Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Hello, we are possibly moving to Canada in the next few months. I can't drive which isn't an issue where we are currently living but I think that it'll probably be necessary in Canada.
Am I better off learning and hopefully passing my test before we go or am I better waiting and learning in Canada?
If anyone has experience or advice with this I would be very grateful, thanks!

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Where are you moving to? Each Province has it's own rules and also if you with to learn standard/manual you may have a problem finding a instructor here and the lessons will be more expensive than learning in a automatic.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

It's looking like Halifax with a possibility of New Brunswick

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Tough one. If you learn here and get any Canadian license you can have problems converting it back to a full (including manual) UK license in the future.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Not necessarily. A letter form the licensing authority in the province stating that there is no testing differentiation between standard and automatic in that province works with DVLA.

The bigger issue is going to be if there is a GLP in the province, then they have to have an L for a year and N for 2 years. This is the case in BC and soon going to be in NS.

COme with a license from overseas that has been issued within the last two years and the driver still has to go into the GLP.

Service Nova Scotia - Registry of Motor Vehicles - Graduated Drivers Licence System

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Not that I'm aware of

In my experience with switch my wife driving licence form Canadian to UK she had to sit a test to get a standard licence.

The DVLA would only issue a automatic licence, and to add the police will 'often' (not always) tolerate a north American driving a Standard on an automatic licence on a spot check, and give a verbal warning
But be involved in anything outside of a spot check or happened to have a defect, then expect it to become a chargeable offence and invalidate your insurance

To directly quote the DVLA "You can only drive automatic vehicles - to drive manual vehicles you need to prove that you passed a manual car test."https://www.gov.uk/exchange-foreign-...britain/canada


getting that proof is almost impossible if as you say "A letter form the licensing authority in the province stating that there is no testing differentiation between standard and automatic in that province"

our experience was they needed written proof that the Canadian test was done in a standard car, something that simply wasn't available!

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

My UK license was restricted to automatic only. In order to get a full unrestricted UK license I had to provide documentation that I had done my Canadian driving test on a manual car (I did not), or otherwise I had to sit a UK road test.

OP I don't know if it makes much difference learning in UK or Canada... if you are planning on staying in Canada longer-term then learning in Canada might be better just so that you can learn all the Canadian road layouts, rules, etc and not have to re-learn all of that while also learning to get comfortable driving in a new country - just seems a bit ridiculous to throw so many more variables into the equation. However, do ensure that you do your Canadian driving test on a manual car so that you don't have any issues if you end up needing to convert your license back to a UK one down the road.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

My daughter got a letter from ICBC and got a UK license for standard without a problem.

My niece came here with a license from the UK she had for less than 2 years, she had to go into the GLP as a Novice driver.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

It is so easy to pass the driving test in Canada. Most of the drivers here are zombies with steering wheels who rarely look in their rear view mirrors or indicate. They are symptomatic of a driving test scheme that lacks rigour, and often takes place in low density traffic environments.

In the UK, my head was constantly moving around like a nodding dog looking around while shifting gears manually, and negotiating roundabout exits.

Suggest you take the test in Canada.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

I agree, if the OP is moving to Canada, then taking the test there seems a much better idea, for one thing she would not have to learn driving again as she would learn how to drive on the right, in the UK she would be taught the rules for driving on the left, then would have to unlearn those and learn how to drive on the right.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

My husband said with moving here, the toughest thing to get used to was just simply how the roads worked in terms of layout, right of way, signals, etc. THe left/right he never found much of a problem to switch - even when my dad visited me while I was living in the UK, he rented a car once and said the left/right adjustment happened pretty quick, but working out how the hell the roads worked, what the signs meant, who had right of way, all that kind of stuff, was WAY harder to get his head around.

For THAT aspect of things, I think OP is better off learning in Canada, if that's where she is planning on staying longer term.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Thanks for all the replies, definitely given me a lot to consider!
I think I would rather learn in Canada as it does seem a bit silly to learn here and within a few weeks have to learn again in Canada (other side of the road etc)
I'll start looking in to the process in Canada so I'll know what needs to be done once we are there.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

This is a better answer than mine... hadn't thought of the G1 issue.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

In Canada you just have to weave an automatic in and out of a couple of cones.

You'll be a much worse and dangerous driver but you'll obtain your license more easily.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Learn how to drive properly. Read in the UK not Canada.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Well I'm glad it worked

But its not a method that worked for us 7mths ago with an Ontario Licence :unsure:

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

This is straight from the DVLA webside with regards to Canadian licenses.

You can only drive automatic vehicles - to drive manual vehicles you need to prove that you passed a manual car test.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

and its the proof that we found very hard to get !
as Canada doesn't do a manual car test

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

When I did my driving test in Ontario, my 'report card' had details of the car on it, including the transmission. SO it's not specifically that you did a "manual car test", you just have to prove that you completed your road test in a manual car.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Interesting that you said that - just checked my daughter's 'report card' - it gives details of the car but not specifically the transmission - although the system would 'know' that the car has manual transmission, I suppose!

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Well I also pass my driving test ages back lol... Entirely possible it's changed! :D

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

We had a similar dilemma with my wife who started learning to drive in the UK but as our application progressed we decided that it would be better if she waited and learnt in Canada. Hopefully this will make driving over there easier and safer for her, especially when turning.

I, however, will probably go for the license swap and just try and remember which side of the road I need to be on! ;-)

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

That's a good point, keeping a copy would seem to be enough

I don't think that was doen when I took my Ontario test?

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Thank you so much for all the advice! One of the reasons I've not learned here has been nerves and lack of confidence. The city we live in is notoriously difficult to drive in, lots of narrow roads and very impatient drivers so on balance I think I would rather wait and learn in Canada!

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

If you actually want to 'learn how to drive', do it in England. Canada has long straight roads and is pretty boring with an automatic. It is not what you call 'driving'.
If you ever move back to England then you will be glad you learnt here.

My advice.

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Agreed and learn to drive a standard while you are at it

Re: Learning to drive, uk or Canada
 

Like the others, when I moved to the UK with my Canadian license 9 years ago, I was restricted to automatic transmission only because in Canada (Québec) they don't make note of the transmission of the car when you pass your test (well not in my days anyway). So I couldn't prove that I could drive manual even though this is what I had driven since the beginning.

When we moved back to Canada (Québec again) with my British husband, we just had to switch his licence, there was no test and no restrictions whatsoever. He even got to keep his UK license. (My Canadian license was kept by DVLA)

So just thinking that if you do it in Canada and you ever move back to the UK, you might have to redo it again to get to drive a manual car but not the other way around. Although, I don't know if NB will just swap a UK license like they do in Québec.