I usually ignore local facebook moaners, but it seems a local has a point and I am no longer allowed to take my son out for driving practice even for essential journeys such as driving to Tesco to pick up our Click and Collect order 🙁

I thought I would post here as I know a few others are in a similar boat and it seems that the advise changed on the 7th.

EDIT
Here is the link I meant to post: http://www.GOV.UK

Wonder what the rationale for that is?

Covid – not if your with your mum or dad.

Risk of crashing – less than new young drivers.

?

Wowsers! Kept that one quiet.

You cannot practise driving in England.

Sigh.

Another tory knee jerk constraint.

£350 million for the NHS every week anyone?

Higher risk of accidents needing emergency services/ ED attendance maybe, the fact family cars aren’t dual controls equipped? But very quietly slipped out.

It must be travel for work, education or other essential journeys.

Surely learning to drive is classed as education?

unlikely to be legally enforceable. It’s government guidance masquerading as Law again.

I guess you can blame your fellow citizen for that – too many instances of a full blown parental 2hr driving lesson excused by including a quick fictitious tale of popping to the shops if stopped…..

I can sort of see the point – in a marginal gains kind of way it reduces the risks of accidents. Kind of. Do supervised learners have more crashes than the adult who would otherwise be driving? No idea but you’d kind of hope so!

A few months of not driving will be a significant set back for many mid way through learning so can see why they would be miffed.

Do supervised learners have more crashes than the adult who would otherwise be driving? No idea but you’d kid of hope so!

The insurance companies agree with you and they have the data to back that decision up. My Sons insurance is about £300 now as a Learner, it will rise to about £1,500 when he passes.

A few months of not driving will be a significant set back for many mid way through learning so can see why they would be miffed

Yup, his license took ages to come back after an early application, his driving instructor was prevented from taking him out at the start and now he finally has a test booked for 8 weeks time and he can’t practice for the next 5 weeks.

So does this mean that the learners insurance policy I just paid hundreds for won’t be valid if my 17 year old daughter crashes my car?

We’re allowed to in Wales, but I still feel like everyone’s staring when my daughter chauffeurs me around.

She’s rearranged her theory test half a dozen times and spent hundreds on lessons ready for a test that never happened. Her A-levels and learning in general have been messed around with constantly for a year, she can’t see her friends or do her sport despite being on the national squad, and there’s a good chance she won’t get a proper student experience at uni.

So it seems reasonable for her to do that one thing.

unlikely to be legally enforceable. It’s government guidance masquerading as Law again

But might invalidate the car insurance. Fancy trying to insure a newly qualified, teenage, male with 6 points on their license and a history of driving without insurance?

So does this mean that the learners insurance policy I just paid hundreds for won’t be valid if my 17 year old daughter crashes my car?

I thought you were in Scotland?

So does this mean that the learners insurance policy I just paid hundreds for won’t be valid if my 17 year old daughter crashes my car?

You are doing something wrong – adding a 17 year old learner to the policy that has his 19 year old brother, mum and dad on *reduced* our policy by £400.

I’m performing a voluntary service – one of the reasons you are allowed to leave home for.  Does that count?

I’m performing a voluntary service – one of the reasons you are allowed to leave home for. Does that count?

Yes if you are in Scotland or Wales. No if you are in England

A few months of not driving will be a significant set back for many mid way through learning so can see why they would be miffed.

It will for my daughter, she will be gutted with this 🙁 as will I, as there was no need to buy a car when we did, we could have waited 6-9 months 🙁

Never mind people have worse things going on.

I was hoping she could drive me to a trail centre 100 miles away and we would be able to ‘exercise’ and learn to drive all at the same time 😉

only joking before anybody goes off on one !!!!

But might invalidate the car insurance. Fancy trying to insure a newly qualified, teenage, male with 6 points on their license and a history of driving without insurance?

How? The only restriction in legislation is that driving instructors can’t work. It’s similar to the bollocks spouted during the first lockdown that you’d be uninsured if you weren’t on an essential journey.

How? The only restriction in legislation is that driving instructors can’t work. It’s similar to the bollocks spouted during the first lockdown that you’d be uninsured if you weren’t on an essential journey.

I guess you did not read the linked page?

NB I have never had a smooth transaction with an insurance company. I cant see them rolling over on this one.

PS the info was from a policeman wife, she said the local force will not stop the car, as they don’t have the resources and think it is unnecessary. However, she and her partner will not let their son drive because of the potential insurance issue.

We’re allowed to in Wales, but I still feel like everyone’s staring when my daughter chauffeurs me around.

Was meant to be doing my HGV course next week and they phoned up this morning to say it’s been postponed, presumably due to tests not taking place but we may be banned from lessons happening too.

Jnr had his test booked for next Thursday.

We discovered this on our local FB group after we went on a 6 mile drive to the supermarket 2 miles away yesterday, thinking we were not breaking the essential journey thing. Then found they’d specifically excluded it.

2-3 months of lockdown, the chances of him getting a test before uni in September now? 🤷‍♂️

It’s pretty clear on the Gov website “You cannot practise driving in England.”

So you might disagree with it, I’m disappointed as is my bored son, but that’s the rules, I think we’re currently in the situation that we had better follow the rules even if we don’t much like them.

2-3 months of lockdown, the chances of him getting a test before uni in September now?

On the plus side, he might actually get face to face lessons in September.

Surely learning to drive is classed as education?

