Checked your driving licence lately?

RustySpanner

Has anyone taken the driver's educational course, and what does it involve?

I quite enjoyed mine. 

The two chaps who ran the course were excellent, very informative. 

I think it made me a better driver. 

A day well spent, tbh. 

sawyer

rocktron said:

Yesterday, I received a Notice of Intended Prosecution for doing 47mph in a 40mph zone on the elevated section of the M4 at Brentford, of all places. 

I expect that I will be requested to take an driver's educational course, or pay a fine and have points on my licence. I am not sure which is the best option.

Has anyone taken the driver's educational course, and what does it involve?

The most boring experience of your life! Mine was about 4 hours i think.Take something to eat. That was my mistake. Could of eaten my own foot by the time i got out.

skullfunkerry

Checked mine, it doesn't expire until the end of 2022... I've set a reminder on my phone for May 2022, just in case  

Musicwolf

rocktron said:

@Musicwolf: Thank you for the information.

My car battery was flat due to the car not being used for weeks while I was working from home. I had just charged the battery and was taking the car for an additional top up charge up the M4 and back to West London when I exceeded the speed limit.

But what they will ask you to think about was - why did you speed?  Exceeding the speed limit wouldn't have done anything to top up the battery any quicker than cruising at 70.

The course is run in a very positive way.  Nobody will put you on the spot or make you feel bad and maybe you will come away thinking a little more about what leads you to exceed the speed limit.  I certainly saw it as a positive experience (although clearly the first one didn't have a lasting effect).

HAL9000

RustySpanner said:

Has anyone taken the driver's educational course, and what does it involve?

I quite enjoyed mine. 

The two chaps who ran the course were excellent, very informative. 

I think it made me a better driver. 

A day well spent, tbh. 

Also, if you take the points/fine then you have to inform your insurer (and risk an increase of premium). If you take the course then, with the majority of insurers, you don’t.

Stratavarious

rocktron said:

Yesterday, I received a Notice of Intended Prosecution for doing 47mph in a 40mph zone on the elevated section of the M4 at Brentford, of all places. 

I expect that I will be requested to take an driver's educational course, or pay a fine and have points on my licence. I am not sure which is the best option.

Has anyone taken the driver's educational course, and what does it involve?

100% TAKE IT,..  I was done for 33 in a 30.. a while back and had this option so my license remains clean. 

lt is fun and easy going... usually a bunch of mums and old guys rather than the boy racers who got caught.  Mainly a refresher course on the highway code and update on laws.  Some tips and tricks for safe driving, risk awareness.  All good, useful stuff. 

it is semi-anonymous in that you don't need to inform insurers.  But the police will keep a record so if you do it again... it will be points, 

strtdv

@rocktron the course is worth doing because it's not a fixed penalty or conviction so you aren't required to tell your insurance company at renewal time

robgilmo

Crap, mine expired a few years ago! and its on my last address! Does this mean I have to change address or renew my expired license?

Blaendulais

rocktron said:

Yesterday, I received a Notice of Intended Prosecution for doing 47mph in a 40mph zone on the elevated section of the M4 at Brentford, of all places. 

I expect that I will be requested to take an driver's educational course, or pay a fine and have points on my licence. I am not sure which is the best option.

Has anyone taken the driver's educational course, and what does it involve?

@rocktron ;

Bummer was that the average speed cameras on the way in or was it traffic cops?

fandango

Just checked mine, and got a little while to go, but good idea (h/t @skullfunkerry ) of putting a reminder in the diary. Knowing me, I'll set it two months before expiry.

Have just checked the UK Govt website, and you’ll be surprised to know that you will "receive a reminder before your current licence ends". [Stop laughing at the back]

For everyone's info ..... To renew online, you need a valid UK passport, to be a GB resident, addresses of where lived over the last 3 years, current driving licence, NI number. The new licence will be valid from the date your application is approved, not from the expiry date of your current (or your *cough* expired) licence.

CHRISB50

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

If you're lucky enough to still have one of the paper (no photo) licenses, I think there's no need to renew (until you change address).

Phew! 

boogieman

fandango said:

Just checked mine, and got a little while to go, but good idea (h/t @skullfunkerry ) of putting a reminder in the diary. Knowing me, I'll set it two months before expiry.

Have just checked the UK Govt website, and you’ll be surprised to know that you will "receive a reminder before your current licence ends". [Stop laughing at the back]

For everyone's info ..... To renew online, you need a valid UK passport, to be a GB resident, addresses of where lived over the last 3 years, current driving licence, NI number. The new licence will be valid from the date your application is approved, not from the expiry date of your current (or your *cough* expired) licence.

In a wonderful example of government efficiency, all it says at the beginning of the application page is that you’ll need all the required paperwork to hand, but it doesn’t actually tell you what all of that is. The NI number wasn’t even mentioned until I got to the relevant  page. Luckily I remember it off by heart because it was part of my weekly job sheet at work. 

TTony

boogieman said:

Just discovered that mine expires in 10 days.  

What do you mean ... “expires” ??

Ive still got mine from 1980-a-long-time-ago, and it’s fine ...

boogieman

TTony said:

boogieman said:

Just discovered that mine expires in 10 days.  

What do you mean ... “expires” ??

Ive still got mine from 1980-a-long-time-ago, and it’s fine ...

Are you still on a paper licence then? The plastic photo licences only last 10 years, then you have to renew them. 

Funkfingers

I shall have to renew at a Post Office. 

badlydrawnbanjo

Exactly this a couple of weeks ago. They only reason I found out was that our fleet team emailed to say I would have to hand my car back if I didn’t send them my new licence. Luckily once it’s renewed, it only takes a day to appear on the online  DVLA licence check and the card arrived within a week. 

strtdv

I think the government is giving an extension on all photo licences that expire been now and August

p90fool

robgilmo said:

Crap, mine expired a few years ago! and its on my last address! Does this mean I have to change address or renew my expired license?

It is definitely an offence not to change the address on your licence, and it's in your interests too, or speeding tickets could be piling up on your old doormat without you having a chance to deal with them before things get out of hand. 

ESBlonde

From this thread i checked mine....Opps, End of April 20. Herself was the same so we renewed online last night.

It does say have all your docs to hand before because it will time out. There is a full screen review of all your answers where you can check and correct each before submission. Took a little over 15 mins each for us to renew. Again neither had any notice of expiration before or since and there was nothing obvious to say about COVID extention period on the .gov website.

Also beware there are the usual scammers that you can pay more to who then link through to the DVLA so make sure you get the correct update site.

You get an email confirmation of receipt almost instantly.

You are also asked to cut up and return your old licence, has everyone done this?

fields5069

p90fool said:

ICBM said:

I never even knew this was a thing until you were 70. I just checked mine and it runs out in just under two months... if it wasn't for this thread it could easily have already expired and I would have had no idea.

This thread might be worth making a 'sticky'.

They run out every ten years, but if you move house in that time you have to do it then anyway. 

Mine has two years left to run before I need to renew it, but I always keep the old one and say I've lost it as so many get returned with the motorcycle entitlement removed, forcing you to retake your test. 

I've been in my house 12 years. Are you sure? Mine's not running out for cars until 2024.