Code 78 can be added to your driving license for PLN 100. No wonder drivers pay extra

Driving license with code 78 – what does it give?

A category B driving license with the symbol “78” allows you to drive:

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  A motor vehicle whose permissible gross weight does not exceed 3.5 tons, excluding buses and motorcycles,
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  A group of vehicles whose total permissible mass does not exceed 3.5 tons, consisting of the above-mentioned motor vehicle and a trailer other than a light trailer;
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  – The previously mentioned motor vehicle with a light trailer (its permissible total weight does not exceed 750 kg);
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  A motorcycle with an engine capacity not exceeding 125 cm3, power not exceeding 11 kW (power-to-weight ratio not exceeding 0.1 kW/kg), provided that you have had a Class B driving license for at least 3 years;
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  Vehicles assigned to the AM driving license category – motorcycle (combustion engine up to 50 cm3 or electric motor power up to 4 kW, maximum speed 45 km/h);
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  Light quad bike (weight up to 350kg, maximum speed 45km/h).

All this is provided that the car is equipped with an automatic transmission.

In short, a Class B driving license with the code “78” entitles you to drive the same vehicles as a “normal” Class B driving licence, i.e. in the most common cases – passenger cars or delivery vans, with the only exception being Only applies to vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission. If we want to drive a car with a manual transmission, we will need to obtain a license for such a car.

Driving license with code 78 – advantages and disadvantages

However, having a Class B driver’s license with code “78” has more advantages than disadvantages. It is true that to get it, you have to complete a non-standard driving course, because it is conducted (obviously) in a car with an “automatic”. It happens, although in theory these cycles should not be a little more expensive than cycles for cars with a manual gearbox, but this is not a rule. If there is a difference in price, it is usually not significant – up to 100-200 PLN.

However, such a course, and hence the exam, is much simpler and less stressful. For a novice driver, eliminating the burden of changing gears and operating the clutch while driving is a huge help. After that, you can focus more on the driving itself, the road, the signs, the traffic systems, and not worry about whether you will move smoothly enough, or whether the car will stop, or whether you will not stop the engine when you start the hill, or whether You will choose the appropriate gear.

Of course, the exam itself will be less stressful. Focusing on the road will make it easier for the examinee to change gears, and thus change gears correctly, which is also evaluated by the examiner. You don’t have to worry about engine braking when approaching an intersection. During the test, partly in the maneuvering area, you will not have to worry about whether your car will stall, for example while driving on the track. It is true that in such a case the task can be repeated, but this situation in itself may cause stress on the examiner, and turning off the engine later may lead to an interruption of the exam. A similar situation may also occur when starting uphill or in city traffic. Parking a car with an automatic transmission is also less complicated.

It is also worth emphasizing the financial component of the entire process. Even if we pay a little more for the automatic driving course, it will certainly cost less than subsequent attempts to take the test if we fail to pass it the first time due to stress.

Therefore, we have less stress during the course and during the exam itself, but this is not the end of the advantages of a Class B driving license with code “78”. After obtaining it, if we also want to drive a car with a manual transmission, we will have to obtain the license again. However, it will be a much easier process – because we will not start from scratch, we will only have to additionally learn how to change gears and operate the clutch and gas pedals.

Law 78 on the driver’s license in practice

But the main question is, will we lose anything if we have a category B driver’s license with the code “78”? In theory, yes, because we wouldn’t be able to drive the car with a manual gearbox. However, nowadays automatic, robotic or continuously variable transmissions have become so common that this is unlikely to be a major problem. Modern cars are often equipped with them, and in the case of cars with an electrified drive system (hybrid, plug-in hybrids or electric cars), they are basically standard. Yes, there are hybrid cars with manual transmissions, but these are isolated and sporadic cases.

In the case of new cars, the situation is very similar. A large number of cars in the showroom are offered as standard with an automatic gearbox (or similarly operated), or are available as an option for a small additional charge. The same applies to the increasingly popular car sharing. With few exceptions, most cars offered by these rental companies are equipped with an automatic transmission.

Many drivers, despite the persistent myth that only a manual gearbox gives full control of a vehicle, greatly appreciate daily driving with an automatic transmission. Many people choose such cars because they allow them to focus more on the road, and on a daily basis as well, which translates into a higher level of safety. The myth that automatic transmission worsens performance and increases fuel consumption should also be debunked. Yes, ancient structures had such defects. However, new models are more advanced – it often happens that the same car model with automatic transmission has better dynamics, with the same fuel consumption, sometimes even lower.

Positives

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  Less stressful driving cycle.
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  Less stressful exam.
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  It is easier to obtain a ‘full’ Category B driving licence.
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  Driving is less stressful after getting your driver’s license.

Negatives

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  Possibility of driving cars only with automatic transmission.