Driving In UK

Driving Within UK

It is a general understanding that your Foreign Driving License is valid authority to drive in UK for 1 year from your date of entry. You don’t need an IDP (International Driving Permit) to drive within UK for first 1 year. You should apply for a learning license within frst 1 year and try your best to clear the practical driving tests within 1 year. If for any reason you leave the country for more than 3months within 1st year, then at the time of re-entry your 1yr cycle starts again.
Note: To Drive in Europe . If you are a UK resident and you don’t have a UK license then you’ll need an IDP.
To findout cheapest insurance for your car try
First Alternative – Build Upto 75% NCD (Most others offer 65%)
http://www.postoffice.co.uk – Good source of all kinds of Insurance Needs
Gocompare.com Car Insurance
www.moneysupermarket.com– Price Comparison site
http://www.confused.com – Price Comparison site
http://www.adrianflux.co.uk – Independent broker
http://www.quotelinedirect.co.uk – Independent broker
http://www.performancedirect.co.uk – Another Cheap Provider
Note:
1)Don’t lie to Insurance company about anything. Here they work on the principle that your statements are assumed to be true. Not many checks are being made. But once you get stuck in an accident, they won’t cover you if they can prove in court that you lied. So better not do that as it can land you up in criminal charges.

2) Drink Driving is the most dangerous driving offence in UK. Its a criminal offence and not a civil one. Its taken as “intention to kill” by law. Which means 11 yrs of criminial record. Your DNA, 3 photographs and Fingerprints taken at Police station. Minimum 12 months of driving ban for first offence. Hefty fine. Costly insurance for next 5 yrs. Loss of eligbility for PR/Citizenship till expiry of BAN Period. (Note: Driving ban may expired in ninimum 12 months but Fine Entry in records expires in 2 yrs from conviction date. Fine Amount will also affect your car insurance for next 5 yrs) . Car rentals won’t give you a car for 5 yrs from date of offence as their insurance won’t cover you. Some basic facts to be kept in mind always:-
a) Most people get caught as “Morning After” case. They had just too many drinks last night and next morning when they are feeling absolutely fine, alcohol in their blood is usually above the legal limit (80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, breath alcohol – 35 µg (microgrammes) per 100 ml). It is because on an average 1 Unit (25ml of Spirits in UK ) takes 1 hr to be digested by your system. Please remember Coffee/Hotshower/ChewingGum etc NOTHING will help to speedup breaking of alcohol into glucose by your liver. Your Body/Liver will take their own time.
Note: Police Can ask for a breath test on a pub car park. A private car park is also actually a public space because residents park their cars there. You can be charged for intention to drink drive when you walk out of a pub and move towards your car.
To understand legal limit and metabolism of body related facts etc please see below links:-
UK Legal Limit, Can/Pint of beer Into Units Calculation, Alcohol Absorbtion in Blood
NHS Guide About Alcohol Consumption
Drink Driving law in UK
List of Some Solicitors for Defence of Drink Driving Offence
Can’t Afford the Case – Legal Aid Info
3) Speeding over limit gets you minimum 3 points for one fault. U’ll loose license at 12 points. You’ll have to re-apply again from scratch. Within first 2 yrs of having cleared a full driving license test, if you end up accumulating 6 points, you’ll loose your license and will have to start from scratch.
4) Its a very hard process to get driving license in UK. People celebrate passing the practical test like its their 18th Birthday. So don’t take any risk with it.
5) Most new cars come with 3 yrs limited warranty. Some Korean ones come with 5 yrs warranty too. For second hand cars www.autotrader.co.uk is a good site. www.cargiant.co.uk is another big dealer of second-hand cars. Plus most car makers have their own certifed used cars scheme. You can also buy decent cars from local dealers or private sellers thru gumtree, autotrader or ebay.
6) Every car older than 3 yrs is required to have a MOT done. Its an Annual fitness test for the Car. You will also need to Pay roadtax(depends on Carbon emission and Engine size) on the car. Keeping a Car is a very costly affair in UK and thats why second hand cars are very cheap. If you are in london you don’t need to have a Car as public transport is very good. For those occasional needs you can try cheap/hourly car rentals from www.streetcar.co.uk. If you are buying your first car in UK then its advised not to spend more than £2500 on it. If you are lucky you can get a decent car from a private seller for as cheap as £500-£800. Once you are used to all aspects of car-keeping like roadtax, insurance, maintenance cost and all, you can always go for a bigger/costlier car.

Ten Ways To Cut Motoring Costs
Where to Look, If caught in a motoring offence

More information about license and regulations here www.dvla.gov.uk
To find out about cheap petrol prices in an area check this http://www.petrolprices.com

To find out Travel Tips to/from the london postcode you are interested in
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk

General Map /Travel Directions Sites for whole of UK
http://maps.google.co.uk
http://www.theaa.co.uk
http://www.mapquest.co.uk/
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/