Driving licence in the United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Driving licence in the United Kingdom is the official document issued in the United Kingdom to authorise its holder to operate various types of motor vehicle on public roads.
Contents |
[edit] Background
- See also: United Kingdom driving test
In the United Kingdom, the driving age for a car or van is 17 (unless in receipt of a full disability allowance, when you can obtain a provisional licence at the age of 16 years), while a moped or restricted-power motorcycle can be ridden at 16. However, there has been some speculation that this may rise to 18.[1] Until a United Kingdom driving test has been passed (which consists of three sections: a theory and a hazard perception test followed by a supervised driving examination) a driver will hold a Provisional Licence and must display learner plates (a large red L on a white background, or optionally a large red D (Welsh: Dysgwr) on a white background if the learner does not leave Wales) on the front and back of the vehicle.
Learner drivers must be accompanied by somebody aged at least 21 who has held a full driving licence for three years [2], and are not permitted on motorways [3].
In Northern Ireland, learner drivers are limited to a speed of 45 mph (72 km/h), and drivers who have passed their test within the previous year must display "R" plates (restricted) and are also limited to a speed of 45 mph (72 km/h) until the expiry of the restricted period. "R" plates are similar in style to "L" plates, with a thick-set dark orange R displayed on a white background.
The average student driver in the UK has anything between 20 and 50 hours instruction with an ADI (driving instructor) before applying to take the test. The driving test is 35-45 minutes in length, and students are allowed up to 15 'driving faults' (such as being in the wrong gear), but an accumulation of driving faults, or a 'serious' or 'dangerous' fault leads to a fail.
Each theory test currently costs £30.00 and the practical test costs £56.00 for each attempt (£58.00 on a weekend or weekday evening).
UK licences distinguish between automatic- and manual-transmission vehicles. Whilst a manual-transmission vehicle licence permits the holder to drive a vehicle of either kind, an automatic-tranmission vehicle licence is solely for vehicles with an automatic tranmission.
After passing a driving test, the provisional licence changes into a full UK licence for the relevant kind of vehicle, although full car licences allow use of mopeds and motorcycles provided a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) course is completed. There are no extra speed/signage/alcohol consumption restrictions on newly passed drivers (unlike some other countries) and the same set of rules applies for all drivers. It is optional to display newly passed green on white 'P' plates on the vehicle of newly passed drivers.
Forklift trucks can be driven off-road without licence, however the law requires that some prior training or instruction has to be provided, whether informal or otherwise. Forklift truck licences are issued by third party training companies and not by the UK DVLA/DSA which regulates all other vehicles.
[edit] History
Registration was introduced in 1903 with the Motor Car Act. Competency tests were introduced in 1934 by the Motor Vehicles Regulations 1935; they were suspended in 1939 for seven years due to the Second World War and in 1956 for one year due to the Suez Crisis. The only person in the United Kingdom who is not required to have a driving licence in order to drive is the Queen. She also does not require licence plates on any vehicles which are personally owned by her.[2]
Until 1973, driving licences (and tax discs) were issued by local authorities, and had to be renewed every three years. In 1971, the decision was taken to computerise the licensing system to enable it to be linked to the Police National Computer, as well as extending the life of the licence up to the driver's 70th birthday.
Until July 1998,[3] driving licences outside Northern Ireland did not have photographs. Anyone who holds a licence issued before this date may retain their photo-less licence until expiry (normally one's seventieth birthday) or until they change address, whichever comes sooner. The new "photocard" driving licences are a two-part document, a plastic photocard which has to be renewed every ten years, and a paper sheet (the "Counterpart Driving Licence") which is valid until the holder's seventieth birthday. The Counterpart details the individual's driving entitlements and convictions ("Endorsements"). Endorsement codes stay on the licence for 4-11 years depending on the offence.
Licences issued to residents of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland appear only in English, whilst those issued to residents of Wales appear in both English and Welsh.
Each licence holder has a unique driver number, which is 16 characters long. The characters are constructed in the following way[4]:
- 1-5: The first 5 characters of the Surname (Padded with 9s if less than 5 characters)
- 6: The decade digit from the year of birth (e.g. for 1987 it would be 8)
- 7-8: The month of birth (7th character incremented by 5 if driver is female e.g 51-62)
- 9-10: The date of birth
- 11: The year digit from the year of birth (e.g. for 1987 it would be 7)
- 12-13: The first two initials of the first names, padded with a 9 if no middle name. (or a 0[citation needed])
- 14-16: Three computer check digits (the first mostly being a 9[citation needed])
The UK uses a point system to handle repeat offenders.
