Do new driver's have restrictions on what they can drive?

By Stuart Johnston

There are various categories for driver’s licences in South Africa. The lowest category, an A1 licence, enables you to ride a motorcycle on our roads, that has an engine capacity of less than 125 cc

A Category A licence enables you to ride a motorcycle of any engine capacity.

A Category B driver’s licence enables you to drive any four-wheeled motor vehicle with a licensed GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) of less than 3 500 kg. In practice, this means you can drive any road-legal car  currently available here, from a lowly hatchback of less than 1 000 cc to a turbocharged Ferrari or Porsche.

Our licensing system only requires the bare minimum of operating skills

It sounds crazy, given the differing skill and anticipation  levels needed to operate, say an 800 cc Chery QQ3 or Datsun Go,  and a Porsche Turbo  capable of 300 km/h -plus, but it’s true! In South Africa, once you have your Code B car license, you can drive any car!

In a country such as Germany, learner drivers have to prove their ability to be able to skilfully control a vehicle on the autobahn at speeds of up to 200 km/h. Alas, this is not the case here, which is why you get oblivious drivers travelling at 70 km/h in the fast (right-hand-side) lane on our freeways!

Different categories for differing weights of vehicles

The category B licence is also valid for mini buses with a GVM (Gross vehicle Mass) rating of less than 3 500 kg. The GVM rating includes  the total weight of the vehicle and the permitted numbers of passengers and/or luggage. For instance, if a mini-bus has an un-laden weight of 1 800 kg, it can accept passengers and luggage with a combined mass of 1 700 kg.

For heavier vehicles, such as larger light  buses, light trucks and the like , you will need to obtain a  Code C1  licence, legal for vehicles up to 16 000 kg in weight. For full-size buses and very heavy trucks you will need a Code C, Code EC1, Or Code EC licence.

You can tow a light trailer with a Code B license

A code B license, which is the one we are generally concerned with here, also enables you to tow a trailer with a GVM of less than 750 kg. To tow heavier trailers or caravans, you will need to re- test for a Code EB license.

You can apply for a learner’s car licence from the age of 17

If you are 17 years and older, you may apply for a Code B learner’s license, which involves taking an hour-long test about the South African rules of the road. This license is valid for 24 months.

You need to be 18 years or older to obtain a full driver’s license for a car

Once you have turned 18, you can then take your test for a Code B license, which involves a test in an enclosed area where you should demonstrate basic skills such as parking etc. If you are successful here, the second part of your test will include a road test, accompanied by an examiner.

As of now, each driver’s license issued is valid for a period of five years, after which it can be renewed at your local traffic authority. Until now, it is not legally necessary to re-test for a licence, But there has been talk of changes to this law for some time now.