Over 40,000 Unwitting British Motorists Are Driving without Valid Permit

Have you ever thought about what would be like to drive thinking you have a valid permit and then to get pulled over by cops who claim your license has expired? Well, you should have as more than 40,000 British motorists risk fines up to £1,000 because they are unwittingly driving without a valid license, The Daily Mail reported.

Apparently, the misunderstanding occurred because of the Government's fault who made motorists believe their new-style license was for life, the motoring organizations claim. Drivers are not aware of the fact that their photocard license automatically expires after ten years and has to be renewed.

The confusion appears to have been caused by the small print on the credit card-size photo license. Number '4b' shows a date in tiny writing but only if the driver turns over the card and reads the key on the back, it will be clear for how long the license is valid. In addition, there is another element that makes the confusion even greater. A table on the back of the card shows for how long the driver is registered to hold a license  -  that is until their 70th birthday.

“It is important that photocards are updated every ten years to ensure the police and other enforcement agencies can identify whether a driving license is being used fraudulently,” a spokesman for Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) explained.

The agency is currently sending reminders to motorists whose photocard is due to expire and no one has  been charged with failing to renew their license so far.

As a matter of fact, the first series of ten-year-photo licenses was issued in July 1998. Therefore, by the end of January, 173,867 photocards expired. However, just 128,987 of those drivers have renewed their licenses, while more than 40,000 motorists seem to have forgotten about the matter.