Can a training vehicle drive on the highway?
4 Answers
Training vehicles can drive on highways. However, during the learning and training period, training vehicles are not allowed on highways, but they can be driven on highways during other vehicle transportation processes. Article 82, Section 5, Chapter 4 of the "Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" stipulates that motor vehicles driving on highways are prohibited from testing or learning to drive motor vehicles. Therefore, training vehicles are prohibited from entering highways during the teaching process. The maximum speed limit for training vehicles is 90km/h. Due to long-term low-speed driving, transmission components such as gearboxes experience significant wear. Additionally, because they operate in non-normal driving conditions, the mixture is too rich, causing the vehicle's exhaust pipe to accumulate a large amount of fuel, often leading to exhaust pipe backfires. This makes the exhaust pipe prone to early cracking. Driving training vehicles on highways carries certain risks. Although it is permissible, it is not recommended.
I just got my license last year and specifically asked my driving instructor about this issue. The instructor said that legally, there is indeed a regulation requiring drivers in the probationary period to have a seasoned driver with more than three years of driving experience in the passenger seat when driving on the highway. Note that this accompanying person must remain in the car to provide guidance and cannot be someone sitting in the back seat. Just last week, I saw news about someone driving on the highway alone during their probationary period and being caught by traffic police, resulting in points deducted and a fine. Especially since learner cars usually have prominent probationary signs, they are more likely to be closely monitored by traffic police. Additionally, highway speeds are fast, and reaction times are short—new drivers can easily panic in sudden situations. If they make a mistake, the consequences are truly unthinkable.
Our driving school's head instructor repeatedly emphasized during class that student drivers should never take the car onto the highway by themselves! The reason is quite practical: the law strictly requires that during the probationary period (the first year after obtaining the license), driving on the highway must be accompanied by an experienced driver. This experienced driver not only needs sufficient driving experience but also must be familiar with highway conditions to provide guidance at any time. I have a friend who didn't believe it and secretly drove onto the highway on the third day after getting his license. As a result, he missed an exit, jerked the steering wheel, and almost hit the guardrail. In the end, not only was the car scratched, but he was also fined 200 yuan and had points deducted by the traffic police. Actually, urban expressways are sufficient for practice; there's really no need to take the risk.
Traffic regulations clearly state: It is a violation for drivers in the probationary period to drive alone on highways. The reason is simple – highway driving requires stronger anticipation skills and emergency response abilities, which are precisely what novices lack most. After passing my road test, I asked the examiner how soon I could drive on highways. He advised driving at least 500 kilometers in urban areas first, even after getting the license. Statistics show that novice drivers are over 3 times more likely to be involved in accidents on highways compared to regular roads. Nowadays, navigation apps have a 'novice mode' that automatically avoids highway routes – this feature is genuinely practical.
