Driving Licence fiasco

[2tjohnston 10]

Just found this out ...... This is not a joke.

 

Thousands of motorists are at risk of being fined up to £ 1,000 because they are unwittingly driving without a valid licence. They risk prosecution after failing to spot the extremely small print on their photo card licence which says is automatically expires after 10 years and has to be renewed - even though drivers are licenced to drive until the age of 70.

 

To rub salt into the wounds, drivers will have to pay £17.50 to renew their card - a charge which critics have condemned as a 'stealth tax' and which will earn the Treasury an estimated £437million over 25 years.

 

Official DVLA figures reveal that while 16,136 expired this summer, so far only 11,566 drivers have renewed, leaving 4,570 outstanding. With another 300,000 photo card licences due to expire over thousends more drivers in breach of the law and at risk of a fine.

 

At the heart of the confusion is the small print on the tiny credit-card size photo licence, Which is used in conjunction with the paper version. Just below the driver name on the front of the photo card licence is a series of dates and details - each one numbered.

 

Absolute joke thought they were for life. What do drivers think of this then?

[angelwing 10]

I don`t have a photo licence so mine won`t expire

[alchresearch 214]

Already been covered in a thread not so long ago.

 

How on earth do you expect a photo licence to be valid for longer than ten years when you age?

 

Is there such a fuss with the 10 year renewal of passports?

[lukeowl1979 10]

It's pretty self explanatory as well - it has the start date of the license and the expiry date. Not sure why anyone would find it difficult to work it out and miss it? They deserve a fine if they are that stupid!

[L00b 441]

Mine's a photo license, but has no expiry date whatsoever.

Say yay for the EU

[Fantomas 10]

Mine expires next month, and I received a reminder and all of the forms etc in the post about 3 weeks ago. So no driver should forget about it unless they haven't informed the DVLA of a change of address (which is a legal requirement I think).

 

The £17.50 is a bit of a cheek, but overall what's the problem?

[Munch 10]

Oh crap, i need to renew mine next year then!

[Bruno 10]

This was covered here

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=460055&highlight=driving+licence

[chris1983 10]

so it really is cheaper to drive without a licence, the maximum fine for driving without one is about £20 plus a slap on the wrist. so there is no point having one.

[eurotour08 10]

Well there is if only for ID purposes. And the fact that it is illegal.

[chris1983 10]

Well there is if only for ID purposes. And the fact that it is illegal.

 

sorry victor meldrew.

[L00b 441]

so it really is cheaper to drive without a licence, the maximum fine for driving without one is about £20 plus a slap on the wrist. so there is no point having one.

 

Except for one little detail: you can't get insured without one.

 

Do you want to check what the penalties are for getting caught without insurance?