driving history. In general, it will probably cost more because you are under 25 and also because you are male. Will you be insuring your own car? If so, you are likely to be starting up your own policy, if not and you will be driving on someone else's car, they may be able to add your name to their insurance policy (which can be cheaper).

Just a couple of extra hints and tips: remember that you have to take and pass the theory test and hazard perception test before you will be allowed to book the practical driving test - and again there may be a waiting list for appointments. Also, remember that although you have been driving for 6 years in the US, the rules of the road are different in the UK - and there are certain things that you must do in the test that you might not normally do when driving (e.g. always checking blind spots, not crossing hands over on the steering wheel etc.).

One last thing: be patient - driving will get easier as you have more lessons. Is there a car you can practice on in between lessons? At least you have the advantage of 6 years of driving experience. When I first learned to drive (in the UK - I'm British), I was a pretty nervous driver - it took me 15 months of weekly lessons and 3 test attempts to pass (costing me well over £1000 in lessons)!

hello! I'm from the US but living just outside Glasgow so not too far from you. I have a few comments:

I had a USA license 6 years too but driving here was completly different as the other poster indicated. Especially for passing the test, checking blindspots all the time, never turning the wheel while the vehicle is stationary (dry steering), and the maneouvers are a bit tricky. It took me a year to learn how to drive off and on as I couldn't get private practice and just failed my 2nd test so taking it again. Just like the other poster, it must have cost me over £1000 at this point too. It better be worth it !

Some hints: I studied with the DSA official DVD which I got a Virgin Megastore (now Zaavi) for £6.99 on sale. There are now 50 questions to the theory test and you can miss 7 and pass. I only missed one because I studied a lot!

You don't need to wait 6 months. Apply for a provisional licence as soon as you can. You need to send away your passport but you get it back very quickly. I believe the provisional licence rules do not apply to you (you may drive on motorways, and be alone, etc) as long as you are insured on your USA license and the 12 months you can use an American license it is not up, might be wrong though.

I took my first test, failed and took it again 4 weeks later and failed and am taking it again tomorrow (2 weeks after my last test!). Depending on what test centre you go to, it may/may not have a long waiting list. Tests are £9 on Saturday.

Buy the highway code. Like ksand24 said, post office or a bookshop will have it for £1.99 or less.

I brought a letter from my USA insurance company saying I have never made any claims and have been told depending on the company that I can get a wee discount. Even if its a few pounds, every bit helps! So it may be worthwhile to obtain such a letter. If you are over 21 the insurance is a bit cheaper than if you were 17. I was looking and mine would be around £699 a year...not too bad...just about what I paid in the USA.

Enjoy the lessons, I love driving a manual car and the roads in Scotland are fun to drive

Thanks very much everyone, this is more information than I could have hoped for. I'll be sure to post about my experience when I happen to have one, haha!

Sean!
We are dying to know how you solved your 'my girlfriend's allergic to me' problem... please post about it! 

(im just down the road from you in Linlithgow... hiya!)

Okay, firstly, I'm not sure whether you are correct in saying you have to wait 6 months to take the test.

I'm not certain, but I have heard reports that newcomers to the U.K. may now have to wait 6 months after becoming resident before taking the test.   

You might remember there were stories in the news a couple of years ago about German teenagers coming to Britain for crash courses in driving, getting a U.K. license, then going back to Germany where they could just swap it for a German license.  Apparently the German laws are so restrictive, making learning to drive there so expensive, that it worked out cheaper to learn in Britain even with the travel and accommodation costs!     Apparently, the government was pressured into imposing the 6-month residency limit in order to try to stop this "license tourism," as it was dubbed. 

At least that it what I have heard, but I have not seen any official confirmation, so I may be wrong.   I will fire off a quick e-mail to the appropriate department asking for confirmation and report back on this thread.

Also, remember that although you have been driving for 6 years in the US, the rules of the road are different in the UK

Remember "no turns on red" for a start!

I believe the provisional licence rules do not apply to you (you may drive on motorways, and be alone, etc) as long as you are insured on your USA license and the 12 months you can use an American license it is not up, might be wrong though.

That is definitely correct.  Even though you hold a U.K. provisional (learner) license, so long as you are still within the first 12 months of residency your American license allows you to drive without the restrictions normally associated with a learner here, i.e. you may drive on motorways, no need for an accompanying driver, no "L" plates needed, etc.

Owning a car saved me from having to take a zillion lessons. As soon as I was comfortable with the roads (after 4-5 lessons) I was off driving to work and the like.

However, I thought I was "too good" for lessons at that point and missed a few of the finer points of the UK test when it came to take it (oops). So as you get better, ask your instructor to give you lots of tips for passing the test, as it's different for each testing centre and each examiner! (Oh, they claim it's not, but it so is.)

Give yourself lots of time to fail one or two exams while still on your UK license. 

One of the best books to use (IMO - as a companion to the Highway Code) is The Official DSA guide to Driving.  It explains and gives diagrams for things mentioned in the Highway Code (that as a foreigner we're just inherently supposed to know what things are).     Its a rather thick book, but well worth the money.   

I had a quick look on the DVLA website, so don't quote me as gospel.  As a new resident they don't list any restrictions to testing for your license, however they do have a restriction for exchanging your licence that you must be residing within the UK for 195 days prior (this doesn't apply to US Citizens as there isn't a licence exchange)...   

I agree with Paul actually. I took my third test today and you do sign a box stating that you have been resident in the UK for 185 days in the past year, so I guess the 6 month rule does apply...

