Supervising Learner Drivers – The Rules!

Are you aware that technically you are liable to the same rules and regulations (and therefore penalties) as the supervisor of a Learner as you would be if you were the driver yourself? That you could potentially risk fines, penalty points, disqualification or even prison if you are found guilty of an offence while supervising learner drivers?

Most people are aware of the fact that you have to have held a licence for more than 3 years and be over 21 in order to be the ’responsible adult’ in the vehicle but did you know that it is your responsibility as the supervisor to ensure that:

• the learner holds a provisional licence
• there is insurance covering the learner in the car being driven
• that the vehicle is in a safe and roadworthy condition
• the vehicle is clearly displaying ‘L’ plates on the back and front of the vehicle

And these rules still apply even if the vehicle is owned by the learner. Some Insurance policies will require the supervisor to be over a certain age too – sometimes over 25 or even 30!

Additionally you could be found guilty of an offence if you commit any of the following whilst supervising learner drivers:

• are over the drink-drive limit
• speak (handheld) on your mobile or text
• fall asleep
• fail to wear glasses, if you need these when driving yourself

Even the seemingly ‘simple’ parts – 3 years and a full licence – can be misunderstood. The 3 years applies to the total time you have held your full licence, so if you received your licence 01/01/2010 you might think that by 01/01/2013 you have held it for three years, but if you were disqualified for any reason during this time, even if your licence was returned at the end of the disqualification period, then this period does not count towards the time and must be added on – so a 6 month disqualification would mean you are not eligible to be the supervising driver until a further six months had elapsed.

And the full licence must be for the type of vehicle being supervised (ie if you took your test in an automatic car you cannot now supervise a learner in a manual) and must be either a full UK or EU licence – so a provisional driver could not be supervised by an American driving on an International Licence for example.

If you have a legal matter and need advice give the Forrest Williams Team a call. If you want your case handled by a firm who pride themselves on customer care, who will listen to you, your needs and your views, understanding that it is your case, then trust the Forrest Williams team and give us call on 01623 397200.