Out with the old: are you prepared for the driving licence changes?
There are fears that the majority of drivers are unaware of changes to the driving licence which will take effect from Monday 8 June.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has warned that drivers could be confused about the implications of the scrapping of the counterpart paper driving licence.
From now on, details from the counterpart licence will be stored electronically and won't be displayed on written documentation carried by motorists. Instead, these details will be accessible through the DVLA driver record system, and can be checked online or in writing by post.
Since the counterpart will no longer have any legal status, the DVLA is recommending that this be destroyed after 8 June.
The changes will affect the way drivers provide proof of their driving record to employers or car hire firms, as the photocard or paper licence will not be enough in itself any more. And of course, this will affect the way dealers handle prospective buyers who wish to take out a car for a test drive.
Motorists are expected to access their details using the DVLA's Share Driving Licence service and to print them off for car hire firms or employers. Alternatively drivers can contact the DVLA and give permission for a third party to check their driving record verbally.Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive, said: "People are not aware of how many of the current procedures are changing. Similar to the abolition of the tax disc, they assume much of what has happened before will continue."
