Thinking of driving in Brit country? A few tips on driving in Brit country and obtaining your Brit license!!
I know I’m going to take a lot of flak for saying the “wrong” side of the road instead of “left” side of the road from my Brit family and friends! But…
When I first moved to Brit country, I drove a little bit here and there. However, when I first moved here, Covid 19 was still in full swing (maybe that’s another post!). We were under quarantine for most of the time and I didn’t have much need for driving. We are fortunate enough where we live to have a Tesco Express (https://www.tesco.com/store-locator/poole/shore-rd?) right next door so we could walk and get our basic supplies and for everything else it was Amazon Prime! We are also very fortunate to live by the beach, so we were able to go for walks and breathe a little.
A good thing to know though, if you’re coming from Yank country to Brit. England does not “exchange” a Yank license for Brit. What that means is, you are allowed to drive in England, on a Yank license, for 1 year. If you remain in England longer than one year, you need to apply for and take all of the necessary testing to obtain a Brit license. With that said, what I did wrong was, I should have take the written (theory) portion of the test and made the appointment for an on-the-road test while I was still within that year. Then I wouldn’t have had any interruption in my ability to drive.
However, due in part to my ignorance and not researching in depth what I needed to do, my ability to drive on my Yank license ended at the 1 year mark of my living in Brit country. In my defense, because of Covid 19 and the lockdowns that were in place, I wouldn’t have been able to get an appointment anyway!
So, the next steps….
Use your resources! Talk to your new friends! Research online! I spoke with a friend who also moved to Brit country from Yank country and she helped me out immensely with what I needed to do and resources that were available to me. I started taking driving lessons, but I could only get two lessons in before my right to drive on my Yank license expired. I then applied for a learner’s permit (provisional license here in Brit world). Once I had that I could continue with my lessons.
I have made reference, in a previous post, that in the state of Massachusetts in Yank country, (where I have driven all my life), my license was good for both manual and automatic vehicles. But in Brit country, be sure to decide if you want your Brit license to be good for both, because if you test for your Brit license on an automatic vehicle, your Brit license does not allow you to drive a standard/manual shift vehicle. I opted to obtain an automatic class license, as I felt driving a manual transmission vehicle AND learning to drive on the “wrong” side of the road would be a bit overwhelming.
Next step was to take the written (theory) test. Now, I don’t know about you, my readers, but I haven’t taken a written driving test in many years! So…I studied…and studied….and studied. A great tool was this app.:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/official-dvsa-theory-test-kit/id463295925
I am not making any commissions or getting any credit for sharing these tools, but for me, this app really helped! The app I noted above is for Apple, but I did notice there were apps for Google, Android, etc.
Once I felt comfortable, and asked a LOT of questions of my driving instructor, I took the written (theory) test. And passed first time! Again, I will tell you from my own experience that I would never have passed if I hadn’t studied.
Another very good tool is the official DVLA U.K. website:
https://www.gov.uk/book-driving-test
The site above will help you find all you need to know, not just about booking your test, but also tools, study guides and the steps you need to take to acquire your Brit license.The site also has mock written (theory) tests with which you can practice.
The written (theory) test is two parts. You need to book an appointment at the site above. When you arrive for your appointment, you are required to show I.D. and relinquish your cell phone. You are then seated at a computer. The first part of the test is multiple choice questions about signage, rules of the road, safety etc.. The second part of the written (theory) test is made up of short videos you watch to measure your ability to recognize driving/safety hazards.
Once you have your provisional driving license, it allows you to drive while supervised by your driving instructor or any driver, as long as they’re over the age of 21 and have held a full driving license for at least three years. The exception is driving on motorways, where you’ll need to be supervised by an approved driving instructor. Pretty similar to Yank country! And your provisional license is good for 10 years! However, make a note: even though your provisional license is good for 10 years, you only have 2 years from the date you pass your written theory test to take your on-the-road (practical) driving test. If you wait longer than that, you’ll have to retake your theory test first.
Once you’re comfortable driving with your instructor or other legal driver, then think about booking your “on-the-road” (practical) test!! I booked my driving test online (which you can do through the above website). Unfortunately, for me, my appointment is in mid-May! That is due to the backlog from no tests being booked throughout Covid lockdown, so hopefully, going forward, appointments won’t take as long to obtain.
Lots of info I know! And this post doesn’t even talk about the rotaries (roundabouts), toucan, puffin and pelican crossings, road calming features, national speed limits, narrow roads that can fit only one vehicle at a time and who has right of way, or parallel parking!!! (yes, another post is needed!)
But to end on a lighter note, take a look at a Brit vehicle (I believe this was a Yank mail truck) with the steering wheel on the “wrong” (right) side, that was converted in Yank country to be a vehicle with the steering wheel on the “right” side (left)!
I hope you are enjoying my posts, thoughts and sharings! Please subscribe to follow my insights by clicking on the link below and by entering your email address at the bottom of the link. You’ll receive emails from me when I post!
Or use your existing WordPress account or sign up now and follow me there! Once you subscribe via email or create a WordPress account and follow me at the link below, you can select “Reader” and see all my posts!!
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/137707474
You can also follow me on Facebook at yankeebrit.blog:
https://www.facebook.com/yankeebrit.blog
Or pop me an email with comments. thoughts, questions:
Any way you choose to connect, thank you for reading and allowing me to share!
Leave a Reply