Print

[gvo416j R.I.P.]

This 10 year limit catches a lot of people out. There are people out there driving around on old out of date licenses and they don't know it.
Is it a crime ?

Definitely 

---- it puts a lot of unsuspecting and otherwise law abiding citizens into almost exactly the same category as the tearaways racing about in stolen cars but they are generally not picked up due to the car being otherwise legal and insured and it they are picked up they are treated slightly more leniently -- I read an article in one of the papers a couple of years ago where it was estimated that between 5 and 8 percent of photo-licences are not valid at any one time, either due to change of address or being too old.

I am one of those who still has a paper licence. One of the old-fashioned 'stick-in-the-muds' who saw it as extortion and introduction of carry ID by the back door. I have never moved house since it was introduced so have never needed to pay for the photo jobbie, although the time is rapidly approaching when I will have to get one.

They have been around so long now that anyone under a certain age just accepts that they are a part of normal life and have to pay for the privilege.

In fact most youngsters hereabouts wouldn't get served alcohol in pubs or supermarkets without them - most round here have a policy of challenging anyone who looks under 25 years old.

[TimV]

When they changed from annual renewal, they said the licence was for life and you'd never have to get another one or pay any more! It went from £1 to £5 around 1975 - a lot of money at the time.

[Porkscratching]

I've got an old  crusty green paper licence, that I'm determined to hang on to until I'm forced to get a new 'police state' one !..this expires when I'm 70, (if I last that long) so nearly ten years in theory, tho I'll quite possibly move before then so will get caught that way unfortunately.
I suspect ongoing, the powers that be will try a number of sleazy tricks to simply get old people off the road entirely, with the usual lies that they're doing us all a favour & saving the planet, blah blah.....

[w3526602]

Hi,

Assuming that the "Policy Makers" are of mature years, surely what you are suggesting would be akin to shooting themselves in the foot?

Young drivers, women, immigrants, paupers, etc ... they are the ones to get off the road. (I'm joking)

602

[Porkscratching]

Policy makers aren't affected, they just phone down for their 24/7 cheuffer driven limo, that we're paying for...

[Growler]

I don't understand why people have an objection to an I.D. card. It could be useful if you forget who you are.

[Wittsend]

Maybe so ... but the money grabbing authorities would want a "fee" from you to prove you are who you are.

Not problem in me carrying such a card if it's free. We then become a police state if carrying them is compulsory.
They would pay for themselves if it stopped people claiming benefits they are not entitled to.

'tis a slippery slope.
At the bottom of that slope lies a national DNA database 

Driving licenses are a "back-door" ID card  more so with the photo version.
 

[w3526602]

Hi,

Probably academic now, but when we had a place in France, we needed our passports on us at all times, to prove who we were. All (?) other EU citizens only needed to carry their ID card.

I "done a Google", and learned that a French ID card cost about twenty euros. That's a lot cheaper than a passport, but I don't know how frequently they need renewing.

my understanding is that if the police stop you for a motoring offence, and you cannot convince them of your identity (like you come from outside the EU) you will be arrested. 

While wearing the Queen's uniform, I was required to carry my ID card (aka Form 1250) on my person at all times, whether in uniform or civvies (mufti). There were several times when producing my 1250 changed Plod's attitude towards me.

I wonder if having to carry my identity on my person is preferable to potential alternatives.

A few years ago, Barbara was stopped on the M4, near Port Talbot. She wound her window down a couple of inches. Plod told her to get out of the car, so she asked for some form of identity. He pointed to himself ... "Uniform!", then pointed at his car ... ". Police car!".  So they conversed for several minutes, through the gap at the top of her window.

Eventually, he said "I clocked you at 104mph. Don't let me catch you again!", .... and disappeared. ? She never saw him, nor his car again. She suspects that he reversed back (without lights) to the last roundabout.

Surely a police officer should produce his warrant card when requested?

602

[Porkscratching]

I DO object to being forced to carry an identity card, and I will refuse to do so..as Mr W alludes to, it's a slippery slope on the way towards some kind of soviet style police state, where you are forcibly  dna'd , surviellanced 24/7 and doubtless microchipped like a dog..
...if you actually want to live in a hi tech version of Orwellian world, no problem, looks like its coming to your area soon..

[Herald1360]

When they changed from annual renewal, they said the licence was for life and you'd never have to get another one or pay any more! It went from £1 to £5 around 1975 - a lot of money at the time.

It wasn't annual renewal, it was every three years.

[w3526602]

Hi Herald 13/60 (Presumably a Triumph fan)

I have vague memories of a "licence for life" being exactly that ... licence means "permission to" and the paper/plastic thingy is just evidence that you do have permission.

The paper bit was renewed for free every three years, but there was a fee to replace a lost licence, and again if you wanted to record a "test pass". Of course this did not go down well with the bean counters, so cash started to creep back into the equation. I think short term medical licences were renewed for free, and possibly those licences that were renewed due to a change of address, or a woman getting married. But hey, it's rising 40 years since I took the register, then told my boss that I was going home, and didn't intend to come back, coz I was going to apply for a medical retirement

I must be one of the few who got the better of the "Hatchet Lady", and her boss, the "Poison Dwarf"

602

[Herald1360]

I had a couple of 13/60s from around 2000 to 2007.

I don't recall the green paper licences being renewed 3 yearly; I was talking about the little booklet style ones that were still around in 1970 when I passed my test.

[Dentman]

Ah the little red book, did you let your provisional expire with the pink slip still in or change for the Full immediately thereby losing months but gaining "cred " 

[Herald1360]

I went for the "cred". ISTR the proper licence meant I could supervise a learner whereas the provisional plus pink slip didn't. My first licence is long lost but I still have the second from three years later in 1973 with a further receipt sticker from 1976. Since I passed my test at 17¹/₂ I didn't get a full adult licence until I was 23¹/₂, though presumably the Heavy Motor Car etc privileges would have applied from my 21st birthday. I think a Heavy Motor Car was one of over 2 tons unladen weight.

[cornicen]

I was shocked to see a pop-up on my screen this morning, while I was still bleary eyed and sipping my first coffee:

OUTDATED DRIVERS POSE A RISK

then saw it was from Avira...