Before you or anyone in your family (such as your 16 year old son) drives any motor vehicle in the United Kingdom, which encompasses England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, you should check that you meet all of the legal requirements which apply (a) to the driver and (b) to the vehicle; and that you are aware of the correct procedures, which may be very different from your home country.

Detailed information about all aspects of driving in England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain) can be found on the website of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).

The DVLA states that if you are a visitor, resident or student in Great Britain (GB) and still have a driving license issued in the country you have come from, there are certain conditions that affect how long you can drive, and what you can drive in Great Britain.

Visitors to GB with a driver's license you may drive vehicles up to 3.5 tons and with up to eight passenger seats, provided your full license or driving permit remains valid for up to 12 months from the date of coming to GB.

You can drive any small vehicle e.g. cars and or motorcycles, shown on your driving license, for a period of 12 months from the date that you last entered the country, as long as it remains full and valid.

So while it appears you can normally drive in DVLA with a driver's license from the United States for 12 months this also appears to be for drivers with full driver's licenses. In the UK to drive cars the minimum age is seventeen (17) so it is doubtful that your son would be able to drive there with his Massachusetts junior operator's license.

We did contact the UK DVLA though to find out for certain if your son can drive if you visit the UK. The representative we contacted stated to us, as we have mentioned earlier, that the minimum age for driving a car in GB is 17. She went on to say this means your son will not be permitted to drive in the UK at age 16.

She noted that in GB a full US license holder would normally be allowed to drive here for a period of 12 months. Your son will only benefit from this from age 17 and the balance of the 12 months. So your son would need to be at least 17 years of age and hold a full MA driver's license to be permitted to drive while he is in the UK with you visiting this country.

If you have any further questions about either your ability or your teenage son's ability to drive while in the United Kingdom we would suggest that you contact the DVLA directly.