How are new drivers viewed in the rest of the world? In Spain, young people aged 18 and over can get a driving license and we all have in our heads the plate with the white L on a green background that identifies them. It will be mandatory for new drivers to carry this distinction in a visible place on the vehicle for 12 months and, in addition, they will not be able to exceed the blood alcohol level of 0.15 mg of alcohol per liter of blood in the two years following obtaining the permit. of driving.
Below, we review what other letters they use abroad to identify new drivers and some of the rules they face.
In England, drivers who circulate before obtaining a provisional license must carry the plate with the red L (for learning) on a white background and do so accompanied by another driver over 21 years of age and with more than three years of experience. A relevant fact is that this sign has been inherited by several countries that belonged to the British Empire, such as India or Singapore, while it has also been maintained in others, although with notable color variations.
For example, in Commonwealth countries such as New Zealand and Australia, the L in novels is black rather than red, and sits on a yellow and orange background respectively. In Anglo-Saxon countries, the deadlines for obtaining the license begin earlier, are longer due to the difference between apprentice and beginner, and are often more restrictive for the latter.
British Columbia in Canada carries the English license plate with the colors inverted, while in Hong Kong it is practically the same, only it incorporates the Chinese character 學, which means learning. Other countries attached to the L in different formats are Malaysia (red on a blue background) or Macau (China), Switzerland, Belgium and Poland, all of these with a blue plate and white letter.
It is striking that in the other countries that are part of the United Kingdom, consensus is conspicuous by its absence. Thus, in Wales the format of the plate is identical, only the L becomes a D, since it refers to the word Dysgwr, which means apprentice in Welsh. The white background is also maintained on the plates for newcomers to Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, territories in which an orange and red R are used respectively.
Meanwhile, in the Republic of Ireland the system for obtaining the license is more similar to that of Spain and first-timers are identified with a plate with the letter N in red on a white background.
In France, they carry a license plate with the vowel A (for apprenti) in their car for three years, although those who participated in the Conduite acompagnée program during their adolescence only have to carry it for 24 months.
Italian beginners circulate for 36 months with the letter P for beginners after obtaining their license. In addition, they can only travel at a maximum of 100 km/h on highways and 90 km/h on highways.
Hungary is another of those countries in which a distinction is made between apprentices and novices, once they have taken the exam to obtain the definitive driving license. When they approve it, they circulate with a plate with the letter T.
