EMPLOYERS THIS IS A VITAL WARNING

Section 99  Erroneous Revocation “Grace Period” Process Changes

This notice is to inform you of changes to DVLA procedures when dealing with drivers who have been informed by courts or the DVLA and have failed to surrender their current issued driving licences to the court or subsequently to the DVLA to have penalty points or convictions added to their driving licence.

Revocation of driving licences

Drivers who receive penalties from the courts or fixed penalty offices for offences that do not result in disqualification, are required to surrender their current valid driving licence for the endorsement to be added within 28 days.

Many drivers fail to surrender their driving licence to the courts or DVLA, and in these circumstances the law provides that the licence authority can REVOKE the licence as a last resort. Before being revoked, the driver will have previously been sent a series of letters from the court and the DVLA requesting them to send their driving licence in to be updated.

Revocation Policy Prior to 07/11/2010

At the point DVLA revoke a licence, the then current interpretation is that the law allowed a ‘Concessionary Period’ of 12 months during which time the driver may continue to drive.  If, at the end of the Concessionary Period, the driver failed to surrender their licence their driving entitlement to drive is removed, therefore revoked from driving any type of vehicle.

New Procedure from 07/11/2010

Along with the Home Office, the DVLA have reviewed the road traffic legislation and will “NO LONGER” have a 12 month concessionary period and has now been reduced to 28 days.

Therefore, from 7 November 2010, the DVLA will request drivers to surrender their driving licence for endorsement or penalty to be added within th 28 days of notification of conviction. If the drivers fails to do so within this period, the DVLA will revoke their licence on 29th day - Rendering the driver without the ability to drive any type of vehicle until they return the driving licence.

IF THE LICENCE IS NOT IN THEIR CURRENT ADDRESS, THEY MAY NOT BE NOTIFIED

This means: Your driver can no longer driver any vehicle issued by your company or any vehicle owned by any other person, including any vehicle/s owned, loaned, hired by themselves, until such time they follow the instruction given to them by the court or DVLA and return their driving licence for updating.

In the past year the DVLA advised that an estimated of 42,000 drivers have failed to return their driving licence for updating, resulting in their licence entitlement being revoked.  The DVLA advises these drivers where informed and requests were made to follow  the procedure before a possible revocation of there licence was inforce and and that they would have retained their entitlement to drive for 12 months during known a the concessionary period, unfortunetly many were ignored.  The DVLA state that many drivers did comply, those that refused  will not be contact again and these driving licenses will be revoked and allowed to expire.

How this affects your business 

This is a significant change in policy and will without doubt effect your business risk regarding your drivers continued eligibility to drive, notwithstanding other considerable factors such as insurance exposure, Duty of Care and Health & Safety Policy. It is therefore that LICENCECHECK recommend a monthly check policy on all driver pools where possible - Special Rates Apply. 

For more information on monthly check costs please call your sales representative on 0845 226 9686