[edit] Driving licence codes
This is a list of the codes that might be found on a UK driving licence.
| License Code | Vehicle type | Minimum Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Motorcycle | 17 | Light motorcycles with a cubic capacity not exceeding 125cc and of a power output not exceeding 11kW (14.6 bhp). |
| A | Motorcycle | 17 | Motorcycles up to 25kW (33 bhp) and a power to mass ratio not exceeding 0.16W/kg. Motorcycle combination with a power mass ratio not exceeding 0.16W/kg. |
| A | Motorcycle | 21[5] | Any size motorcycle with or without a sidecar. |
| B1 | 3 or 4 wheeled light vehicles | 17 | Motor tricycles/quadricycles up to 550kg unladen.[6] |
| B | Cars | 17 [7] |
|
| B | Minibuses | 21 | Vehicles with between 9 and 16 passenger seats not for hire or reward. MAM not exceeding 3.5T or 4.25T including specialist equipment for the carriage of disabled passengers. No trailer of any size may be pulled. B licence must have been held for 2 years. |
| B (Automatic) | Automatic Cars | 17 | As cars (B), but only those with automatic transmission.[8] |
| B+E | Cars with trailers | 17 | Combinations of vehicles consisting of a vehicle in category B and a trailer, where the combination does not come within category B. The MAM of the trailer must not exceed the mass of the unladen towing vehicle[9] |
| C1 | Medium sized vehicle | 18 | Vehicles between 3500kg and 7500kg with a trailer up to 750 kg. |
| C1+E | Medium sized vehicle with trailers | 21 | Combinations of vehicles where the towing vehicle is in subcategory C1 and its trailer has a MAM of over 750kg provided that the MAM of the combination thus formed does not exceed 12000 kg and MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. |
| C | Large vehicles | 21 | Vehicles over 3500kg with a trailer up to 750kg. |
| C+E | Large vehicles with trailers | 21 | Vehicles over 3500kg with a trailer over 750kg. |
| D1 | Minibuses | 21 | Vehicles with between 9 and 16 passenger seats with a trailer up to 750kg. See also under B |
| D1+E | Minibuses with trailers | 21 | Combinations of vehicles where the towing vehicle is in subcategory D1 and its trailer has a MAM of over 750 kg, provided that the MAM of the combination thus formed does not exceed 12000kg, and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. |
| D | Buses | 21 [10] | Any bus with more than 8 passenger seats with a trailer up to 750 kg. |
| D+E | Buses with trailers | 21 | Any bus with more than 8 passenger seats with a trailer over 750kg. |
| f | Agricultural Tractors | 16 [11] | N/A |
| g | Road rollers | 21 [12] | N/A |
| h | Tracked vehicles | 21 | N/A |
| k | Mowing machine or vehicle controlled by a pedestrian | 16 | N/A |
| l | Electric vehicles | 17 | Category now deprecated - tests no longer available (since 2001) for this category. Vehicles now fit into category B1 or B. |
| n | Vehicles used for very short distances on public roads | N/A | Category now deprecated - tests no longer available (since 2001) for this category. Vehicles now fit into category B1 or B. |
| p | Mopeds | 16 | Engine capacity must not exceed 50cc and the maximum design speed must not exceed 50km/h (31mph) |
Notes: MAM = Maximum authorised mass
[edit] References
- ^ UK driving licence info
- ^ [1]
- ^ BBC News | UK | Drivers face new photocard licence
- ^ DVLA INF45/1 "Your new Driving Licence" May 2007
- ^ Age 21 or 2 years from date of standard A test pass.
- ^ Age 16 you may be issued a licence if you are in receipt of the higher rate of disability living allowance. However if the rate is withdrawn, the normal minimum age for driving a car (17 years) applies.
- ^ At the age of 16 you can be issued a licence if you are in receipt of the higher rate of disability living allowance. However if the rate is withdrawn, the normal minimum age for driving a car (17 years) applies.
- ^ At age 16 you may be issued a licence if you are in receipt of the higher rate of disability living allowance. However if the rate is withdrawn, the normal minimum age for driving a car (17 years) applies.
- ^ If you passed your category B or B automatic test before 1 January 1997 your licence will already show C1, C1E (8.25 tonnes), D1, D1E (not for hire or reward) as entitlement flowing from the category B.
- ^ Age 17 if member of armed forces; age 18 under certain other cirumstances
- ^ Age 16 for tractors less than 2.45m wide. It must only pull trailers less than 2.45m wide with two wheels, or four close-coupled
- ^ Age 17 for small road-rollers with metal or hard rollers. They must not be steam powered, weigh more than 11.69 tonnes or be made for carrying loads
[edit] External links
- Official Great Britain driver information webpage
- Official Northern Ireland driver licensing webpage
|
||||||||
