LEARNING TO DRIVE IN NORWAY

You would think that learning to drive no matter where you are in the world would be much the same. However, cost, tests, safety and driving laws vary from country to country.

In Norway you must be at least 18 years of age in order to drive a car. Before you are allowed to practice on a learners licence you must first complete a four day training course which covers, general advice, what to do if you or others were involved in a car accident, including how to administer first aid and the basic rules of the road.

In the UK you are allowed to practice as long as you are supervised by somebody that has held their licence for three years and is over 21 years of age. However, in Norway the supervising driver must be over 25 years of age and hold a clean licence for no less than five years.

Whereas in the UK when you pass your practical test you are issued with a Full UK Driving Licence, in Norway you are given a trial licence for the first two years. If you lose your licence in these two years you will have to retake all the tests again. This is similar to the UK laws, whereby you can lose your licence in the first two years if you clock up 6 or more penalty points.

In the UK if you build up 12 or more penalty points within a period of three years, you will be liable to be disqualified. In Norway the limit is 8 penalty points however, most traffic violations result in two points on your licence instead of the three issued to UK citizens.

The cost of learning to drive in Norway is astronomical, with costs of up to £2500 in order to get your driving licence.

Emily Smith of Britannia Driving School said: “Interestingly one security feature in place on the Norwegian driving licences is Ivar Aasen’s poem Nordmannen which is engraved on the back in minuscule writing.”

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