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Learning to drive / provisional licence
nick205 - 9/11/22 at 08:29 AM

Morning all,

Eldest son turns 17 on Christmas Day this year and itching to get behind the wheel. He wants to apply for his Provisional Licence so he's ready to start.

Does the Provisional Licence expire if you don't pass the theory and driving parts within a certain time?


Drving test was 31 years ago for me with no theory and rules can change!

loggyboy - 9/11/22 at 09:08 AM

Provisional still lasts 10 years I believe, and its only the photo that needs updating to renew.

nick205 - 9/11/22 at 10:28 AM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Provisional still lasts 10 years I believe, and its only the photo that needs updating to renew.



Ideal if that's the case. Not saying it'll take hime ages to pass, can just do without the hassle of it expiring.

coyoteboy - 9/11/22 at 03:13 PM

Don't forget you only get 2 years to pass your practical after passing your theory, or you have to repeat the theory.

Sanzomat - 9/11/22 at 04:16 PM

linked to this, going to be giving my son's wife lessons in my car - anyone researched the best way to cover insurance? I've seen various adverts for things like Marmalade that the learner buys that gives them fully comprehensive cover while learning in a car owned/insured by someone else (i.e. me) so don't need to change anything on my existing cover. Alternative is to just add them to my cover.

Before I go off and get quotes for each just wondering if others have been there and got the tee shirt. The car is a diesel Focus estate. I'm 58, she's 29

SteveWalker - 9/11/22 at 05:37 PM

Adding my eldest son (18, as it took over 12 months to get his licence, because the DVLA were hardly dealing with medical cases at all) to my wife's insurance, for a Matiz, added very little to the premium. We did have to change insurer though, as the previous insurer would not insure under 25s at all.

When the Matiz was off the road (a truck hit it while it was parked), I looked at adding him to my insurance (on a Zafira), but it almost doubled my premium. In the end, we covered a month on mine, while hers was fixed, , but it cost about £65, with Veygo.

nick205 - 10/11/22 at 09:55 AM

Already aware of the time limit between theory and practical and no great concern there.

Car/insurance wise for the nipper:

SWMBO's car is too new, big and a DSG auto so no good for him to learn in.
I'm not driving (epilepsy) so don't have a car.
Combining his savings and adding some we're loking at getting a small hatchback for him to learn/practice in. Not sure yet how we'll do the insurance bit to cover him and SWMBO for learning/practicing - still to be investigated.

My 19 yr old nephew's insurer still has him with one of those "black box" tracker type things (2nd year of driving now). He's also able to monitor it on an app on his phone too.

stevebubs - 10/11/22 at 10:33 AM

If you're happy working on it yourself, I'd thoroughly recommend a 107/C1/Aygo for him. Daughter blew up her engine and I managed a complete (used) replacement (but with new alternator, starter, plugs etc) all in for about £300. About the same level of engineering as a late 80s Vauxhall Nova....

stevebubs - 10/11/22 at 10:36 AM

Insurance wise, check the difference between him having a provisional, and having a full license when getting quotes - they can be significantly higher for the latter...

cliftyhanger - 10/11/22 at 11:07 AM

quote:
Originally posted by stevebubs
If you're happy working on it yourself, I'd thoroughly recommend a 107/C1/Aygo for him. Daughter blew up her engine and I managed a complete (used) replacement (but with new alternator, starter, plugs etc) all in for about £300. About the same level of engineering as a late 80s Vauxhall Nova....


Even if you don't want to work on it, they are still an excellenbt choice. We had one, now with daughter. The only thing it has needed (apart from tyres and wiper blades plus servicing) was a new battery at 9 years old. They seem to be incredibly tough little cars, and as you say, easy to fix.

nick205 - 10/11/22 at 03:20 PM

quote:
Originally posted by stevebubs
If you're happy working on it yourself, I'd thoroughly recommend a 107/C1/Aygo for him. Daughter blew up her engine and I managed a complete (used) replacement (but with new alternator, starter, plugs etc) all in for about £300. About the same level of engineering as a late 80s Vauxhall Nova....



107/C1/Aygo is already on the looking list.

I had a 106 1.5 diesel myself many many moons ago. Good car until the cast in Woodruff key in the cam pulley sheared and lunched the engine. Fitted a 2nd hand replacement engine that came from a non Peugeot car that used the same engine. Had to pay to get the diesel timing sorted, but all in IIRC it cost me <£400 to be mobile again. Autotradered it and moved on to a 205 GTI (reliable enough, but costly in fuel after a diesel car).

David Jenkins - 10/11/22 at 03:58 PM

My wife had a C1 for a few years - pleasant car to drive with few vices. Compact and good all-round visibility, so easy to park in the tightest space.

Slimy38 - 11/11/22 at 06:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by stevebubs
Insurance wise, check the difference between him having a provisional, and having a full license when getting quotes - they can be significantly higher for the latter...


This 100%. It would cost me £20 to insure my daughter on my car with her provisional licence. As soon as she passes her test it goes up £2000.

I assume they're thinking that with a provisional licence she'll always be with someone who can take over or at least guide her in the right direction. When she is able to drive on her own she becomes another statistic.

rgrs - 17/11/22 at 12:20 PM

My Son's currently learning at the moment, we went with seperate learner policy for my wifes peugout 2008, the thinking behind this is that of they do have a claim it will not affect your/spouses insuance (loss of no claims) etc. However the policy expires the moment they pass their test.

We have had quotes recently C1/aygo/107 for £1450 without a black box after he passes, if you are rural do not go for the black box option. But thats another issue.

Charlie_Zetec - 17/11/22 at 11:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Don't forget you only get 2 years to pass your practical after passing your theory, or you have to repeat the theory.


To add to this, you’ve also got two years from passing the practical to sending back your provisional licence to upgrade to full. We regularly “extract the urine” from a friend who failed to do this, despite regular prompting…..