DVLA warning

[wheeler]

Just a word of warning for anyone due to renew their photocard driving licence. My photocard expires in the last week of May, i got the renewal reminder through last week so thought i might as well just get it over & done with straight away incase i forgot about it. I done it online & it just uses the photo from your passport. I assumed it would renew from the expiry date of my current licence. The new photocard just arrived this morning & the result is i’ve just lost nearly 6 weeks off my licence as it renewed from the date of application .

[Paul-R]

What's a photocard licence?

I've still got a few more years to go until I have to replace my (green) paper licence.

Anyone else still have a valid paper licence, either pink or green?

[Stickyfinger]

I still have my pink paper one

[CitroJim]

Does six weeks really matter? I don't quite see the issue here. I guess I'm missing something bloody obvious...

[Stickyfinger]

It dos not matter Jim, or I am missing something as well. I will need to re-new my one due to age before it runs out anyway

[CitroJim]

It dos not matter Jim, or I am missing something as well. I will need to re-new my one due to age before it runs out anyway

Same here... Just over nine years and counting!

[wheeler]

Its a scam as it is having to renew it every 10 years. Its the principal that i have lost 6 weeks on it. When you renew road tax if you do it a couple of weeks early it still starts from when the other one runs out. Same with the MOT when you do it early it adds onto the full year.

[Stickyfinger]

[myglaren]

I still have a paper one here somewhere. Green I think but may be wrong.
I had to get a new one two years ago when I reached 70.
They used the photo from my passport.
Which was the photo they took from my last driving licence.
Passport expired a year ago. That photo must be at least ten years old and probably lots more, possibly twenty years old.

[myglaren]

Renewed mine again earlier this year, online, five minutes and new one delivered four days later.

I have just seen this though:

THE DVLA has issued an urgent warning to anyone that holds a driving licence in the UK as it issues a fresh statement.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has said anyone who submits paper applications to renew their driver's licences could see a 10-week wait to receive their documents.

It also said the huge delays would also apply to paper applications by motorists changing their name and address.

Found it in The Northern Echo.

[GiveMeABreak]

I tend to use a lot of the online government services - it's so much easier that faffing with paperwork. I see there are no delays using the online services thankfully.

[myglaren]

I wish I could. I did sign up for the Government Gateway but then couldn't get in a year later. They were supposedly looking into it as none of my details were there.
Still waiting three years later.
Not having a smart phone is a huge impediment to it. All done by snail mail now, except DVLA.

[GiveMeABreak]

Yes, that's the ticket Steve - I signed up for all that - luckily had my passport handy so could give them all the verification details. It's also good for checking your NI contributions and the like to make sure you're up to date and haven't missed any years and all that, as well as state pension info. A little bit of hassle to start with, but once you have your account, it's pretty painless.

[myglaren]

It was to sort out my pension, I was five years late retiring due to the delays, partly as they were supposed to sort out my Swedish pension.

I ended up emailing the Swedish pension service myself. It took them a week until the back-payments and first payment were made. They are far easier to deal with.

[myglaren]

Another thing that came up on the Black Belt Barrister channel was that using out of date photo's on your driving licence can have serious repercussions.
Something that I am guilty of. The photo on mine is probably twenty years old. Was on my first photo-card licence, migrated to my passport, then back to my licence and then carried forward twice to the last two licences.
I still look vaguely the same, officer.
Can't find the clip now, buried in all the Amber Heard nonsense.

But this was today's news.

Highway Code: UK drivers could face £5,000 fine over air conditioning in their car

From the Northern Echo.

Drivers are being warned the way they use air conditioning in their cars could land them fines of up to £5,000 as the UK is hit by a sizzling heatwave.

Air conditioning (or lack of) could see drivers punished under Highway Code rule 237 which states drivers must keep their cars “well ventilated”.

The reason for the rule is to avoid drowsiness when in control of a vehicle, should drivers ignore the guidance and subsequently lose control of their vehicle they risk a fine of up to £5,000 in the most serious cases.