Guide to the UK’s learner driver rules

Learning to drive can be both an exciting and nerve-racking experience. While you’re focusing on learning the rules of the road, it’s important to ensure (and indeed, insure) that both you and the person teaching you are fully covered in the event of any accident with learner driver insurance.

There are many other learner driver rules that everyone learning to drive must follow before and during private lessons. Following these will keep you and all other drivers safe.

What you need to learn to drive

Provisional Driving Licence

Before even thinking about getting behind the wheel, you need to make sure you have a provisional driving licence in your hands.

It can take around a week to arrive and you must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 15 years and 9 months old (although you won’t be able to learn to drive until you’re 17)
• Be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away
• Can prove your identity with a valid UK biometric passport or another form of I.D.
• Confirm the addresses where you’ve lived over the past 3 years
• Provide your National Insurance number
• Provide a credit or debit card number to pay £34 for the licence

Learner driver insurance

Once your provisional licence has arrived, you can start planning your driving lessons. If you are learning with a qualified driving instructor then you don’t have to worry as the instructor will have the correct insurance to cover you.

If you’re planning on taking some private lessons with a friend or family member you must make sure you have the correct type of insurance. Whether you’re taking all your lessons with them or are adding some additional practice in the build-up to your test, our temporary learner driver insurance offers a great way of saving time and money.

Benefits of Tempcover’s learner driver insurance:

• Specifically designed for learners
• For those aged 17-75 (must hold valid provisional licence)
• Flexible – policies available for 12 hours, 1 day and up to 28 days
• Fully comprehensive – If you have an accident while driving, any damage to yourself, the vehicle and third party is covered
• If you’re not the vehicle owner, their No Claims discount is protected – Short-term insurance is a separate policy to the vehicle owner’s

For many, learner insurance is the easiest and often cheapest way to practise when you want without being tied into long policies. It could help reduce the cost of learning and Tempcover’s policy even allows you to take your test in your choice of car.

Please note that temporary learner insurance won’t cover you once you have passed your test. It’s an affordable way of getting insured while you are learning.

Does the person supervising a learner need to be insured?

If you’re not practising with a fully trained instructor then the person supervising you as a learner must meet a number of minimum rules and requirements.

Being in the car with an experienced driver, whether they’re a friend or family member, will help keep you safe and ensure you’re learning how to drive properly.

Any driver supervising a learner insured with a temporary learner driver insurance policy must:

• Be at least 21 years old (Tempcover’s temporary learner driver insurance policies have a minimum age of 25 for the supervisor)
• Have a full valid driving licence for the type of vehicle being used
• Have had that licence for at least 3 years
• Not currently be banned from driving
• Not receive any payment for the lessons

Your supervisor must follow all the rules of the road as if they were driving the vehicle themselves e.g. they must not use a mobile phone while in the car.

If they don’t meet these requirements, you could face a fine of up to £1,000 and get 6 penalty points on your licence – and that’s before you’ve even started driving independently.

Learner driver cars must be roadworthy

Like every vehicle on the road, the car you want to practise in must be taxed and have a valid MOT. While driving, you must display an L plate on the front and back of the vehicle. If you fail to do this, you could receive up to 6 points on your licence and/or a fine. If you’re driving in Wales, you can use a D plate instead (which stands for the Welsh word “dysgwr”, which means “learner”).

The L or D plates must be red on a white background.

The vehicle you’re learning in must also be covered by an annual insurance policy. This will normally be in the name of the vehicle owner. As a learner, you’ll be insured to drive the vehicle for a set period of time once you purchase your temporary car insurance.

You can also learn to drive in your own car but there are a few important legal requirements to consider. You’ll need your provisional licence, L plates and have someone supervising you. Even though it is your own car, you cannot drive alone until after you have passed your test.

The supervising driver must be at least 21 years old (for a Tempcover policy, they must be 25), have a full UK, EU or EEA licence and be qualified to drive the type of vehicle you’re learning in. They can’t take any money from you and must conform to eyesight requirements. Your insurance should also cover you and the supervisor.

