A HUGE number of drivers across the UK are set to run the risk of being slapped with fines of £1,000 – as well as penalty points and even car seizure.
New data from the DVLA have revealed that over two million driving licence photocards will expire in 2025 – with motorists urged to make sure they renew them on time.
Drivers risk a £1,000 fine if they get behind the wheel after their licence expires[/caption]
Renewing a licence online costs just £14 – and is the only sure way to avoid any costly penalties[/caption]
Over two million UK drivers must act now to stay road legal in 2025[/caption]
While this seems like a simple thing to remember, last year around 300,000 drivers failed to renew their licences – meaning they were potentially getting behind the wheel illegally.
Driving with an expired license runs the risk of fines up to £1,000, six penalty points or even car seizure.
UK law requires motorists to renew their photocard licences every 10 years, or every three years once they reach the age of 70.
Drivers can check their licence’s expiry date under section 4b on the front of the card.
Renewal can be completed online, by post or in person at the Post Office.
Online renewals are the quickest and cheapest at £14, while postal applications cost £17 and can take up to three weeks.
Experts at BigWantsYourCar recommend setting reminders to check your licence and warn not to rely solely on renewal letters – as failing to update your address with the DVLA might result in missing them.
They said: “Driving with an expired licence is not a minor issue – it’s a criminal offence.
“Many drivers aren’t even aware that their licence has an expiry date, but if you’re caught, the consequences are serious.
“You could be fined up to £1,000, receive up to six points on your licence, and even have your car seized.”
Elsewhere, a major car manufacturer has issued another significant vehicle recall just weeks after a previous recall involving Citroen and DS models.
Stellantis recently sent out a “stop driving” alert to British motorists involving Citroen and DS cars, who are both under the Stellantis umbrella.
Specifically, the Citroen C3 (2009-2019), DS3 (2009-2019), Citroen C4 (2010-2011), DS4 (2010-2011) and DS5 (2010-2013).
All will require repairs – impacting around 130,000 vehicles.
But things are now even worse for the multinational corporation, as a fault has since been discovered in motors from another one of their famous brands – Peugeot.
Specifically, Peugeot 308 models, manufactured between 12 October 2015 and 1 December 2019, are the subject of a recall over concerns were raised regarding the seat belt anchorage on the second row of seats.
It is believed there’s a potential risk of rupture in the event of a crash – which is serious enough for Stellantis to deem the repair work “essential”.
“The rear seat belt anchors may not be able to withstand the force of the impact sufficiently”, according to official recall site RappelConso.
“This could limit the belt’s ability to restrain a passenger in the event of an accident resulting in injuries.”