Many learner drivers use this method to learn to drive, but it carries a heavy fine that they do not expect.
Everyone remembers their first time. The one where, as a young adult, we got behind the wheel of a car to learn to drive. Who hasn’t felt stressed when putting in their first forward gear? It must be said that the number of things to think about is astronomical for a learner driver. Between the steering wheel, the pedals, the gearbox – the terrible fear of stalling every time you start -, the steering wheel controls (turn signals, windshield wipers, etc.) and the fact of having to navigate in the middle of traffic, without forgetting the signs signaling to visualize, the brain goes into overdrive and we often emerge mentally exhausted.
To better understand these first hours of driving, which are always delicate, there is, however, pre-training, as old as time but not necessarily official. What are we talking about? Home learning, or rather family learning, when you go to get your hands on things early on Sunday morning with mom or dad in the large parking lot of the supermarket closest to the house. Nothing better to learn the basics of driving without risking creating chaos on the road. Wide open spaces are reassuring for riding more peacefully, but is this very common practice authorized?
Not really, and that’s the problem. No one thinks they’re breaking the law by putting one of their offspring in the driver’s seat to give him his first driving lesson. And yet the Highway Code is clear: no one can get behind the wheel of a vehicle requiring a driving license until they have obtained their…driving license. There are rare exceptions, such as driving on a private road, but you can’t just do anything in a supermarket parking lot. The rules of conduct are exactly the same as on the road and offenses committed in front of the entrance to a supermarket are punished in the same way.
And driving without a license can be particularly expensive if stopped by law enforcement. The law of November 18, 2016 set the amount of the fine at 800 euros, which can be reduced to 640 euros if paid within 15 days. And that’s not all. In the event of an accident in the parking lot, the young driver will not be compensated by the insurance for any injuries or damage caused to their vehicle.
If he also has the misfortune of causing damage to others, the insurance company on which his car depends will advance the costs but it is up to him, or his family, to reimburse the sums paid for the victims. . Depending on the severity of the injuries, this can be counted in tens or even hundreds of thousands of euros. Something to really think about before becoming a driving school instructor.