Doing A Driving Practice Without A Driver: Is It Legal?

Do driving practice without a driver

Until a few years ago it was very common for a father, brother or acquaintance to lend himself to give you practical driving classes. Fortunately, times are changing and society is becoming aware that driving practice without a driver is a rash act that sometimes ends in tragedy.

Every day it is less common to see children without an approved seat in the car, drivers without seat belts or motorcyclists without helmets. The DGT is managing to make the vast majority of society aware of the importance of being at the controls of a car and the consequences that misuse of it can lead to.

Doing driving school practices without a driver is one more custom to be eradicated, and it is something that is still quite accepted, but it is a practice no less dangerous than many others.

Even if it is done in private areas or places closed to traffic, we must bear in mind that many things can go wrong:

• If we have an accident, even if there are no injuries, the insurance will not take care of the damages, since the person who was driving was not the policyholder.
• In case of being a child and we are the ones who operate the pedals, it is impossible to put on the seat belt, so it can be thrown in the event of a collision.
• If you decide to fasten the belt over both of them, you will end up being crushed by the weight of the adult against the belt if they suffer a blow.

What do the experts say?

According to the Spanish Association of Road Safety Trainers, it is a prohibited practice and anyone who goes behind the wheel can be fined  for lacking administrative authorization to drive a vehicle.

The administrative penalty for practicing without a driving school driver is € 3,000 and the responsibility will fall on the driver. In the event that this is less, the penalty will fall on your legal guardian.

All this is reflected in the General Regulations for Drivers, where this type of action is severely punished, but the truth is that only in the event of a claim or accident would it be entered through criminal proceedings. Otherwise, everything would be an administrative sanction.

Disadvantages of learning from someone not professional

The first notions and tips are essential for the good work of the driver. For this reason, learning it from a professional is the only way not to acquire bad habits that will later cost us to correct.

The way you grip the steering wheel, the gear lever knob, even habits like adjusting the mirrors before setting off, are details that the examiners take into account. And  if we have learned it badly from the beginning, it is very difficult to change it, with the consequences that this entails.

What you learn the first days in any activity you usually remember your whole life and,  if someone not authorized or qualified for it wants to teach you to drive, they will not be doing you any favors, since it will harm your evolution in the first classes with the driving school teacher .

Cars adapted for teaching

Driving school cars are vehicles adapted for that purpose. They have pedals in the passenger seat that perform the same functions as those of the driver, so they can react in case of danger, or help you with the clutch movements.

In addition, the co-pilot’s position, where the teacher goes, has rear-view mirrors to check that the learner’s movements are safe.

Unlike your street car, driving school cars sport a series of badges that alert other drivers that a trainee is driving them. This further minimizes the chances of an accident.

Driving lessons without a driving school?

Clandestine classes are totally prohibited, but in Spain there is the possibility of being able to practice driving outside a driving school in order to prepare for obtaining a driving license.

In order to carry them out without breaking the law, it is necessary to request a free learning authorization from the Provincial Traffic Headquarters.

Once this authorization is obtained, the vehicle must be equipped with an ‘L’ with a red background. If these requirements are met, the insurance must take over in the event of an accident.