Driver's License

Driver's license

A driver's license, driver license, driver licence, or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck, or a bus. In some jurisdictions, driver's licenses are issued after the recipient has passed a driving test, while in others, a person acquires a license before beginning to drive. (This is largely a matter of nomenclature—generally an official document by some name is required to undertake practical driving in either case.) Different categories of license may exist for different types of motor vehicles. The difficulty of the driving test may vary considerably between regions, as do prerequisites such as age restrictions and the required level of tuition.

History

The first drivers' licence of sorts was issued to the inventor of the modern automobile, Karl Benz, in 1888. Because the noise and smell of his Motorwagen resulted in complaints by the citizens of Mannheim, Benz requested and received written permission by the Grand Ducal authorities to operate his car on public roads.

Up until the start of the 20th century, European authorities issued drivers' licences similarly ad hoc, if at all.The first locality to require a mandatory driver's license and testing was Prussia, on 29 September 1903. The Dampfkesselüberwachungsverein ("steam boiler supervision association") was charged with conducting the tests, which were mainly concerned with the drivers' mechanical aptitude.In 1910, the German imperial government mandated the licencing of drivers on a national scale, establishing a system of tests and driver's education requirements that would serve as a template for the licencing laws of other countries.

As automobile-related fatalities soared in North America, public outcry provoked legislators to begin studying the French and German statutes as models.On August 1, 1910, North America's first driver's licensing law went into effect in the U.S. state of New York, though it initially applied only to professional chauffeurs.In July 1913, the state of New Jersey became the first to require all drivers to pass a mandatory examination before receiving a license.

Licenses for different categories of vehicles

In a number of countries (including United States, New Zealand and some provinces of Canada) persons who drive commercially (especially truckers and taxi drivers) are required to have special licenses. For taxicab drivers, these licenses are usually called Chauffeur Permits. In most cases, commercial truckers must hold a commercial driver's license or CDL. In India, a commercial driving license is valid for 5 years while an individual license is valid for 20 years. In the United Kingdom, one must hold a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) license to drive a vehicle with more than eight passenger seats for hire or reward, or a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) license to drive a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight (Maximum Authorized Mass) in excess of 3500 kg. Special licenses can also be required in order to transport hazardous materials. The cost of taking the series of tests and examinations to obtain these licenses usually means that an employer would subsidize their drivers.

Categories for driving licenses are standardised throughout the European Union, see European driving licence.

In India, people aged more than 50 years have to undergo strict medical tests in order to obtain a license. The license validity is 5 years and requires renewal every 5 years.

In the USA, Physically Disabled Permits, are given out to those who are under the age of 13 years. These permits are given out from the State Government to those minors who live with someone who has a physical disability and is unable to drive. These licenses are rare, and only 10-20 are given out each year in the United States.