Can a Learner Driver Go on the Motorway?

Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about learner drivers and motorways in the UK.

All learners must be accompanied by a DVSA-approved Driving Instructor (trainee driving instructors are NOT allowed to offer motorway lessons). You will NOT be able to practise with friends or family on the motorway.

• The car must be fitted with dual controls.
• L-plates must be shown at the front and back of the vehicle if a rooftop box is not being used.
• Any motorway driving lessons will be voluntary.
• It will be up to the driving instructor to decide when the learner is ready.
• The change only applies to learner car drivers – learner motorcyclists will NOT be allowed on motorways for safety reasons.
• You can still take Pass Plus lessons with your instructor once you’ve passed your test, as this is a good way to gain more experience driving in different conditions.
• The multiple-choice Theory Test questions and Highway Code will be updated to reflect these changes, which you can find in the latest 4 in 1 Theory Test app from Driving Test Success.
• Rule 253 of The Highway Code was updated on 4th June 2018 to explain that learner drivers are allowed on the motorway with an approved driving instructor in a dual-controlled car.

The multiple-choice Theory Test questions and Highway Code will be updated to reflect these changes, which you can find in the latest 4 in 1 Theory Test app from Driving Test Success.

Rule 253 of The Highway Code was updated on 4th June 2018 to explain that learner drivers are allowed on the motorway with an approved driving instructor in a dual-controlled car.

The decision follows a consultation where 80% of respondents thought that learners should be “allowed to take lessons on motorways, subject to certain safeguards”.

While motorways are statistically the safest roads in the UK, they’re also a real source of anxiety and nerves for many motorists.

It is currently illegal for a provisional licence holder to drive on a motorway, but the moment a learner passes their practical test, they are allowed to drive on motorways unsupervised and with no prior experience.

This may not be as much of a concern for learners who drive on dual carriageways in their area, but for many drivers who don’t, the thought of motorway driving can be daunting.

However, provisional licence holders will be able to drive on motorways under strict new rules.

The changes are being made to allow learner drivers to:

• Get a broader driving experience before taking their driving test.
• Get training on how to join and leave the motorway, overtake safely, and use lanes correctly.
• Practice driving at higher speed limits.
• Understand motorway specific traffic signs and smart motorways.
• Understand what to do if a vehicle breaks down on a motorway.
• Improve their confidence to drive on a motorway unsupervised after passing their driving test.

If you want to join a motorway from a slip road, you should adjust your speed to match the traffic already on the motorway and do so without breaking the speed limit. Check your mirrors to be aware of the traffic around you and signal early to indicate your intention to join the motorway. Give priority to traffic and look for a gap where you can merge safely.

Do not stop on a slip road as it can cause a hazard. Once a gap has appeared, steer your vehicle smoothly to enter the first lane. Check your mirrors again and stay in the first lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before overtaking.

It is worth noting, however, that motorway driving will NOT be forming part of the new practical driving test.

An Approved Driving Instructor must assess when a learner is safe to drive on the motorway, and only then can a motorway lesson go ahead.

As mentioned above, if you don’t feel comfortable driving on motorways at that point, you can choose to push it back to a later date or avoid it completely.

The DVSA has said the changes will be “well-publicised” so learners, instructors, and other road users will be prepared and know what to expect.

The consultation carried out by the Department for Transport (DfT) between December 2016 and February 2017 received 2923 responses, from which:

• 80% of respondents think that learners should be allowed to take lessons on motorways, subject to certain safeguards.
• 51% of all responses think that motorway lessons should be optional.
• 68% of all responses think that Approved Driving Instructors should exercise their discretion in providing a motorway lesson.
• 80% of respondents think that learner driver motorway lessons must only take place in a car with a dual-controlled brake (and clutch in manual cars).
  Concerns were raised about the distance some learners would have to drive to reach the motorway if they live in a more rural location.

Concerns were raised about the distance some learners would have to drive to reach the motorway if they live in a more rural location.