The number of motorists taking to Britain’s roads, without a full UK driving licence, is increasing reports the DVLA.
The announcement from the DVLA comes following reports of a man, stopped for a driving offence, who had been driving without a UK licence for 40 years.
Furthermore, police also discovered that his vehicle was uninsured leading them to seize and impound his vehicle.
In a statement from a West Midlands Police spokesperson, they said: “He has committed a criminal offence, and the matter will proceed to the courts. We don’t know whether the driver had even passed his test.â€
It’s understood that the DVLA has been informed of the driver’s misdemeanours and released an official statement: “This type of offence is becoming increasingly common and we are working to clampdown on those motorists operating a vehicle in the UK without a valid licence.â€
At present, the penalties for driving a vehicle without the necessary licence include a £1,000 fine, a potential ban and the possibility of being unable to apply for a new licence for an indefinite period.
The problem of motorists operating a vehicle without a licence has been steadily increasing over recent years, particularly as more motorists take to Britain’s roads.
One particular problem area has been the number of foreign nationals driving on the nation’s roads, not just without a UK licence, but without any type of licence.
The problem is not only limited to cars, but motorbikes and perhaps more worryingly HGV drivers. The potential disaster that could ensue should an unlicensed HGV driver take to Britain’s roads could be fatal.
In some cases drivers are genuinely unaware that they do not hold a full UK driving licence. Many individuals have been known to mistake a ‘provisional driving licence’, which entitles learner drivers to drive on Britain’s roads when supervised, for a full licence, which obviously allows for the operation of a motor vehicle unsupervised.
Department for Transport (DfT) figures show that one in five (equating to 20%) fatal accidents on Britain’s roads is caused by an unlicensed driver.
Ironically, DfT information also reveals that unlicensed drivers on the UK’s roads are also some of the safest. In a bid to avoid being stopped by the police they are unlikely to drink and drive or get caught speeding. However, the DfT did emphasise that this was because they were driving in illegal circumstances in the first instance.
The DfT did concede however, following the results of an independent survey, that the penalties handed down for driving without a full licence were offering little deterrent. The results of the independent survey, which quizzed a number of drivers who had been punished for driving without a licence, found that 70% of them ignored penalties and continued to drive.
Tags: Car Insurance, Driving Insurance, Young Person Insurance
