Permit drivers must log practice hours and drive with licensed drivers as they learn. This is common practice because you may not know what you need to do when you get behind the wheel. You need people around you to help you practice, but that cannot happen if you do not know the rules. Use these rules to learn how to get your driver’s license, how to practice, and how to do so legally.
Any licensed driver who is 21 or over can ride with a permit driver. This means that the licensed driver is a legal adult who is allowed to drive on their own. This person can be in the car with you, and they can help you if you have any problems. At the same time, this person has not taken responsibility for your training. This person is simply allowing you to drive because you cannot drive alone.
A driver under 18 cannot drive alone, and a permit driver must always have a licensed driver in the car. When you are logging practice hours, you must bring the right person with you. You might also want to work with someone who understands your anxieties about driving. Some are ready to drive, but some are nervous. Nervous people should not get in the car with any random adult who cannot assure their fears.
The person who logs your practice hours cannot be any random adult. The person logging your practice hours must have signed an affidavit stating that they will take responsibility for logging your practice hours. This person will sign off on all the hours that have been logged. This means that a permit driver can get their full license.
Any unlicensed adult does not qualify as a ride-along driver. You may have had your license at one time, but you need to be currently licensed when you are riding with a permit driver. You can ride with them if they need an adult in the car, but you cannot log their hours because you do not have your license.
Unlicensed adults are helpful for kids who are trying to learn because they can help kids learn how to drive. At the same time, these unlicensed adults cannot sign off on practice hour logs.
Permit drivers cannot drive at night, and they need someone to take over for them when it gets dark. You can ask your kids to be home earlier in the evening, or you might need to offer these drivers a ride. This is a simple thing to manage for most families, and you need to make sure that these kids understand driving at night is completely different from driving in the daylight.
The typical driving curfew is midnight to 5 in the morning. This is a simple curfew to follow, but parents might want their kids to get home earlier. The driving curfew is helpful for kids who could also be tired when they are driving. Adults who are helping their kids learn to drive should offer to take over when it is too dark outside.
When you are riding along with a permit driver, you should make sure that they understand the rules for their practice. The restrictions listed below explain how you can guide permit drivers while they learn:
The driving curfew mentioned above does not apply to certain people if they fall into one of the exempted categories. You can drive by yourself or drive outside of the driving curfew if you are:
Seat belts are required when everyone is in the car. It is helpful to remind the driver that everyone should put their seat belts on, and the driver will remember to help everyone else get buckled in. Also, the permit driver could be pulled over if they are found to be driving without a seat belt.
Permit drivers need help when they are trying to log their practice hours and learn how to drive safely. You must make sure that these drivers have someone in the car with them, and the appropriate passenger should be prepared to log all the practice hours. Permit drivers should not use their phones, use their seat belts, and ensure that they do not have too many passengers in the car.