Posted: Tuesday 04 August 2015
Transitioning to the discontinuation of the paper driving licence counterpart has been anything but smooth. Even after being delayed by six months in its implementation, putting the system in place has resulted in complications that the government either did not see coming or did not think would be such a big deal. Now fleet operators are calling for more changes to the system in the very near future.
Posted: Tuesday 28 July 2015
It does not take much for a new law to have a profound impact here in the UK. As a case in point, a piece of 2013 legislation known as 'Cassie's Law' has resulted in the revocation of more than 600 driving licences after individuals demonstrated they could not pass a vision test. Imagine one of those drivers being a trusted worker who usually operates your company vehicles.
Posted: Tuesday 14 July 2015
More than a month after the abolition of the paper driving licence counterpart, the government has acquiesced on one of the programme's most controversial points: the 72-our policy regarding access codes that consumers can use to provide licence information for car hire. Codes are now good for three weeks at a time.
Posted: Thursday 09 July 2015
It has been more than two years in the making. Now that it is finally here, the inclusion of the Union Jack on British driving licences seems a bit anti-climactic. It is significantly less important when one considers the challenges now being faced as a result of phasing out the paper counterpart. Nonetheless, your next driving licence will feature the Union Jack along with the EU banner if you live in England, Wales, or Scotland. Northern Ireland is exempt for now.
Posted: Thursday 02 July 2015
At Fleet Licence Check, it may seem as if we always repeat ourselves about the need for companies to check the driving licences of the workers operating company vehicles. Yet there is a very good reason we do this. Running afoul of the law can quickly become a nightmare due to complicated regulations, lack of cooperation, and downright ignorance. A recent case from Surrey provides a perfect illustration.
Posted: Tuesday 23 June 2015
The nation's fleet managers must always do everything in their power to make sure drivers are operating company vehicles in a safe and proper manner. There is a lot to consider in this arena. Now, a recent conviction in West Yorkshire gives fleet managers something new to think about as they seek to comply with the law: lane hogging.
Posted: Thursday 11 June 2015
It is now officially here. From 8 June, the paper counterpart to the UK driving licence has been abolished in favour of a computer database used to keep track of driver violations and penalties. With at least one organisation warning drivers to not throw away their paper counterparts just yet, we cannot help but wonder if the warning also applies to those who drive vocationally.
Posted: Monday 08 June 2015
In the months leading up to the abolishment of the paper driving licence, the government routinely promised that systems would be in place to handle all contingencies. In fact, abolishing the paper counterpart was delayed by six months in order to give them time to make good on those promises. Unfortunately, the government has not succeeded. That means using our time-tested licence-checking service is still the best option for motoring companies and businesses with company cars.
Posted: Thursday 04 June 2015
The RAC Foundation recently released its latest statistics relating to teenagers and car crashes. The statistics paint a stark picture of serious injuries and deaths among the most vulnerable drivers on the road, perhaps hampered by a lack of experience that older drivers have. We suspect there might also be plenty to learn from the numbers that could be applied to working environments involving company drivers.
Posted: Friday 29 May 2015
As the UK prepares to embrace the digital driving licence next month, we should all be cautious about what is coming. A digital driving licence is certainly a step above the old system of utilising paper licences to record convictions and other offences, but it is by no means a panacea. Furthermore, not even a digital driving licence can be counted on as being 100% accurate. Just ask a terribly embarrassed woman from the United States.