Learning to drive at the moment? You might be wondering if you're allowed to carry passengers while you practise.
The short answer is yes, learner drivers can carry passengers in the car. However, you’ll need to be accompanied by a qualified supervisor driver who is over 21 years old and has held a full licence for at least 3 years.
This is so you get the right guidance and support while learning to drive with passengers.
If you’re not driving with an instructor, you’ll need to be accompanied by a qualified supervisor. This could be a friend or family member who:
Learner drivers can carry as many passengers as the car legally allows. However, it's a good idea to limit passengers at first, as they can be distracting, especially for inexperienced drivers. Gain some confidence driving solo with your supervisor before offering rides to friends.
Learner drivers can have child passengers as long as a qualified supervisor is in the front seat. However, driving with kids can be distracting, so it's best to wait until you're a more skilled driver before regularly driving with young passengers.
As a learner driver, you’ll need the right type of insurance to cover you while you practise, including when you carry passengers. In most cases, you’ll have 2 options:
No, the law states that your supervisor must sit in the front passenger seat with you. This allows them to support you while you learn, and even take control of the vehicle if necessary.
Learner drivers have the same legal responsibilities as fully licensed drivers, so they can be held liable for any accidents they cause. That’s why it's important for learners to drive carefully, focus on the road and follow all traffic laws.
Learner drivers can only drive on the motorway with a qualified driving instructor in a car with L plates and dual controls. This ensures they have proper guidance and safety measures in place when practising high-speed motorway driving.
When you’re learning to drive, you must display L plates on the front and rear of your vehicle at all times, whether or not you’re carrying passengers. This lets other road users know that you’re still learning and may need extra space or patience.
Once you’ve passed your test and gained your full licence, you’ll need a social, domestic and pleasure (or SDP) insurance policy to cover you for personal driving. Some of these policies also cover you for commuting to a regular place of work or study, so be sure to check the policy wording and shop around to get the best quote.
We offer specially designed insurance for new drivers, which gives you all the cover you need to start driving. It also rewards you with lower prices when you drive safely, so you get a better price for your policy based on the way you drive.
Steve is our senior writer. With more than 10 years' experience in the fintech and insurance industries, he’s able to turn complicated topics into content everyone can understand.
Published on 17 June 2024