Accompanied driving

The accompanying driver plays an important teaching role since he or she is supposed to give the candidate advice and explain the correct conduct to adopt in the face of an ambiguous or even dangerous situation that the candidate probably would not, otherwise, have been able to confront intuitively.

The accompanying driver is expected to focus on defensive driving, i.e. a driving style that anticipates possible mistakes from other drivers and sudden unexpected situations. The success of accompanied driving therefore depends to a large extent on the accompanying driver’s skills. If accompanied driving is chosen, candidates can begin the training at the age of 17, i.e. six months earlier than candidates who choose to follow the traditional driving school path. He or she must have passed the theoretical part of the driving test and completed 12 one-hour driving lessons with the driving school instructor. The vehicle used in accompanied driving must correspond to category B of the license and be covered by special insurance (since the driver does not yet hold a license) that the insurer will draw up free of charge. The vehicle must bear a sign (20 x 13 cm) displaying the letter ‘L’ in white on a red background. The accompanying driver can be any adult (also someone unrelated to the candidate), if he or she has held a B license for at least six years and has no convictions for breaches of the Luxembourg Highway Code. Moreover, during the five previous years he or she must not have been banned from driving. Finally, he or she must have taken two driving lessons in the presence of the instructor.

Note that by law only the accompanying driver is considered to be the driver of the vehicle.

Therefore, he or she must be seated in the front. Accompanied driving is only authorised in the state of Luxembourg, and is prohibited between 11 pm and 6 am.

The accompanying driver’s alcohol level must be less than 0.2 g per litre of blood. As there is no upward limit as regards accompanied driving in terms of age, it can also be an attractive learning tool for people who decide to sit the driving test later in life. We know from experience that these people require a lot more practical lessons than younger candidates and the license is likely to become a financial drain. Lessons taken with a private tutor are likely to avoid this concern.