Drivers who fail to update the photograph on their drivers licence could be hit with a maximum fine of £1,000 as photos on the new style licences must be renewed every 10 years by law, however a study by a car insurance provider has found there is widespread uncertainty amongst drivers with regard to this condition.
Sainsbury’s Car Insurance discovered the high penalty for not having an updated photograph on a UK driving licence following a request made through the Freedom of Information Act. It’s reported that 1.6 million drivers could be at risk of receiving the fine at this time, while by the end of 2012, a further 2.9 million licences will be in need of renewal in order to fully abide by the licensing laws.
The DVLA charge £20 to have the photograph updated on each drivers licence however Sainsbury’s Car Insurance found that as many as 41% of UK drivers are now aware of the repercussions of not having an updated image on their licence after 10 years which means that millions of drivers could be putting themselves at risk of receiving the hefty fine.
Those with the old style paper drivers licences will be unaffected by the law, only those with the photograph licences which came into being in 1998 will need to ensure their photographs are updated every 10 years in order to avoid the £1,000 which can be enforced by the police under Section 99 of the Road Traffic act 1988.
