The law stops you actually driving on the road until you reach your 17th birthday, but there are a few ways you can get a head start.

You are not allowed to take the theory or practical tests until you are 17 and have received your provisional driving licence but you can start preparing for both well in advance.

A good place to start is to buy a copy of The Highway Code and familiarise yourself with it. This may seem like school work, but you are after all going to sit a test. The Highway Code contains advice for all road users and a section on driving theory. There are many other books, CDs and DVDs to help you prepare for the theory test.

The best place to get advice about learning driving theory is from a driving instructor. You can contact a driving school before you are 17 - they won't charge you for a chat about what you can do before they start the lessons!

Apply for your provisional driving licence. You can do this up to two months before your 17th birthday.

When you are driven in a car (or even on the bus) start trying to look at the road from a driver's point of view. Check the traffic signs and road markings you pass - do you know what they all mean? Try to spot vulnerable road users such as children, cyclists, motorcyclists, horse riders etc. Watch out for dangers and hazards and think about how you could avoid them. Ask yourself if your driver is too close to the vehicle in front. These are all actions that will become habits for good drivers and if you start practising them now you will feel more prepared when you actually start driving.

If you really can't wait to get your own transport, you can learn to ride a moped from the age of 16. The experience can greatly help with your car driving, but you will quickly learn what it feels like to be a vulnerable road user! Read more here...