Only if you drive along while screaming your times tables at the top of your voice.

Jnr had his test booked for next Thursday.

But that won’t be practise as such will it?
Technically he can take a test, it’s just the practise he would have had during the preceding week the new rules “Ban”…

I can sort of appreciate the logic of a learner driver ban, I guess it’s based on the assumption that they’re more likely to have a collision, thus causing some sort of hospitalisation.
But I’d also guess they’re probably not the highest risk group (statistically) for RTI’s?

So perhaps we should ban the over 70’s from driving? Or maybe middle-aged white men? Anyone who passed less than 6 months ago? everyone who owns a German saloon with more than 130BHP? or anyone with a Prius (IIRC that is/was the UK’s most crashed car at one point)?

I’m sure someone who can be arsed googling will put me straight on which are the crashiest demographic groups…

Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), you can only practise driving with members of your household or support bubble in Scotland and Wales. It must be travel for work, education or other essential journeys. You cannot practise driving in England.

So as we are allowed to travel for education purposes, I can drive my son from England, all the way to Scotland or Wales (the nearest place we can find for his education) and he can then take over and practice driving perfectly legally I assume.

(I am joking of course, he’s only 5. Plus, he’s a great driver so doesn’t really need to practice)

The lists of reasonable excuse for leaving the home detailed in both Scotland & England Covid Regulations (as amended) are non-exhaustive. Furthermore, whilst there is sllight variation in the wording, there is very little difference in the substance of their regs, so the differing guidance is peculiar.

Guidance is just that, guidance. There is nothing unlawful about taking your child out to practice driving, and certainly not if it is combined with one of the activities actually in the non-exhaustive list.

Whilst not relevant to this discussion, the following is still interesting in relation to exercise. The Scotland Regs actually stipulate that you must start and finish your exercise within the local government area in which you live or within 5 miles of that area. The England Regs contain no such restriction.

The Scotland Regs actually stipulate that you must start and finish your exercise within the local government area in which you live or within 5 miles of that area. The England Regs contain no such restriction.

‘cos that’s a very sensible approach! Boris & friends wouldn’t want anything to do with it. How could they dump the blame on the people, if the Govt actually provided very clear guidance?
I mean today the supermarkets are the enemy, tomorrow it will be nursing mothers or Paraguayan lepers or some such crap

Should also add that it doesn’t mean your exercise has to take place within 5 miles of your local area in Scotland.

Scotland Regs Amendments

England Regs

England Regs Amendments

Interestingly, the restrictions are set to expire on 31 March, however, the latest set of amendments also altered another regulation relating to enforcement. The duration of that regulation was extended to mid July. Make of that what you will.

Higher risk of accidents

Really? In France there’s a “conduite accompagnée” scheme which is just like parents teaching in the UK. When junior did it I informed my insurers expecting a premium increase, there wasn’t one. Young learner drivers aren’t a high risk, the risk only goes up when they pass their test. But much less if they’ve being driving with their parents than if they’ve only done driving scholl lessons, so there wasn’t even a premium increase when he passed his test.

**UPDATE**

My sons driving instructor has just texted to say the guidance has just changed again. I am waiting for the .gov.uk page to update before posting what she said though…….

Guidance is just that, guidance. There is nothing unlawful about taking your child out to practice driving, and certainly not if it is combined with one of the activities actually in the non-exhaustive list.

I guess you did not read the linked website either….

**UPDATE**

My sons driving instructor has just texted to say the guidance has just changed again. I am waiting for the .gov.uk page to update before posting what she said though…….

Is his test back in next Thursday then?

Here is the update

The critical change (from my perspective) is that it goes from
“You cannot practise driving in England.”
to
“You can supervise someone from your household or support bubble during an essential journey during the national lockdown”

So things like ‘click and collect’ are now acceptable. As is @richrdk ‘s “I’m performing a voluntary service”

@MoreCashThanDash – I think that was directed at someone else? My Sons test is about 8 weeks away.

I’m surprised they’ve actually corrected it rather than carry on pretending the guidance equates to the law. Sadly it’s become the case that the public need to read the actual legislation to understand what’s actually allowed.

MoreCashThanDash – I think that was directed at someone else? My Sons test is about 8 weeks away.

Sorry, rhetorical question, my lads test was on 21st. He can at least take me shopping now.

Email my daughter has just had from the dvsa:

“Government guidance is very clear that people should be staying at home to save lives and protect the NHS unless the trip is essential. A journey solely for driver learning purposes is not considered essential.

However, current guidance has been reviewed and updated. You can only practise driving with members of your household or support bubble as part of travel for work, education or other essential journeys.

This position is the same in England, Scotland and Wales.

Thank you”

cheers bentandbroken, but all i can see WRT the overview page & Practising with family or friends is the same restriction

ie You cannot practise driving in England.

the pages all contradict each other now ??????

I suppose they need time to update the other pages, lets see what tomorrow states

so you can teach your kid to drive as long as you’re going to the shops ?

I guess you did not read the linked website either….

Yes I did. However, the guidance is not Law.
The restrictions are contained within The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020 (as amended)

For everyone’s benefit, here is the list of Coronavirus related legislation, all 659 separate Acts, SIs
Coronavirus Legislation

The guidance appears to have been updated to more closely follow what the law permits.

New Guidance – Supervised Driving of Learners

The Law stipulates what you can and can’t do, not guidance. Guidance can not be enforced by the Police.