Provisional Licences and Penalty Points

Jamie Daly - Apr 1 2022 1:30PM
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According to data from the Telegraph, Learner Drivers seem to be unaware of the laws surrounding penalty points and Provisional Licences. Even if you hold a Provisional Licence you can still receive penalty points, which will transfer to your full licence when you pass.

Privately Practice Speed Control

One thing that is definitely worth practicing to perfection is speed control. Last year an astonishing 54,000 Provisional Licence holders had penalty points, with over 60% of those points resulting from speeding violations. It’s common that a Learner Driver would have issues controlling their speed. However, it would be foolish to think that this excuses them from the law. Even Learner Drivers have to abide by the standards set by the Highway Code. It’s perhaps even more crucial to penalise Learner Drivers as they are more of a liability on the road. A Learner Driver travelling over the speed limit is potentially more dangerous than an experienced driver. UK law states that the driver of the vehicle is the one responsible for the driving offence and it is not the fault of the accompanying driver. That is the case for both Driving Lessons and Private Practice. Even if the car has dual controls the penalty points will still go to learner, if they are driving.

Learner Driver Insurance Restrictions and More

A Learner Driver should also keep in mind that their ability to get Private Practice Insurance, after receiving penalty points, decreases dramatically. Not many insurers will risk covering a Provisional Licence holder with penalty points. What may be even more of a surprise to a learner driver is that within the first 2 years of passing your driving test you can get your licence revoked after just 6 penalty points. Getting points on a Provisional Licence puts a learner in a precarious position when they hit the roads independently. It’s easier to incur Highway Code violations when you don’t have an instructor guiding your driving. The Highway Code is an important tool and is available on the Gov website. Learner Drivers should familiarise themselves with its rules and regulations, to avoid penalty charges to their Provisional Licence.