Why is a physical driving licence still necessary if police sees everything in their database?

paddedjohn

AndyMc..... wrote: »

How does that help if it's a non photo licence?

Few and far between nowadays and they may ask for other I'd to back up your licence

TooManyPoints

How does that help if it's a non photo licence?

As mentioned, few drivers have the old style paper licences (though I am one). In those instances some hire companies will ask for other ID, some don't. All will ask you to sign a contract (and so compare your signature with that on your licence). None will rent you a car without seeing your licence. (I know to my cost as I travelled to Greece once without mine and despite having a DVLA code and my passport I was refused).

CardinalWolsey

Physical driving licences are still required because it will soften the blow when mandatory ID cards that are required to be carried at all times are introduced.

Paper licence --> Photocard licence with paper --> Photocard Only --> Combined ID / Driving Licence / NHS ID etc --> Must be carried.

AdrianC

Pennywise wrote: »

I don't think DVLA record such a thing as "registered driver". They have records of registered keepers, and records of people with driving licences, which are two separate things entirely. I don't think their databases are linked.

And why should they be?

I have insurance to cover me to drive any car that the owner allows me to drive. And that's before I rent a car.

There is zero correlation between a plate and "registered driver".

AndyMc..... wrote: »

How does that help if it's a non photo licence?

Which is precisely why they're being phased out.

The only people with non-photo licences now are those who passed their tests at least 20 years ago, haven't changed address in the last 20 years, and are under 70.


There are about 40m holders of UK driving licences.
https://data.gov.uk/dataset/d0be1ed2-9907-4ec4-b552-c048f6aec16a/gb-driving-licence-data
8m+ of those are provisional.

5m+ are too old - and more move into that category daily.

11m+ are too young - and every new licence joins that category.



So that's 24m of the 40m who simply could not hold a non-photocard licence, even if they hadn't moved in the last 20 years. The percentage of those who haven't, and are under about 50-55 will be very small indeed.

The last estimate seems to have been 7m - in 2015. More than 2 million licence holders have had their 70th birthday in that time. How many have died or moved in that time? And that's before we take into account how many people hold licences but simply don't ever drive.


I'd guess it's <5m now, so less than 1 licence in 8, perhaps even down to 4m, 1 in 10.

AndyMc.....

AdrianC wrote: »

And why should they be?

I have insurance to cover me to drive any car that the owner allows me to drive. And that's before I rent a car.

There is zero correlation between a plate and "registered driver".



Which is precisely why they're being phased out.

The only people with non-photo licences now are those who passed their tests at least 20 years ago, haven't changed address in the last 20 years, and are under 70.


There are about 40m holders of UK driving licences.
https://data.gov.uk/dataset/d0be1ed2-9907-4ec4-b552-c048f6aec16a/gb-driving-licence-data
8m+ of those are provisional.

5m+ are too old - and more move into that category daily.

11m+ are too young - and every new licence joins that category.



So that's 24m of the 40m who simply could not hold a non-photocard licence, even if they hadn't moved in the last 20 years. The percentage of those who haven't, and are under about 50-55 will be very small indeed.

The last estimate seems to have been 7m - in 2015. More than 2 million licence holders have had their 70th birthday in that time. How many have died or moved in that time? And that's before we take into account how many people hold licences but simply don't ever drive.


I'd guess it's <5m now, so less than 1 licence in 8, perhaps even down to 4m, 1 in 10.

Being phased out to assist hire companies. That’s a new one. :rotfl:

AdrianC

AndyMc..... wrote: »

Being phased out to assist hire companies. That’s a new one. :rotfl:

Yes, it would be, if anybody had said it.


They were phased out because they were simply massively internationally inconsistent, and unacceptable in many countries. The direct impetus was because they fell foul of EU licence directives.


A licence without a photo was simply a massively antiquated concept.

AndyMc.....

AdrianC wrote: »

Yes, it would be, if anybody had said it.


They were phased out because they were simply massively internationally inconsistent, and unacceptable in many countries. The direct impetus was because they fell foul of EU licence directives.


A licence without a photo was simply a massively antiquated concept.

And of course it’s nothing to do with 40 million x the renewal cost every 3-10 years.

AdrianC

AndyMc..... wrote: »

And of course it’s nothing to do with 40 million x the renewal cost every 3-10 years.

£14 is hardly a profit centre, by the time you've factored the costs in.


It's probably worth putting the conspiracy theories away - the global standard for driving licences is a credit-card sized photocard.

Penelopa.Pitstop

I think someone is forgetting about people travelling abroad, where actual document is required.

AndyMc.....

AdrianC wrote: »

£14 is hardly a profit centre, by the time you've factored the costs in.


It's probably worth putting the conspiracy theories away - the global standard for driving licences is a credit-card sized photocard.

It’s £560 million more than the old system generated.