Driving licences

m0bzy · Apr 12th, 2018, 20:14

I wonder how many people are as annoyed as me about the following:

I have a customer American by birth who has recently taken British citizenship,they have lived and worked in this country for over 30 years,for the majority of that time they have been driving on their American licence !!! Now for at least 29 years they have been able to drive illegally and undetected.They are now setting about obtaining a UK licence.
So the thought entered my head,how long is it since anyone had their licence physically checked?? In my case eight years,when I was involved in an accident,how about you?

MikeGMT · Apr 12th, 2018, 21:17

I've held a license for over 30 years, and can't recall ever having it checked, except for hiring a car or for courtesy car etc., but I guess you mean by someone in 'authority'.
I read somewhere just recently that 1 in 4 drivers on UK roads are believed to not hold a license, that includes driving while suspended, driving unaccompanied while on a provisional license or simply never having a license at all. Scary thought about what's out there on the roads, and a lot of them get away with it because they are 'invisible' to the systems in place, unless they are physically stopped by the police.

cheshired5 · Apr 12th, 2018, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by m0bzy

how long is it since anyone had their licence physically checked??

Yearly for work but it's not a physical check anymore as they can get my licence details online.
It's been like that for a few years now.

Your physical driving licence is little more than a form of I.D. now not a record of your driving history.

john.wigley · Apr 12th, 2018, 21:48

Unless you are required to produce it to the Police or courts for any reason, or you change your address, I imagine the first check would be when you are required to renew your license at age 70.

We bought our house in 1981 from a couple in their 30s who emigrated to Australia, and only recently received reminders for them to renew theirs from Swansea.

Regards. John.

cheshired5 · Apr 12th, 2018, 22:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by john.wigley

Unless you are required to produce it to the Police or courts for any reason, or you change your address, I imagine the first check would be when you are required to renew your license at age 70.

It's not just address change and criminal/negative reasons.
Adding driving entitlements, for example will require your old licence to be given in.

S60D5-185 · Apr 12th, 2018, 22:12

The plastic photocard licences have to be renewed every 10 years and I would wager that many fall foul of this by simply not being aware or forgetting.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/tr...riving-licence

inchindown · Apr 13th, 2018, 07:16

I still have the old paper licence as I haven't moved house since 1995 and nothing else has changed.

I've only ever been asked for my licence once in my life and that was when I was stopped for speeding on my motorbike in 1975 in Portsmouth.

If I live long enough, I will have to get a new licence in 3 years when I reach 70.

deepsix · Apr 13th, 2018, 08:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by inchindown

I've only ever been asked for my licence once in my life and that was when I was stopped for speeding on my motorbike in 1975 in Portsmouth.

If I live long enough, I will have to get a new licence in 3 years when I reach 70.

Carry on with that habitual reckless riding and you'll struggle to reach 70 young man. That or the midges will get you!

m0bzy · Apr 16th, 2018, 14:09

So no-one is very bothered about unlicensed drivers ,I am told that one in four drivers has no license,I have no idea where that figure comes from,if we accept it at face value and disregard professional drivers as at least their licences are checked occasionaly. Then there are a hell of a lot of drivers with no licence,no insurance,and able to drive at any speed they like providing they don't have an accident !!!!!
The driving test is going to be made more difficult,it is already very expensive,so why should anyone bother to take one? beats me.

xsaab · Apr 16th, 2018, 14:17

I think your American associate was breaking the law while driving on a US drivers licence while living in the UK. I knew several "aliens" who lived in the UK for a few years and they had to take the UK test

Apr 12th, 2018, 20:14	#1
m0bzy Master Member Last Online: Feb 19th, 2021 17:00 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Birmingham	Driving licences I wonder how many people are as annoyed as me about the following: I have a customer American by birth who has recently taken British citizenship,they have lived and worked in this country for over 30 years,for the majority of that time they have been driving on their American licence !!! Now for at least 29 years they have been able to drive illegally and undetected.They are now setting about obtaining a UK licence. So the thought entered my head,how long is it since anyone had their licence physically checked?? In my case eight years,when I was involved in an accident,how about you? __________________ 1995 850 GLT 2.5 liter 20 valve,Turquise 1998 V90 Green/Black/Blue. Depends on the light. 2004 Alfa 156 , JTS.

Apr 12th, 2018, 21:48	#4
john.wigley VOC Member since 1986 Last Online: Today 14:04 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Leicestershire	Unless you are required to produce it to the Police or courts for any reason, or you change your address, I imagine the first check would be when you are required to renew your license at age 70. We bought our house in 1981 from a couple in their 30s who emigrated to Australia, and only recently received reminders for them to renew theirs from Swansea. Regards. John. __________________ Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana .....

Apr 12th, 2018, 22:12	#6
S60D5-185 Me ? Surely Not! Last Online: Apr 25th, 2024 19:48 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: 2007 Volvo XC90 D5 Geartronic. South of Hadrians Wall.	The plastic photocard licences have to be renewed every 10 years and I would wager that many fall foul of this by simply not being aware or forgetting. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/tr...riving-licence __________________ “Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” – Mark Twain 😊 2007 Volvo XC90 D5 SE Geartronic Last edited by S60D5-185; Apr 12th, 2018 at 22:26.

Apr 16th, 2018, 14:09	#9
m0bzy Master Member Last Online: Feb 19th, 2021 17:00 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Birmingham	So no-one is very bothered about unlicensed drivers ,I am told that one in four drivers has no license,I have no idea where that figure comes from,if we accept it at face value and disregard professional drivers as at least their licences are checked occasionaly. Then there are a hell of a lot of drivers with no licence,no insurance,and able to drive at any speed they like providing they don't have an accident !!!!! The driving test is going to be made more difficult,it is already very expensive,so why should anyone bother to take one? beats me. __________________ 1995 850 GLT 2.5 liter 20 valve,Turquise 1998 V90 Green/Black/Blue. Depends on the light. 2004 Alfa 156 , JTS.

Apr 16th, 2018, 14:17	#10
xsaab Master Member Last Online: Oct 18th, 2022 15:30 Join Date: May 2014 Location: Waterlooville	I think your American associate was breaking the law while driving on a US drivers licence while living in the UK. I knew several "aliens" who lived in the UK for a few years and they had to take the UK test __________________ from October 2019 a 2020 XC60 R Design Pro B5 from May 2019 to October a 2019 XC60 D4 AWD Inscription with even more bits 2015 to 2019 a 2014 XC60 D5 RDesign, Polestar, lots of cameras and sensors

Apr 12th, 2018, 21:17	#2
MikeGMT VOC Member Last Online: Yesterday 18:46 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Kingston upon Hull, E.Yorks.	I've held a license for over 30 years, and can't recall ever having it checked, except for hiring a car or for courtesy car etc., but I guess you mean by someone in 'authority'. I read somewhere just recently that 1 in 4 drivers on UK roads are believed to not hold a license, that includes driving while suspended, driving unaccompanied while on a provisional license or simply never having a license at all. Scary thought about what's out there on the roads, and a lot of them get away with it because they are 'invisible' to the systems in place, unless they are physically stopped by the police.

Apr 13th, 2018, 07:16	#7
inchindown Futurist Last Online: Nov 26th, 2021 17:56 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Inverness	I still have the old paper licence as I haven't moved house since 1995 and nothing else has changed. I've only ever been asked for my licence once in my life and that was when I was stopped for speeding on my motorbike in 1975 in Portsmouth. If I live long enough, I will have to get a new licence in 3 years when I reach 70.

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