[fabiarider]

Hi friends

Just moved to UK in Jan-2011 after selling my fabia and dismantling by RX100 (both with support of team bhp community). I will be spending a few years here i hope and I am planning to take a UK driving license due to

1. reduced insurance premium if taking a car
2. present indian license is valid here only for 1 year from date of arrival
3. to understand driving rules here

I have driven around 80,000 Kms in india during the past 10 years since i got indian license, but that wont help much here it seems. Got to learn all the things afresh in a systematic way.

I want to clear the uk driving test in first attempt, can any of team-bhp friends who have already gone through the process provide some advise on how to approach the task in hand.

I already have a provisional driving license, and presently preparing for theory test.

[dmplog]

I will keep track of this one! I have been in the UK for last 1 year and So far, I have depended on the Public Transport. But am thinking of taking up Driving Classes towards a full UK Driving License. That will give me a lot of flexibility where there ain't any trains or areas which are less accessible by Public Transport. Further joy of driving is simply can not be explained.
I have driven in the London City few times and it's quite simple IMO. So, motorway driving is what I would like to do in future.
I would anyway get in touch with you to know more about how your driving sojourns in the UK go.

[humyum]

Its easy, let me explain since I have got my Provisional licence and will be giving my Driving test (Theory and Practical) soon. Firstly you need to apply for a Provisional Licence by getting a form for the same and then filling the details and sending your passport along. The fees for the same are 50 pounds

Next you ll be sent a Provisional licence along with your passport back. Now you are ready to give a theory and practical test after booking the same. The Theory test costs 31 pounds and you need to answer 43 out of 50 questions correctly or you fail. Practical I am not sure about but its in the range of 50 to 60 pounds for the fees.

You can take some lessons which i deem are necessary to get adjusted to the UK rules before u give the Practical test.

If there is anything else let me know.

[Randhawa]

As you have got the provisional license, practice the online sessions from the CD which you got from DVLA. After you have done the theory, book the practical test at least a month in advance. Some places depending from town to town has a different availability dates(waiting period) for practical test but you can book the theory test within a weeks notice.

For practical test definitely take at least 5-10 lessons from a driving instructor. You can also practice few moves from online tutorial. Most importantly the main things which some people fail on are;

1. Maintain at all times two second distance from a car ahead.
2. Moving from standstill onto the traffic while observing LCR(left, centre, right mirror)
3. Applying hand brake whenever you stop at red light, move only when 1st gear engaged only then disengage the hand brake
4. Parallel parking- learn to maintain a foot distance from the payment
5. While overtaking again follow the LCR and use indicator while changing lane
6. Emergency stop- you will be asked to demonstrate any time during the test
7. Most importantly learn the style of rotating steering as your hand should not cross over each other and not exceed 90 angle.

If you can get a NCB from India then it will go long way to keep the insurance cost down depending upon your age and insurance band on car you intend to buy.

If you are under 25 and go for a swanky car then be prepared to pay a heft premium on insurance.

Also remember having a car in UK means you should have few things all the time.
1. Insurance
2. Driving License
3. Car MOT(it's done every year for a car older then 3years- basically a health certificate, lot of car dealers make a fake one but Gov has introduced hard to fake rules now)
4. Road tax disc(valid for 6 or 12 months)- placed on the left hand side of the windscreen, should be clearly visible from outside.
5. V5-logbook(RC)

V5=MOT+DL= Insurance= Road tax

If a copper pulls you over, he will have access to all the info on his computer screen in his car. He can even get info there and then of the date when you legally entered UK. If your Indian licence does not say -International License then you would be driving illegally.

[vignesh_ny]

I think Randhawa has covered nearly all points. Just to add , when applying for provisional license, if i remember right they expect a minimum stay of a year before you can apply ( not very sure though). The form for provisional license is free at the local post office and you can also do it online but need to send your passport alongside the form as a proof of identity.

Post a provisional license , you can legally learn driving, practise alongside a person with a permanent license ( should've held it for more than 2 yrs).

Register for the theory test. Use the DVLA CD for the questions. Theory questions are exactly as in the DVLA book/CD. To add to the theory test there is a Hazard perception test, similar to playing a video game. Theory ( pass_ + hazard ( Fail) = Overall Fail. basically both of them need to be cleared simultaneously.

The practical exam is to test your road sense, reading of signs, roundabouts handling, emergency braking, safe driving and 2 manouvers out of( parallel parking, left reverse, 3 point turn ( or turn in the road), Bay parking). The practical test has a scoring mechanism, where you are permitted to commit upto 15 minor faults and no Major fault. A major fault means you fail the test and 15 + minor faults again mean you fail the test. Also there is a bit of subjectivity where if the same minor fault is repeated multiple times then a person is declared a fail ( eg: not putting the indicators on 5 different occassions).
Tip for clearing it the first time: Look at the pass percentages of all DVLA centers near you. Even if you need to travel a bit of a distance, select a test center where the pass percentages are generally higher than average.
All the Best!

