How many years must a novice driver wait before driving on highways?
3 Answers
The latest traffic regulations stipulate that a new driver's license comes with a 12-month probationary period. During this probationary period, the driver is not permitted to drive alone on highways and must be accompanied by someone with at least three years of driving experience. Novice drivers are also required to affix or display a uniform sign at the rear of the vehicle during the probationary period. If the sign does not comply with regulations or cannot be properly identified, it will be considered as not displaying the sign, resulting in a fine of 200 yuan. Below are precautions for driving on highways: 1. Drive at low speed with high engine RPM, shifting gears only when the engine maintains above 3000 RPM. 2. For automatic transmission vehicles, you can switch to "manual mode" or use low gears for adjustment. 3. Keep the engine RPM between 3000 and 5000.
When I first started driving, the question I most wanted to ask was how soon a new driver can go on the highway. According to traffic regulations, you have to stay in the one-year probation period after getting your license—absolutely no driving alone on the highway during this time, or you'll face painful point deductions if caught! I've seen many stubborn new drivers sneak onto the highway after just six months, only to end up scraping the guardrails in heavy rain. But there are solutions if you really want to drive on the highway: either have an experienced driver with over three years of license history in the passenger seat to boost your confidence, or simply wait until the probation period is over. Don’t complain about this year being too long—use it to practice lane changes and night driving in the city, so you won’t panic when you finally hit the highway.
Back when I got my license, I asked my instructor the same question. The old man took a drag from his cigarette and said, 'Forget it! You gotta wait at least 300 days.' Later I learned that driving alone on the highway during the probationary period counts as a traffic violation, and a 200-yuan fine is considered lenient. When teaching my cousin to drive, I kept a close eye on him: first, practice maintaining distance in urban-rural fringe areas for three months, then hit the intercity expressways to get used to 80 km/h speeds. Now that little rascal just passed his probation and immediately took my old Sylphy on the highway, bragging that 'highways are way easier than provincial roads.' New drivers really should take advice—wait out the full 365 days to build enough experience before hitting the highway. You only get one life!
