The Legal Driving Age

There is often much discussion in the press and on television that the minimum driving age is to change, many say it’s to be increased to 18 or even 21. The issue around changes in the age has been a major discussion because of the number of road traffic accidents amongst younger drivers and drivers that have a limited amount of driving experience. All around the world the minimum age varies, from 16 to 21.

Within the United Kingdom the age that you can legally begin to drive is 17 years old and there are no plans whatsoever to change this at present. If ever it was to be changed the decision would be subject to major consultation and reviews to see if it would make any real difference. This means that from the age of 17 you can legally learn to drive and even take a driving test. You are able to obtain your provisional driving licence ready for your 17^th Birthday. Any application is made by completing a D1 Application form which can be obtained from your Post Office or downloaded from the DVLA website. You will need to enclose a photograph and the current fee which is £50.00. You then need to send your completed application form to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AD.

The provisional driving licence will hopefully be with you within a couple of weeks. Once received you will have a paper copy as well as a Photo ID Card Copy, both have a different purpose and must be kept safe as a duplicate is costly.

It is important that you apply for your licence well in advance of your first driving lesson, also you cannot be in control of a vehicle until you are in receipt of your provisional licence. It is advisable to apply for your licence at least 3 weeks from when you are actually going to need it. This will avoid any problems and will mean you are 100% legal before you get behind the wheel.

If you are unsure as to the process of applying for your provisional, these few steps should help:

· Pick up a D1 form from the Post Office

· Get your Passport size photos ready for your application

· Complete the form and double check it over, even pass to someone else to give it a second check.

· Write a check for the full amount and pop everything in an envelope and send it to DVLA, Swansea, Sa99 1AD.

If you follow those few easy steps you should receive your provisional licence within no time at all.