Learning To Drive - Getting Started

Before you can start learning to drive, you must have a provisional driving licence.

Normally, for car drivers, the earliest date your provisional licence can become valid is your 17th birthday, however you can apply for the licence up to three months before your 17th birthday.

It is important to learn safe driving practice with a qualified instructor from the beginning of your driving career because bad habits are hard to break. You may apply for a provional license online by clicking here.

Letting the Instructor and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) know about eyesight conditions

When applying for your driving licence from the DVLA you should let them know if you have any visual condition which affects both eyes (not including short or long sight or colour blindness or any visual condition which affects your sight, (not including short or long sight or colour blindness), for example, if you have sight in one eye only

If you have had sight correction surgery you should declare this when you apply for your provisional licence.

Eyesight requirements for the practical driving test.

Before the practical driving test, your driving examiner will ask you to read the number plate on a stationary vehicle.

The distance requirement for the eyesight test using old style number plates is 20.5 metres or 20 meters if the new-style number plate is used. New-style number plates were introduced on 1 September 2001 and are easily identifiable, they start with two letters ie AB71 ABC.