The Big Red Fleet Company announces new driving licence checking service to combat expired licences

Due to their photocard licences expiring many drivers are unknowingly driving without a valid licence and consequently without insurance. The Big Red Fleet Company have addressed this worrying new issue by incorporating a ‘driver licence checking’ scheme into the courses they offer to fleet companies.

[UKPRwire, Sat Nov 01 2008] After passing their test most drivers are legally allowed to drive until their 70th birthday. This fact has lead to a worrying amount of people taking to the road without realising that although the licence doesn’t expire, the photocard does; unsurprisingly, the photo needs to be updated regularly to reflect the new appearance of the driver.

The problem at the moment lies with the first photocards to have been issued, ten years ago in 1998. They are out now of date, and many drivers are not even aware that their licences are now invalid. Unaware motorists risk fines of up to £1000, and the companies employing any unwittingly uninsured drivers risk much more; money, their reputation, and the future of their business.

The Government is being criticised by motoring organisations who believe that the expiry date is not clear enough on the licence – some have pointed out that the print is ‘extremely small’; the implication being that the expiration was to some degree hidden from drivers. It is, however, written in the same size font the rest of the information on the card. Added to the fact that the DVLA send a reminder and renewal form to drivers two months before the photo expires, pleading ignorance is really not an option.

Unfortunately, perhaps in response to the oldest photocards expiring this year, there has been a rise in the numbers of fake driving licence sites. Consequently it has become much more difficult for companies to know whether their drivers are driving legally or whether they are putting their company in a very compromising position regarding not only the law but the safety of other road users.

In order to address the new problems caused by the oldest photocards expiring, The Big Red Fleet Company, a fully qualified fleet driver training company / occupational road risk management consultancy, have incorporated a ‘driving licence checking service’ into the courses they offer. They are able to check licences directly with the DVLA, a fact which enables them not only to detect fake licences and expired photocards, but also to find out how many points a driver might have accumulated as well as what category vehicles the driver is legally allowed to drive.

To find out more about the driver licence checking service provided by The Big Red Fleet Company, please contact them via their website, www.bigredfleet.com.