Legal matters - After passing your practical driving test
Congratulations. There are a few things that you need to know about after passing your practical driving test
After passing your practical driving test; please be careful and stay within the rules
For the first two years after passing your practical driving test you are on probation and six points is enough to lose your driving licence. The penalty for speeding alone is three points. If there are any other factors to take into account the magistrate can add more. Two speeding offences within two years of the date that you pass your driving test will cost you your driving licence.
If you do lose your driving licence you will have to reapply for a provisional driving licence and work your way through the whole procedure again. Your theory and hazard perception tests will have to be repeated even if you did pass within the last two years. Your theory test pass certificate is only valid for one driving licence.
The penalties for breaking the motoring laws are not only measured in points on your drivng licence. There are some rather severe financial penalties available for different offences. These penalties have been beefed up in recent years and will certainly make a dent in your lifestyle.
If you wish to know more about the laws then this is not a comprehensive list but it does give you some idea of the amount, and complexity, of the laws that surround motoring. You may also be interested in the New Drivers Act.
Adding extra catagories to your driving licence
In the past people with an ordinary car licence have taken up jobs driving vehicles of up to seven and a half tons total weight or where for example they are expected to drive a land-rover towing a trailer. This is no longer legal. Check the catagories on your licence and you will see that if you wish to drive a vehicle towing a trailer or with a weight of over three and a half tons (a transit van for example) you will be required to take extra driving tests to gain those classifications..
After passing your practical driving test please make certain that you understand the classifications on your driving licence before you drive any vehicle other than a standard motor car. If you wish to upgrade your driving licence then there are a few things that you need to know.
'P' plates
After passing your practical driving test I strongly advise that new drivers do wear 'P' plates on their vehicles. They do work! All that they do is tell other drivers that you are new to driving on your own. During driving lessons you may quite possibly have been treated quite badly by other drivers. This is nothing unusual and only happens because they know full well that sitting next to you there is an instructor with dual-controls. Therefore they are as safe as houses. When they see the 'P' plates though they know that you are new to this and on your own. An entirely different proposition. It does make people think and in reality they are quite willing to be understanding and wait for you to make your decisions rather than trying their usual silly games.
After passing your practical driving test a pair of green 'P' plates will only set you back a couple of pounds. If they increase your self confidence with respect to driving then they will pay for themselves many times over on your first trip.
Your first journey
For your first journey after passing your practical driving test I strongly recommend that you drive alone. You need time to get used to two things: firstly the freedom can be a little dizzying. Elation is quite normal and a large dopey smile is absolutely par for the course. The second thing that you need to get used to is the responsibility that comes with holding a steering wheel.
You are used to having someone else there taking the responsibility for you. Not any more! The responsibility for the vehicle, yourself, anyone else in it and any damage to anyone else or their property at your hand is down to you. That realisation can weigh people down a bit.
After passing your practical driving test I recommend that you make your first journey last for about an hour and stay in areas that you are reasonably familiar with.
Make certain that you have enough fuel before yu start out and that you have a reasonably good idea of where you are going. Take either a mobile telephone or some money with you (or prferrably both) in case you get lost and need to call someone for advice.
With a little bit of forethought and a sensible attitude while you drive your first solo drive after passing your practical driving test should be a thoroughly pleasant experience.
Peer pressure
This can be a killer. The time will come after passing your practical driving test when you are driving with your friends in the car. Do not be tempted to do anything that you are not used to doing. Do not be tempted to
- speed
- drive in an incorrect position
- sound the horn
- rev the engine unnecessarily
- dazzle other road users
or generally act the prat at the behest of others.
If you do cave in to peer pressure remember this:
You are totally responsible. The people who applied the pressure to you will face no charges.
You will be alone in the dock!
Complacency
Yes you have done it. Congratulations, you have passed your practical driving test. Just remember that you achieved this feat by a combination of smooth driving, effective observation and an accurate road position. Nothing has changed there then. You still need to remember these things.
One other point if I may:
You are supposed to get better after passing your practical driving test, not worse!
Nerves
I can understand a certain amount of indecision and nervousness creeping into a few people for their first couple of times on the road. Please take some confidence from this though. If some cynical bugger such as myself was not totally convinced that you were suitable to be on the road, they would not have put you in for a driving test. The examiner would certainly not pass you if they were not happy with your driving standards. This may seem harsh but you need to get on with it and get used to driving alone.
Motorways
Do not be afraid of motorways. In the first instance after passing your practical driving test I would recommend that you ask an experienced driver that you know to go with you and see how you take to motorway driving. Most people are fine. Quite suprised in fact to realise that they are doing just fine. If this is not your experience however do not fear, the professionals are here. Ring your driving instructor and ask them to take you on the motorway for a couple of hours. They will be pleased to see you again and your motorway driving will improve substantially.
The Pass Plus Course
The Pass Plus scheme is a series of six lessons at the end of which you are awarded a certificate. There is no test as such but the instructor who supplies the lessons will have to be happy that you have fulfilled the necessary criteria.
Certain insurance companies do offer discounts for those of you who take the Pass Plus course but it still pays to shop around. Experience shows that others may still be cheaper.
