Driving on a business park at 16?

[Hairydogmummy]

My ExH took our son who is 17 next Sat to drive around a business park near his house. Most if not all offices were closed but I think it was highly irresponsible. If security had called police or something had happened DS could have been in big trouble.

@megletthesecond

This is what we did in the 80's before Sunday shopping, everywhere was empty. Dad used to let us slowly drive round while guiding the steering wheel. I would have been about 12+.

Is that you, sis?

Flipping heck @Bwlch thanks for posting that. Thank god he wasn't caught. He's only at his dad's on Tuesday after school between now and his birthday so can't really do it again. His dad isn't insured on the car so is getting day policies. One yesterday to drive the 200m to said office park and another next Sat to drive him to the village he grew up in to drive there on his birthday.

@Nicketynac

We were discussing something similar in work recently. Colleague's relative sat and passed his test a few days before his 17th but couldn't send away for license until he turned 17. He had been out driving with his parents since getting his provisional at 16 and my colleague refused to believe it was wrong. Only exemption we could find was that having certain disabilities allow you to learn sooner. I was surprised he was allowed to sit the test.

Was this in the UK?

It must have been decades ago, you can't take a test before you're 17

@Kettledodger

No you don't need to be 17 for a provisional license. You are able to apply at 15 and nine months to get it at 16. You can drive a moped at 16 as long as you do CBT (compulsory basic training)

but your licence is only valid for driving a car on the day you turn 17.

The car park of a shopping centre is probably not public highway. But the roads round a business park definitel are.

Illegal and uninsured.

Having said that, on ds 17th birthday, we took him somewhere quiet and gave him his first lesson - rural roads round a disused airbase, so zero traffic. (but he was insured on our car)

and it wouldn't only be exh in trouble,.

your ds is in the driving seat and over 16, so he would get porsecuted for driving without a licence and insurance

He assisted your son in breaking the law. I’d be furious.

@steppemum a car park of a shopping centre will almost certainly be a public highway.

There’s so much case law on this - it’s actually quite interesting.

Many young men get caught out in this and the fact the it virtually prohibits legal driving in the future because of the insurance issue causes knock on effects with other driving related offending.

The car park of a shopping centre is probably not public highway. But the roads round a business park definitel are

The Traffic Act 1988 applies to any road (including a car park) that the public has access to, not just public highways.

Road Traffic Act 1988