FLEET SPEAK: 30 November 2010 - Government deserves praise for licence law change

Date: 30 November 2010

Paul Barker is editor of BusinessCar

I'm hoping it's a sign of my law-abiding status rather than just basic naivety that meant I was amazed to discover that drivers previously had a year to send off their driving licence in order to have penalty points added after an offence.

I know the wheels of authority can turn slowly, but not having to surrender a licence for the addition of blemishes for 12 months is beyond excessive, and has historically left fleets hideously exposed if their only licence-checking policy was a visual approach as opposed to properly examining a licence's validity with the DVLA.

So it's nice that a Government move is actually helpful for a change, and a licence will be officially revoked by the DVLA if not surrendered within 28 days. Licence-checking is a serious business, especially as anyone who has picked up a driving ban will be desperate to hide it for fear of losing their job. Law-abiding drivers will now ensure points are added to licences quickly, making the pieces of paper they are producing for checks more likely to be up-to-date.

But, as with everything, there is now a new danger that accompanies the change. If a firm has a disciplinary policy once a driver reaches nine or even six points, those looking to hide their misdemeanors could be handing over a licence that, rather than just needing points added, has actually been revoked. Proper DVLA checks are the only safeguard.

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