USA to UK driver license?????

This probably doesn't deserve its own thread, so I'll tack it onto this one. It's topical enough.

I was talking to a British friend the other day, and she told me about an American friend of hers who drove on his US license in the UK for six or seven years. He figured, every time he went back to the States on vacation, his US license reset and he got another legal year in the UK. (WRONG!)

It gets better. He kept it up until no insurance company would touch him. Then he drove without a license OR insurance. (Oh, so VERY wrong!)

Some days, I feel like a chump for being such a goody-two-shoes. Then I think of the likelihood this dude could get his bad self deported in the current climate, and I feel better.

This probably doesn't deserve its own thread, so I'll tack it onto this one. It's topical enough.

I was talking to a British friend the other day, and she told me about an American friend of hers who drove on his US license in the UK for six or seven years. He figured, every time he went back to the States on vacation, his US license reset and he got another legal year in the UK. (WRONG!)

It gets better. He kept it up until no insurance company would touch him. Then he drove without a license OR insurance. (Oh, so VERY wrong!)

Some days, I feel like a chump for being such a goody-two-shoes. Then I think of the likelihood this dude could get his bad self deported in the current climate, and I feel better.

Apparently, my DH's auntie has been driving without a licence or insurance for 30 years!!! 

Even if he hadn't been deported, I'm sure it would have subtracted some points on his earned citizenship application.  

Added: Whoa Jewlz, she has also apparently been accident free and somehow able to renew the MOT all that time.  Whoa. 

Added: Whoa Jewlz, she has also apparently been accident free and somehow able to renew the MOT all that time.  Whoa. 

LOL... I have no idea how she does it. I knew she was eccentric, but that one kinda threw me off when he told me about it yesterday. 

Jewlz-it does get lots better as you go on! I found it also helped to have a tangible reward at the end (for me, getting my license meant that I could drive myself to Cheshire for some horseback riding lessons).  Oddly enough, even though nothing has really changed, passing the test gave me a huge confidence boost--and I now feel MUCH more comfortable than I did last week! Either way, you'll rock it!

Definitely!  I was out in town with some friends today for lunch & pointed out that the next time I could collect one of them in the car & drive over to the other friend's house.  (We took the bus into town.)  A lightbulb then went off behind that friend's eyes, who then said, 'So, like you could hop in the car right now and drive to the coast of Cornwall if you wanted to.'

And I said - 'Yeah, I could.  But I don't think I will today.' 

Added: Whoa Jewlz, she has also apparently been accident free and somehow able to renew the MOT all that time. 

You don't need any other paperwork to get an MoT inspection certificate.  You just take the car to the garage, they inspect it, and if it passes you get the certificate.  Nobody will ask to see your driver's license or insurance, since they're not relevant to the physical inspection.

Apparently, my DH's auntie has been driving without a licence or insurance for 30 years!!!  

I wonder what percentage of drivers are uninsured in the UK? I never cease to be amazed at the percentages in the US (and they're probably higher than this now...):

http://www.roadandtravel.com/autonewsandviews/2006/uninsureddrivers.htm

I dont know where I got confused, but I thought that you didnt NEED a provisional license as long as you had a valid US license (for the first year, of course). Do you need it to take the test even if your US license is current and you've been in the UK for less than 1 year?

I found this great site http://www.yourdrivinglicence.co.uk/what-test-will-i-need-take-change-licence-from-us-uk.html

I dont know where I got confused, but I thought that you didnt NEED a provisional license as long as you had a valid US license (for the first year, of course). Do you need it to take the test even if your US license is current and you've been in the UK for less than 1 year?

Yes, you do. You need a provisional licence number to schedule the theory test. You can drive on your American licence for the first year without the provisional licence and you don't have to follow all the rules for learner drivers (no driving on the motorway, no driving without someone over the age of 21 who has had a licence for at least 3 years, and you have to display L plates). But once you pass the one year mark, you have to then follow all the learner driver rules listed above. But you would still need to pay the £50 for the provisional licence before you can take the theory test and you have to pass the theory test before you can schedule the practical test. For the theory test, you will need a CD-Rom called Driving Test Success. Just google it. It's pretty cheap. That has loads of practice exams on it, and once you are confidently passing those then you know you are ready for the exam. Good luck! 

Thanks Jewlz... More money down the drain!   

Thanks Jewlz... More money down the drain!   

Think of it as the price of freedom. Can you really put a price on that? Can you??!!! 

Also, you may want to go ahead and get your provisional licence before you try to add yourself to the insurance, if you haven't already. I had to have a provisional licence number to get added to ours, and someone else I know is having trouble getting coverage with her American licence. Just in case you haven't done that already. 

We've already added me to the insurance and amazingly, the price of the coverage actually went down!  Apparently they assume once you are married and "mature" that you are a safer driver. Who knew??

I'm off to Ireland in a few weeks, but will apply for the provisional license when I get back in case they do have my passport for the full 4 weeks.

Thanks again.

I don't think this is fair but as we have discussed here before part of the problem is we, the US, don't accept UK driving licences.

When I say not fair. I think a driver from the US is better qualified than a driver from the Falkland Islands or Korea but what do I know?

I thought this was interesting-

"In some cases, you may (be) able to exchange a foreign driving licence for a UK driving licence even if it was not issued in the European Economic Area or one of the designated countries. Contact the DVLA to assess the possibility, or you can get a D100 booklet from selected Post Office branches, which outlines the rules on exchanging licences."

Maybe a US driver could test the waters and be the first.

the Faulkner Islands

Remind me where they are? And why is someone from there or Korea less qualified than a US driver to drive in the UK?