Everything you need to know with BSM

When you’re a learner driver, there are certain restrictions placed on you that aren’t imposed on fully qualified drivers and for good reason. Safety on the roads is very important and the less experienced you are behind the wheel, the more risk you pose to others on the road.

Here we look at the subject of carrying child passengers when you’re out on the road as a learner. Not everyone has the luxury of child care, so it’s good to know exactly where you stand when it comes to taking your children with you on a driving lesson.

When it comes to passengers in your car as a learner, as long as you don’t go over the legal number of people the vehicle is meant to hold, you’re good. What you must ensure is that the person in the passenger seat is a fully qualified driver that some insurance companies insist must be at least 25 years of age.

So, in a typical 5-seater vehicle, you’ll be able to carry the passenger who’s supervising you and up to 3 children on the back seat. This is something you’ll have to talk to your instructor about though, as it’s not guaranteed that they’ll be insured for it. Best to ask before, rather than just turning up for a lesson with your children.

One thing you do have to ask yourself before you take your children with you on a lesson or even on your exam, is whether you should. Just because it’s legal doesn’t automatically mean that it’s a great idea, as any driver will tell you that your kids can be a real distraction when you’re driving.

Even the most experienced drivers can have difficulty with their children in the back, as they’re not known for sitting still and doing as they’re told - especially when there’s more than one of them. This is not really what you want to be experiencing when you’re trying to grasp the basics of driving.

Something else that you need to consider before bringing children to a lesson is whether the vehicle you’re using is equipped to carry children legally. Whilst it may be advantageous to get used to driving with your kids in the back if it’s something you’re going to be doing regularly, you still need to do it legally.

In order to be legal, you’ll need to have the appropriate child seat/s in the back of the car so that they stay nice and safe and aren’t able to move about too freely when you’re driving. This is exactly why talking to your driving instructor first about the subject is so important.

Essentially, it’s a call they’ll have to make with regards to safety and they have to take account of the fact that they’re not there to look after your kids if they’re misbehaving in the back. Their job is to ensure that you’re driving safely and if they can’t guarantee that, they may so no.

The last thing we will say on the subject relates to the fact that you want to get the best possible value out of each and every driving lesson. Your lessons begin the moment you arrive, so if you’re having to install car seats and settle your children down before you start, this all eats into your learning time.

Then you’ve got to think about how much of your lesson will be taken up keeping your kids happy. Obviously, this will depend a lot on how old they are, but you don’t want to miss out on half of your lesson and your instructor will likely not be happy that you’re not getting value for money either.

At the end of the day, if your driving instructor is happy for you to bring your child or children to your lessons, then ultimately, it’s up to you. You may not have any choice in the matter, but you should know that it will reduce your learning time and it can affect how quickly you progress.

There is nothing stopping you at all. Just make sure that everyone’s safe and that you’re able to concentrate on the road.