Reply to: Driving Licence Changes

[Alias]

Good luck trying. You haven't been able to do that for years now.

It's all about being more efficient (taking your money).

Done it twice already so not a problem

[VectraMan]

Where you actually speeding? I got pulled over in France with a few other British cars. They said to me I had been doing 110 miles an hour, once they said that I started complaining (can't remember ever doing 110). 3 of them looked at my reg again, had a discussion and waved me on, said something about a colleague calling in the wrong reg.

Looks like they use the British as a revenue stream.

Errr, yes. It was about 80mph ish (120kph) on a road that was 90kph (i.e. about 60). But it was a long wide straight A-road with an overtaking lane down the middle. Pretty stupid building a road like that if you're going to prosecute people for using it. Then again, perhaps that was the idea. I'm sure they weren't unhappy to be stopping a British car.

[FiveTimes]

Don't get caught speeding. Your nice paper only licence will miraculously disappear in the post and you'll have to cough up for a shiny plastic one.

Or go on the speed awareness course and keep the paper one

[TheFaQQer]

Doesn't it say you will be able to check online so actually makes it easier for the companies and easier for us not having to try and find old bits of paper? Just poor reporting?

To be able to get a validated one, you need to get a code. The code only lasts for 72 hours. So if you're hiring in the middle of a 2 week holiday (as I am), you have to either find someone with a connection that you can get the code first, or pay roaming charges, or have the car hire company ring the DVLA premium rate number (opening hours TBC) and check then.

I'm hiring three cars in the summer and will only be at home to get a code before the first one. So I'll have to either find somewhere to get it done online, or hope they don't know.

There was also a piece in the Guardian about this at the weekend mentioning that when they checked the details now, someone found that according to the new system they had no entitlements to drive any vehicle.

At least it's not like they're changing it in the run-up to the peak hiring time.

[alluvial]

You and me both.

As they say in septicland apparently.

Don't get caught speeding. Your nice paper only licence will miraculously disappear in the post and you'll have to cough up for a shiny plastic one.

[northernladuk]

Doesn't it say you will be able to check online so actually makes it easier for the companies and easier for us not having to try and find old bits of paper? Just poor reporting?

[Uncle Albert]

Not really, they can change the address on it and issue a new paper one...

Good luck trying. You haven't been able to do that for years now.

It's all about being more efficient (taking your money).

[woohoo]

I was done for speeding in France the other week. I was always told you need to carry both parts of your licence, as well as the car registration and insurance whilst abroad, though I'm sure I've forgotten on more than one trip. This trip I did remember, but all he asked for was the car registration and my card licence and wasn't interested in the rest.

Where you actually speeding? I got pulled over in France with a few other British cars. They said to me I had been doing 110 miles an hour, once they said that I started complaining (can't remember ever doing 110). 3 of them looked at my reg again, had a discussion and waved me on, said something about a colleague calling in the wrong reg.

Looks like they use the British as a revenue stream.

[Alias]

I had to get the plastic thing when I moved house some years back, any change at all and you will have to do the same.

Not really, they can change the address on it and issue a new paper one...

[TykeMerc]

You and me both.

As they say in septicland apparently.

I had to get the plastic thing when I moved house some years back, any change at all and you will have to do the same.

[VectraMan]

And 100 euros in a brown paper bag surely?

90 Euros, and it was lucky I had that as staying with family means I don't bother taking much cash.

What pissed me off the most about it was that he spoke to me in English.

[Alias]

I only have a paper licence

[original PM]

I was done for speeding in France the other week. I was always told you need to carry both parts of your licence, as well as the car registration and insurance whilst abroad, though I'm sure I've forgotten on more than one trip. This trip I did remember, but all he asked for was the car registration and my card licence and wasn't interested in the rest.

And 100 euros in a brown paper bag surely?

[TykeMerc]

Seems weird. My Swiss driving licence follows the normal European format, with no "paper counterpart", and hence no list of any violations. In fact, that information is kept entirely separate - there's no point system, just a record kept of any serious violations you perpetrate (marginal speeding isn't recorded). Why should UK drivers be singled out and have to provide a "code"?

No idea and quite possibly the car hire companies in Europe scratch their heads when they hear about this stuff. You would have thought that there would be a Europe wide approach since they issue a standardised plastic bit, clearly that's too sensible.

I admit that I didn't know about the scrapping of the paper counterpart, I guess I missed it being in the news.

[VectraMan]

I was done for speeding in France the other week. I was always told you need to carry both parts of your licence, as well as the car registration and insurance whilst abroad, though I'm sure I've forgotten on more than one trip. This trip I did remember, but all he asked for was the car registration and my card licence and wasn't interested in the rest.