# UK/US Driving Licences **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 28, 2007, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454 "2007-12-28T10:23:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/81 "2007-12-30T19:41:13Z")
[QUOTE=WotNot] That, and there’s more to the maneouvre than just stamping on the brake, especially in a manual (which, as already noted, most of us learn in). You have to step on the clutch at just the right moment: too soon and you’re not in proper control; too late, and you stall. Either way you fail the test. You need to be ready to drive away again immediately after you come to a stop, and the maneouvre’s not over until you have. [/QUOTE] Are you sure that stalling at the end of an emergency stop will fail you? When I was learning, I’m sure I was told that it was the one time at which stalling is no problem, provided you go through the whole check-you’re-in-neutral-etc. routine when restarting afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![ntcrawler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/34f0e0/32.png) [@ntcrawler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ntcrawler)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/82 "2007-12-30T22:00:08Z")
[QUOTE=PaulParkhead] I agree with you, **GorillaMan** , about the importance of emergency stops. I mean, it’s certainly not the most difficult part of the test, but it is reassuring to know that you can do it. My last UK test was the motorbike test, and there the emergency stop is less trivial in any case - since it’s fairly easy to fall off or lose control if you get it wrong. Didn’t have to reverse round a corner, though 😃 [/QUOTE] Also keep in mind that ABS - like other fancy gadgets - sometimes doesn’t work. I think true driving competence is knowing how to control your car when your traction control, ABS, and regular brakes go out. Better be safe than sorry! ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/83 "2007-12-30T23:10:09Z")
As of 2005, a driver could still be drinking beer only (no wine or liquor, I don’t know why) as long as he wasn’t legally intoxicated in the state of West Virginia. It may have changed, and some municipalities had open container laws, but the state did not. It may still be legal, I’m not sure… ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/84 "2007-12-30T23:24:55Z")
Regarding emergency stops, I’m a doctor and where I work we tell people that how long they mustn’t drive after surgery depends on their insurance company, but we recommend not driving for 4-6 weeks after any major abdominal surgery, and that they definitely shouldn’t drive until they can safely perform an emergency stop. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/85 "2007-12-31T06:40:31Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] Are you sure that stalling at the end of an emergency stop will fail you? When I was learning, I’m sure I was told that it was the one time at which stalling is no problem, provided you go through the whole check-you’re-in-neutral-etc. routine when restarting afterwards. [/QUOTE] I’m not sure about that (stalling on an emergency stop) but I did manage to stall once on my car test - I had stopped at a sign, in second gear as I was taught, shifted down to first and stalled as I eased forward to see whether it was clear to pull away. I passed. Perhaps I passed because I didn’t stall anywhere dangerous. I wasn’t halfway into the main road or anything like that, but still safely behind the stop line. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/86 "2007-12-31T08:13:05Z")
Should you stall when making an emergency stop this is not a fail. As **GorillaMan** says, above, you have to go through the correct procedures before re-starting the engine ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/87 "2007-12-31T09:55:14Z")
[QUOTE=Spavined Gelding] My DL will not expire at age 70, but at that age it will have a two year term instead of the present six years. At 70 I will have to take a vision exam at each renewal and I can’t just send in the money for a new license. If I fail the vision test my license may be subject to limitations (depending on the vision test and maybe a supervised driving exhibition). For instance I can be limited to day-light driving or to driving within 10 or 15 miles of my home. [/QUOTE] This quote is a good reminder that most of our driving laws are at the state level rather than federal - in my state you must go to the DMV to get your license renewed and must pass a vision test every single time, even if it’s your first renewal and you’re only 20. There are also even more local laws too: in my town it’s only been a handful of years since you didn’t have to go to the town hall every year to renew your vehicle registration (which I bet is what the OP got confused by, since it’s the only yearly thing I can think of that pertains to driving) in person. Now we can finally do it by mail. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/88 "2007-12-31T09:57:24Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] Are you sure that stalling at the end of an emergency stop will fail you? When I was learning, I’m sure I was told that it was the one time at which stalling is no problem, provided you go through the whole check-you’re-in-neutral-etc. routine when restarting afterwards. [/QUOTE] Um… no. Not now you come to mention it. I managed to stall four times before I’d got a quarter of a mile from the test centre, just from nerves. I still passed first time, though. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/89 "2007-12-31T10:14:04Z")
I too stalled once during my test. Kept my head, put on the handbrake, put it into neutral, started engine, mirror-signal-manoeuvre - and passed first time. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/90 "2007-12-31T10:22:09Z")
I took my driving test in the mid 1960’s when you still had to give hand-signals. During the test there was a violent thunderstorm, but I had to have the window wound down to give the signals. I passed the test, but with all my right side soaking wet. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/91 "2007-12-31T12:43:38Z")
I’ve now remembered the advice I got given for the emergency stop: _“Don’t worry if you stall, at least it’ll stop you moving!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/92 "2007-12-31T12:59:52Z")
[QUOTE=Rayne Man] I took my driving test in the mid 1960’s when you still had to give hand-signals. During the test there was a violent thunderstorm, but I had to have the window wound down to give the signals. I passed the test, but with all my right side soaking wet. [/QUOTE] Same here but it was snowing. My hands were slipping on the wheel so I mentioned that to the examiner, wound up the window and carried on using the electric indicators. He never said a word. Passed (first time) ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/93 "2007-12-31T13:01:28Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] passed first time. [/QUOTE] That’s it, go on, rub it in. Bugger ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/94 "2007-12-31T13:09:10Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] That’s it, go on, rub it in. Bugger [/QUOTE] Well, I had had my test cancelled a couple of months earlier after I pulled out in front of a lorry at a roundabout in Aylesbury. The language off the man! If I’d have gone for it then, I’d definitely have failed. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/95 "2007-12-31T13:09:20Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] That’s it, go on, rub it in. [/QUOTE] I’ll join in, then 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/96 "2007-12-31T13:19:41Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] I’ll join in, then 😃 [/QUOTE] And me. In spite of that thunderstorm, I passed first time. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/97 "2007-12-31T13:21:15Z")
Yeah well bollocks to the lot of you, first time passers, bloody show-offs ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/98 "2007-12-31T13:33:31Z")
If it makes you feel any better, I had five crashes in the first year, and two the next, culminating in me writing off my dad’s Mini. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/99 "2007-12-31T13:46:22Z")
Two months after passing my test I went to work in Nigeria for a year. I had several crashes, including a (slow) head-on collision with a bus on a single-track bridge. No injuries, just a slightly bent front end on the car. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454/100 "2007-12-31T14:18:35Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Shine] Why are you quoting chowder’s bit about the optional “Hey I just passed, don’t be too rough with me!” green L or P plates, and the information related to the compulsary Red L plates for those who haven’t passed? I don’t see your point. [/QUOTE] Green L plates are technically illegal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-us-driving-licences/431454.md?page=6)