[sgiitk]

My info may be a bit late. In the Uk the driving test is a two stage affair. First a written test (was not there when I took my license in 1974) where you are tested about the rules etc. The second part is the road test. They ask you to drive one of their predefined routes.

Since they are sticklers for the procedure I will strongly advise that you take some lessons from a good driving school (BSM used to be the best). Even common practices from India like costing round curves will be enough for you to get a fail.

[fabiarider]

Thank you for all the advises.

So i need to buy DVLA CD/Book to prepare for theory test , planning to take theory test in the first week of April

Also, have short listed a driving instructor here, last 3 people who went through him passed the test in first attempt itself.

Test centre would be Warwick as pass % is better there .

Regarding indian driving license, what people here say was that International driving license is not needed and an Indian license in card like form which is fully written in English could be used as a valid one. But not sure.

Will Keep updated.

[Randhawa]

Don't listen to people who say that. If it's not international DL then you are driving illegally. Insurance companies will not insure you if you don't have a international license, if you get the insurance online by saying you have a international DL then you are committing a fraud, penalty for that offence will be harsh if you get involved in a accident and cops find out that your insurance is invalid.

When you book you theory test, you will get a CD from them anyways so no need to buy it separately.

Who can drive in UK and on what DL http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...nce/DG_4022561


How to go about a theory test http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...Test/index.htm

[VCheng]

I hope my post is not too late.

One plan to consider that I would suggest is booking a set of five (or more if needed) lessons plus the driving test itself in a BSM car, with the local British School of Motoring (BMS) chapter. If affordable, they offer some of the best first time pass rates since most of their driving instructors are present or ex- test administrators.

Good Luck!

[Samir Taheer]

I think the Indian Driving Licence (in card form) if OK and valid for one year. When i got pulled over (random check point), the cop only asked me for my driving licence (Which at the time was a normal Indian card type licence) and how long i had been in the country. He was satisfied with what he saw and let me go.

As Randhawa said earlier, take at least 10 lessons!! I am sure when you take lessons your instructor will be the best person to guide you.

[VCheng]

I can confirm from personal experience that any commonwealth driving license valid in the home country is valid in the UK for one year from date of entry.

However, please be aware that not all insurers will accept that, but there are still several that will cover such drivers. One thing that may help is getting a full no-claim certificate from India that will give you a hefty discount with several major insurers.

Getting AA membership will make you eligible for their great coverage, but DirectLine Insurance is also a good option still I hope.

[rysk]

Theory test is pretty easy. It is objective type questions with options and you pick correct ones on-line. There is (almost) standard set of questions. At the end of Theory test, you also need to take a "Hazard Perception test", and for this alone, you would need to buy the DVLA CD (Or some other).

After a month you can "scedule a slot" for driving test.

Actual driving test is for 40 mins. You cannot make any mjor mistake or more than 3 minor mistakes. This part is the difficult one, but if I got it in first try, so can anyone....

All the best.

[rysk]

Let me add that you need to pass both "Objective theory" test and "Hazard Perception" test individually. Hazard perception is essentially to test your "perception" skills and you are asked to "click" mouse as soon as you detect a Hazard in the video (On computer). You need to be carefull, as the click needs to be at right time. The delay gets you lower marks.

I hope I have not confused you. These 2 tests are combined to call "Theroy" test to be taked at Test centre one after the other. i.e. they cannot be split for a later date.

PS:

[fabiarider]

Originally Posted by VCheng

I hope my post is not too late.

One plan to consider that I would suggest is booking a set of five (or more if needed) lessons plus the driving test itself in a BSM car, with the local British School of Motoring (BMS) chapter. If affordable, they offer some of the best first time pass rates since most of their driving instructors are present or ex- test administrators.

Good Luck!

Is BSM the best ?
I am confused on which driving school to go for after passing theorey test.
If i go through BSM there may be some 15% reduction in my first insurance premium it seems.

I cant get no claim bonus from India as my cars was in name of my wife and my father.

[Ravich]

Originally Posted by fabiarider

Regarding indian driving license, what people here say was that International driving license is not needed and an Indian license in card like form which is fully written in English could be used as a valid one. But not sure.

Will Keep updated.

That is quite accurate. You can drive for upto an year on a valid India driving license. I did, on the compliance advice of a multinational company car lease
program.