PassMeFast has more information about learning to drive in your own car.

What does a learner driver need to know?

The UK government’s Ready to Pass campaign states there are 27 skills you need to master to pass your driving test. These are: 

The basics

• Legal responsibilities
• Safety checks
• Cockpit checks
• Security

Control and positioning

• Controls and instruments
• Moving away and stopping
• Safe positioning

Observation, signalling and planning

• Mirrors – vision and use
• Signals
• Anticipation and planning
• Use of speed
• Other traffic
• Fuel-efficient driving

Junctions, roundabouts and crossings

• Junctions
• Roundabouts
• Pedestrian crossings

Manoeuvres

• Reversing
• Turning the car around
• Parking
• Emergency stop

Road types

• Country roads
• Dual carriageways
• Motorways

Driving conditions

• Driving in the dark
• Weather conditions
• Passengers and loads

Following routes

• Independent driving and using a Sat Nav

You can learn more about these key driving skills by following the links above or by purchasing a copy of The Official DVSA Guide to Learning to Drive.

Are there any other rules for supervising a learner driver?

If you’re helping a learner driver, you must refrain from using your mobile phone, tablet or sat nav. You must also be sober and not under the influence of any drugs or medicine,

The learner driver cannot drive on a motorway. Learners can only drive on motorways with an approved driving instructor (ADI) in a car fitted with dual controls.

To supervise a learner driver, you must not currently be banned from driving. 

Driving with L plates

When learning to drive, you must put an L plate (or D plate if you’re in Wales) on the front and back of the car, ensuring they’re fully visible to other road users. You need a minimum of two on the vehicle and they should be removed when a learner is not driving the car.

The L plates must have a red L on a white background and should be the following size: 178 x 178mm. There are also restrictions around the actual letter itself, which you can find out more about on gov.uk.

There are some different options when it comes to buying your L plates:

• Magnetic – Easy to pop on and take off whenever a learner is taking a car out for some private practice.
• Decal stickers – Self-adhesive L plates are super secure but sometimes leave marks on the vehicle itself.
• Window stickers – These L plates can cling on to a window but you’ll need to ensure they’re visible to other drivers and they don’t block any of your view.

Learner plates are widely available online, in shops and from the DVSA, but please ensure they adhere to the legal requirements.

What’s the minimum eyesight requirement for learning to drive?

To pass your test (and therefore make it worth learning to drive) you must be able to read a standard number plate registration on a vehicle from 20 metres away (20.5 metres for an older number plate). This is roughly the same length as five medium-sized cars.

It’s also a legal requirement to have a visual acuity of at least 0.5 (6/12) on the Snellen scale. This is still applicable if you need to wear glasses or contact lenses. If you only have sight in one eye, you can still take the test and will be able to drive, provided you have proof you have an adequate field of vision. An eyecare professional or optician can help you find out more.

Learner driver insurance rules while on the road

It’s important that learner drivers experience all aspects of driving and this includes different conditions and environments. 

From roundabouts to quiet country roads, a learner should drive on different road types but please be aware that learner drivers are not allowed to drive on a motorway. Doing so can result in a £1,000 fine and between 3 and 6 penalty points.

Learn to drive when you want with complete peace of mind with Tempcover’s temporary car insurance. With our policies, you only pay for the time you need – from 12 hours up to 28 days. It’s the perfect cover when you need some extra practice – especially in the lead-up to the test.

Sources:

https://www.gov.uk/driving-lessons-learning-to-drive/taking-driving-lessons

https://www.gov.uk/driving-lessons-learning-to-drive/practising-with-family-or-friends

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supervise-a-learner-driver

https://www.bsm.co.uk/can-learner-drivers-drive-at-night

https://www.theaa.com/driving-school/driving-lessons/advice/eyesight-and-driving

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/consumer-news/352359/driving-eyesight-rules-explained