Driving with the M Plate: Requirements, Opportunities, Pros and Cons, FAQ

Driving with the letter M

The letter M on cars indicates that the car is driven by a future driver together with a family member. Driving with a family member is useful for improving your driving skills, road navigation, and ability to control the car's devices. In order to learn with a family member, you need to know the requirements for the student, family member, and car. Learning to drive with a family member does not exempt you from the requirement to complete 30 academic hours with a professional driving instructor at school and pass the school driving exam.

In order to obtain a provisional driving license (letter M), candidates must successfully pass a theoretical exam. Eket.lt helps students prepare for the theoretical exam and obtain a provisional driving license with the letter "M". By solving KET tickets , students acquire the necessary knowledge about road traffic rules, which they later apply in practical driving.

Requirements for a student and family driving instructor

Who can learn to drive with a family member?

The following persons can learn to drive with a family member:

• Have already passed the theory exam at "Regitra" ;

• Not younger than 17 years old .

Who can teach driving?

A family driving instructor is a family member who teaches practical driving skills to another member of the same family. Driving lessons can be taught by:

• Only family members (parents, spouses, children and adopted children, brothers, sisters, grandparents and grandchildren). Children who have been placed under guardianship or care under the laws of the Republic of Lithuania are considered family members of guardians or caretakers.

• Family members with at least 5 years of driving experience in category B vehicles.

• A family member who has been disqualified from driving for traffic violations cannot teach .

What documents do I need to have during training?

During training, a family driving instructor must have:

• A document confirming the identity of the person;

• Documents that can be used to establish that the family driving instructor and student are family members (for example: marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.)

• A valid driver's license.

The student must have:

• A document confirming the identity of the person;

• "Registry" certificate of passing the theory exam;

• A valid driver's medical certificate.

What kind of car can you learn to drive?

You can learn to drive in the following car:

• A category B car that is registered, has a valid technical inspection and mandatory insurance (when paying a family member, it is additionally recommended to check the insurance conditions);

• A car with the front and rear clearly marked with the distinctive "M" signs , as required by the Road Traffic Act. A luminous pyramid sign on the roof with the letter "M", additional mirrors and pedals, which are necessary for a driving school car - are not required, but additional mirrors will be useful for a family member and will make training safer.

• It is not allowed to use cars in which the parking brake control lever is not located between the driver and passenger seats.

It is possible to learn to drive with a family member not in the same family member's car, but, for example, in the car of a friend, aunt, uncle or other person. It is important that the car is technically in good condition, meets the requirements and has all the necessary documents (vehicle registration certificate, technical inspection report, compulsory third party liability insurance certificate).

Where to stick the letter M?

During training, the front and rear of the vehicle must be marked with a white equilateral triangle with a red border and a black letter "M" in the middle. The length of the triangle's side is 200-300 mm, the width of the border is 1/10 of the length of the side. Such signs can be purchased at many stores.

Where can I learn to drive with a family driving instructor?

It is recommended to start learning in designated areas – prepared by driving schools or other, less used areas. Before driving on the streets and in traffic, it is important to ensure that the learner understands and grasps how to turn the steering wheel, shift gears, and brake safely. After learning the most important skills, you can drive on streets with more intense traffic .

The Road Traffic Act stipulates that learning to drive is also possible on motorways and expressways . On motorways, learning cars are allowed to drive at a speed of no more than 100 km/h, on expressways – no more than 90 km/h, on roads with asphalt or concrete surface – no more than 80 km/h, on other roads – no more than 70 km/h, in settlements – no more than 50 km/h, and in residential areas – no more than 20 km/h.

When learning to drive, choose a time of day when traffic is less intense. This will allow you to learn more calmly and will not interfere with other vehicles. If possible, try to practice driving in various weather conditions, but avoid heavy rain or snowstorms.

What are the disadvantages of learning to drive with a family member?

Driving with a family member will definitely help you gain confidence on the road, but such learning also has a few downsides:

• A family member takes on a lot of responsibility. The family driving instructor must ensure that the learner does not cause any accidents and drives safely. The family instructor must also take care of all the necessary documents (both personal and car), otherwise there is a risk of getting a fine.

• A family member will most likely not be able to drive according to the exact requirements of the "Registry". After driving for several years, the knowledge acquired during the practical exam "wears out", people start to drive not quite according to the rules, so the family instructor can also transfer these non-compliant driving skills to the learner.

• The car at Regitra may be different. Even if you are skilled in driving a family member's car, as a novice driver it may be difficult to adjust to the operation of a Regitra car. Meanwhile, many driving schools have vehicles identical or similar to those at Regitra.

• Just taking lessons with a family member will not be enough. No matter how well you drive with a family instructor, you will still need to drive for 30 hours with a driving school instructor.

What is important to keep in mind when learning to drive with a family member?

• The family driving instructor (family member) is responsible for compliance with the training requirements for KET and family members during training .

• Learning to drive with a family member is possible at any time of the day . During the learning process, the family member who is teaching driving must be present and observe the driving.

• The family driving instructor is responsible for ensuring that the training requirements for the driver and family members are met during the training .