With just turned 18 years old, you were looking forward to facing the driver’s license tests to obtain it and to be able to enjoy the freedom that four wheels offer you, although that does not exempt you from fines. That is why it is also necessary to remember that you have to come down from the clouds and be aware of the risks that a bad attitude behind the wheel can entail and not taking the laws into account. Because yes, even if you are a new driver or one with many kilometers behind you, you can come across different fines, even with some as diverse as driving with the “L” after having passed the first year of the license, and that can cost you 100 euros if you are not a first-time driver as the DGT remembers.
It is true that there are different laws for different groups, and these also affect new drivers. For example, the maximum alcohol level allowed is not the same for beginners -they cannot exceed 0.15 grams per liter in blood- as for those who have had a driver’s license for more than a year; But it also happens the other way around. being able to experience fines that only drivers fresh out of driving school could get rid of.
A fine from the DGT that only does not affect new drivers
And it is that, when we receive the driver’s license, we are also given the famous “L”, a badge that must be placed on the left side of the rear window during the first year of the license. This refers to the fact that we are dealing with a novice driver, and thus warn other road users of their condition to be prevented. Although it is true that wearing the “L” when you are not a new driver entails a fine, it also implies a sanction if we do not wear it when the law requires it..
Wearing the “L” when you are no longer a new driver can cost you a fine of 100 euros
In the case that concerns us today, either due to carelessness or pure and simple laziness, we can face a fine of 100 euros if we drive with the “L” placed on the rear window and we have already completed our first year of license. It is true that this scenario usually occurs in families where the novice driver and other members use the same car, but the simple fact of not picking up the badge can be very expensive.
Even so, new drivers are also exposed to a series of fines related to the “L” and that only affects them. In case of not wearing it correctly, falling in the trunk tray, with zero visibility or not wearing it directly, it also entails a fine of 100 euros.
It is true that this sanction does not entail a loss of points and by resorting to prompt payment we can leave the fine at a more affordable 50 euros. However, it is a very quick and easy way to not only receive our first ticket as first-time drivers, but also to face it once we have passed our first year of license.
Fines that only affect a novice driver
But not wearing the “L” is not the only offense exclusively for the novice driver, since there are other conditions that concern those who are taking their first steps on the road. The already mentioned rate of alcohol is not the same as that of other drivers, since for those who have just obtained the license -regardless of age- the maximum allowed is 0.15 mg/l in blood.
In addition to the fact that as soon as we get the driver’s license, we are awarded 8 points and not the maximum 12 that one can achieve. For this, it is necessary to face the first two years with the permit without suffering any fine, and this is how we can reach 12 points..
In addition, the DGT also reminds that the speed limits are exactly the same for new drivers. This means that exceeding the maximum speed on the road or driving at an abnormally low speed also carries a fine for those who wear the “L” on the rear window.
