I have noticed that the rules and regulations for obtaining and keeping a driving license are very, very different from country to country. In some places you get learner´s licenses before he actual ones and so on.
Share the process of your country.
This is how it works in Austria:
The minimum age is 18. If you go through a very complicated and costly process called L17, you can get started at the age of 17 as well.
You have to sign up for classes at an officially recognized driving school. There you have to complete a total of 60 hours of training (40 hours theory and 20 hours practical driving). In addition you have to complete a 4-hour first-aid training and get medically tested by a government approved doctor. After completing those 60 hours + the first-aid course + the medical checkup, you can get a date for the test.
That test consists of 3 parts: Theory (Technical), Theory (Laws) and Practical driving test. You have to complete the two theory parts first. If you fail one of those you can not give the Practical test and need to appear for a retest which is at least 2 weeks later. Back then when I got my license those theory tests were face-to-face with the Tester. But now they do it on computers.
Once you made it to the Practical part, you drive around for around 20 to 30 minutes with the Tester sitting on the backseat. He takes notes of all your mistakes that you made during that time and based on that decided whether you failed or passed. Again, if you fail you have to appear for a retest at least 2 weeks later.
Once you have cleared all 3 parts the driving school forwards your papers to the registration office and 3 working days later you can collect your driving license from there. After that you never need to renew it and it remains valid as long as you live.
That is the “simple” process of getting the driving license in Austria if you are 18+. If you want to get it at the age of 17, it´s even more complicated.
Car driving tests come in two parts, a theory and a practical test.
The theory paper, which must be passed before the practical test, lasts 40 minutes and is made up of 35 multiple-choice questions. (pass mark is 30, i believe).
If you fail the theory you must take it again before been allowed to take the practical test. There are no minimum retake days (you can take the theory test as soon as you want to).
Before you can go onto the road and learn to drive you'll need what's known as a provisional licence. This entitles you to drive.
You are allowed to take the driving test for a car licence when you are 17.
As a learner driver, you must have someone with you in the front passenger seat of the car who is over 21 and has held a full driving licence for at least 3 years.
The Practical test last around 30+ minutes and can be taken at one of the 140 centres throughout the country (the test must be in a test centre approved car). The examiner will mark any mistakes you make. A serious mistake is marked as a cross next to the failed action and usually ends up failing the driver. A less seriuos mistake is marked as a 'slash' i.e. /.
You do not have to learn to drive from a recognised testing centre. No ' Minimum Learning hours' are required to pass a test.
getting a license is an expensive process. and i guess it is in ones best interest to pass it quicly. I know a lady who has taken the theory test 8 times and around 80 (one hour) practical lessons .... !
In Canada, different provinces do it differently... in Ontario we have what's called the Graduated Licensing System (GLS) with a vision test, computerized test, and two road tests.
You pass a computer-based or paper-based test of knowledge of the rules of the road and traffic signs and a vision test ==> You get the G1 license
You maintain your learner status for a minimum of 12 months before attempting the G1 road test. When driving, you need to be always accompanied by a fully licensed driver with 4 years of driving experience or more... and you can only drive within the city and not on the highways etc.
You pass the G1 Road Test ==> You get the G2 License
You maintain your learner status for a minimum of 12 months before attempting the G2 road test.
You pass the G2 Road Test ==> You get the G License
The difference between the road tests is that you're not tested on Highway driving in the first one, whereas the second one tests you more comprehensively on both city driving and highway driving.
you become eligible to get your G1 license at 16... I remember my brother prepared for his computer test a couple of days before his 16th birthday, and went for the computer test the day of his birthday to get his G1.
In the US age is mostly dependant on which state you are in.
What you do is you go and apply for a Learner's permit, they give you a form and a study guide, u study it and sit for the written test. Once you pass that then you get a learner's permit, with which you can practice driving with another licensed driver.
You then get an appointment for a road test. You pass it, bring back the slip to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) and they take an eye exam and a picture and you get your license.
I, ofcourse, did it a little different. I got a license from Karachi before I got here. Once I passed the written test I talked to the manager and sold him on the idea that he should give me the license without a road test as I was already an experienced driver. It took about 45 mnts of selling and finally I got it.
^^ I think that's more or less the case everywhere they take driving seriously. In Ontario, I believe the pass rates for a G2 license (that is the one you need to actually start driving alone) is somewhere around 48%.
Luckily everyone in my family got to the G level in the first attempt, but its been a close one between pass and fail sometimes.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by TofiBaba: *
I, ofcourse, did it a little different. I got a license from Karachi before I got here. Once I passed the written test I talked to the manager and sold him on the idea that he should give me the license without a road test as I was already an experienced driver. It took about 45 mnts of selling and finally I it.
[/QUOTE]
My dad did it that way when we moved to Canada. He already had a clean driving record of 20 years in the Middle East and Pak, and he got to the G2 level directly. That gave him driving privileges, but he still had to go through a road test for the final level (which isn't all that different but it just "officially" allows you to drive anywhere and everywhere with different types of automobiles including towed ones etc.)
Yeah, here you have to apply for all the other types of vehicles separate. When I got my motorcycle license I had to go thru the whole procedure over again.
In the US, one state's DMV doesn't quite have anything to do with another state's DMV. When I was living in Washington DC I heard of people who would lose their driving priviledges in DC and then go to Virginia the next day and get another license from there (Do not try that at home).
Note: Northern Virginia is a suburb of DC.
Procedure for Obtaining a Drivers License in Pakistan:
hehehe
If you are really stupid and want one then call up a chaachaa. It can be your chaachaa or a friend’s chaachaa. he will then make a phone call and you can get your drivers license.
Better yet tell them to send you an international driving licence (which youd be able to use anywhere in the world, except Israel for some reason). May have to renew it each year though, or sumthing.
Not speaking from experience, but have a friend whos done this
^ In Austria, you can drive with the International Driving Licence or National Licence with a translation from the driving club (ÖAMTC) for at least the first 6 months, then you have to 1.) convert your licence in to an EU (Austrian) license, for this you apply for it and do a Pratical Driving Test or 2.) do the whole procedure that Umer noted.
See, this part I never understood. If you are driving with an international license and you've been in that country for let's say 2 yrs how would the cop know how long you've been there? Unless he gives you a ticket any way and then you go and appeal in the court.