Failed my third test though, thought it was a bit unfair as I failed for turning too wide on one left turn and making the engine jitter on two occasions though I didn't stall and kept it under control. I thought it was a bit unfair as I felt I did excellent, so if you do fail, don't be too hard on yourself, it can be a difficult test to pass and while we might be fine drivers, what they look for on the test can be a bit nitpicky (though they won't admit that lol). so a driving instructor def. helps!

Also I remember the one lesson a week starting out and forgetting everything but after five or so lessons I remembered stuff, so stick with it and you'll be fine!

I've now received replies back from both the DSA and the DVLA.   Have a bottle of aspirin at hand..... 

I took my third test today and you do sign a box stating that you have been resident in the UK for 185 days in the past year, so I guess the 6 month rule does apply...

Now that's rather curious, since according to the DSA they have no specific residency requirement for booking or taking the test!

Here's the response from the DSA:

I can confirm that there is no minimum residency period required before a candidate can apply to sit either their theory/hazard perception test or their practical test. However, there maybe a minimum residency period in order to gain a UK provisional licence.

The DSA are responsible for the monitoring of driving instructors and for conducting the driving test, and although we try to assist with all queries received, specific licence enquires need to be directed to the DVLA.

So as a provisional license is required in order to take the test, we turn to the DVLA.   While waiting for a reply from Swansea, I did a little searching and found leaflet INF 38, "Driving in Great Britain (GB) as a visitor or a new resident."

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/leaflets/inf38.pdf

This suggests that the 185-day residency requirement applies only to those arriving in Britain from another EU country:

If you want to take a GB driving test you must be normally resident in Great Britain.  However, if you have moved to GB having recently been permanently resident in another state of the EC/EEA, you must have been normally resident in GB for 185 days in the 12 months prior to your application for a driving test and a full licence.

I can find nothing in that leaflet which suggests a similar mandatory period of residency for anyone coming directly to the U.K. from the U.S. (or any other non-EU/EEA country).

Now here's the e-mail from the DVLA in response to my query, complete with a whole load of superfluous information which is irrelevant to the questions I asked:

There is no explicit residency requirement appertaining to an applicant for a provisional licence.  However, section 97(2) of the Road Traffic Act provides that 'if the application for the licence states that it is made for the purpose of enabling the applicant to drive a motor vehicle with a view to passing a rest of competence to drive, any licence granted in pursuance of the application shall be a provisional licence for that purpose'.
This means that applying for a provisional licence is intended to be no more than a means to an end i.e. the taking of a driving test. This implies that the applicant believes, anticipates or at least has a tenable hope that the applicant will ultimately take a test.

Anyone wishing to take a driving test in Great Britain must first comply with the residency requirements as defined in The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations. These requirements apply to all tests, including upgrades, and are defined in Regulation 38(1) as follows:

'...no person shall submit himself for a theory test or unitary test unless he satisfies the residence requirement specified in Section 89(1A) of the Road Traffic Act and where any question arises as to whether a person is normally resident in Great Britain or the United Kingdom (as the case may be) he shall be deemed to be normally resident there if he shows that he will have lived there for not less than 185 days during the period of 12 months ending on the day for which the test appointment is made'

The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 can be seen here, but regulation 38(1) is as quoted by DVLA:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/uksi_19992864_en.pdf

It's about as clear as mud now, because the Road Traffic Act 1988 doesn't seem to contain any residency requirements in section 89(1)(a).   Section 89(1)(c) contains a reference to being "normally resident," but only seems to apply to those with an exchangeable license.   

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/ukpga_19880052_en_8#pt3-pb2-l1g89

I haven't had time to trawl through the amendments to that 1988 Act, so there may well be something in those.

Anyway, we have DSA saying they have no minimum period of residency required for taking the test, and we have DVLA saying that there is no explicit requirement in order to apply for a provisional license, other than perhaps being "normally resident."   

The driving license regulations they quote suggest that the 185-day rule might be applied only in cases where there is any doubt as to whether the person is resident or not.  I guess that ties in with the INF38 leaflet about EU nationals, since they would not have visas etc. to prove residency.

So with the caveat that I'm no lawyer, as far as I can determine from what I've seen so far, if you have moved directly from the U.S. to the U.K. you may apply for a provisional license and take the test as soon as you wish, since there are no absolute time limits and -- I would presume -- your immigration status would indicate that you have become "normally resident."

The driving license regulations they quote suggest that the 185-day rule might be applied only in cases where there is any doubt as to whether the person is resident or not.  I guess that ties in with the INF38 leaflet about EU nationals, since they would not have visas etc. to prove residency.

I've asked my neighbour (a driving instructor) about this and he says the residency requirement is a guideline for EU nationals.  If there's any question over whether the EU national is just in the UK to obtain a driving license, the examiner can ask for proof of residency.  There is no such restriction on US nationals.

I still have my score sheet from my practical exam (Dec 07) and there's nothing on it regarding my residency.

wow thanks for looking into it paul. In my driving test report from my exam (also in Dec 07) in the top left hand corner, the examiner made me sign in the box and above the box states that the vehicle is covered by insurance and that I have lived 185 in the UK in the last 12 months. I signed it because I have and I wanted to take the test, however it says 'see rule 30' which is a residency requirement for EU/EEA nationals, so I guess US drivers are safe and dont have a residency rule.

I am taking my theory test on the 3rd, so fingers crossed. The book is thick though, I just hope I dont mess it up. But anyhow, my dh works at the AA and said there is a little known grey area with a lot of insurance companies here in the uk. As a us license holder the 12 months validity renews each time you reenter the uk. hmm never would have thought, but it doesnt matter now anyways. I found an instructor who offer solely women instructors who also offer the lesson to see how many lessons you need to catch you up to speed. Hopefully this goes without a hitch, I really need to be studying actually, better get on that.