Millions risking fines for not changing address on their driving licences
By in
More than 2.6m motorists, or 7%, have not bothered to change their addresses on their driving licence, and if they are stopped by the police this could result in a £1000 fine.
Recent research from Direct Line Car Insurance has revealed that millions have licences carrying out of date information, thus putting themselves at risk of the DVLA doling out a hefty fine.
Three per cent of married women still have their maiden name on their driving licence and two per cent of motorists admit they should have informed the DVLA about a notifiable medical condition, such as physical disability or visual impairment, since their current licence was issued.
Normally there is a charge of £20 to renew a driving licence with the DVLA, but as it is free of charge to update a driving licence with a change of name or address, drivers should ensure that they take this simple step to avoid a fine.
Rob Miles, head of Motor at Direct Line, commented: “British motorists have a duty to update the DVLA of any change of name or address or of any medical condition that could affect their ability to drive, but it seems that many motorists simply don’t realise they are breaking the terms of their licence.”
The research also found that 7.5 million (20 per cent) British driving licence holders still only have a paper driving licence. By 2015 the old paper driving licences will be phased out and all drivers will be issued with photo-card licences. However, the photo-card licences need to be updated with a new photograph every ten years and the DVLA estimates that two million motorists already have an out-of-date licence**.
Rob Miles added: “Millions of drivers have an old name or address on their driving licence, and while this won’t affect their car insurance cover, having incorrect information on their licence puts them at risk of a large fine if their licence is ever checked by the police. We urge motorists to ensure their licence information is up to date and that their licence is current.”
