Should Foreign Drivers Be Expected To Undergo British Driving Exams?

[Simon_Winns]

Hi all,

I discovered yesterday that there was a loophole in place that allowed foreign drivers to get a British driving license without adequate proof that they had passed any form of test.

The government put an end to the practise yesterday. I read that many countries within the EU had agreements with Britain whereby their citizens could effectively exchange their own license for a UK one. However, the home country of the applicant could also have had similar agreements in place with governments outside the EU such as Australia, Hong Kong and Japan. Thus making it difficult to prove the necessary driving exams had been successfully passed.

This move is intended to make British roads safer, but I wonder if the government will now go through their archives to double-check applicants that have already been successful in acquiring a British license? Will they in turn be required to provide proof of eligibility? Or will they be expected to undergo a British driving exam?

[Old_Geezer]

I'm unsure one can expect tourists to undergo a UK exam if they pop over for a week; but anyone here on a more regular/permanent basis should be treated differently. If the government trusts the foreign government to have high standards that need to be attained to get a driving licence in their country, then I have less objection to a simple process of getting a licence here. Where the foreign government seems to be more lax handing out licences then there should be a requirement to pass a test here.

[TWR]

A while back UK Haulage companies were employing foreign HGV Drivers, on the cheap as usual, a lot of the drivers were turning HGVs over, could not hack the lorry, could not hack the roads / widths in certain area's, a local company done the same.

[chas2008]

i think the damage has already been done, as usual...stable door and bolted springs to mind...
One of the issues is a lot of so called foreign licenses are actually forged/false as the british plod are unfamiliar with them and there is no computer data base there is no real way of checking them..
To compound matters further some foreigners have more than one name and consequently more than one license.
We had a van driver working for us (asian) and we know he had 3 speeding tickets as they come to the company yet when we wanted to update our records he kept producing a clean license, then the penny dropped he had 2 (dont ask me how) photo card licences in different names...

[jno]

I did that. No accidents, no tickets in 30something years. What's the problem?

[jake-the-peg]

I don't think there's a problem with people in the EU exchanging licences a lot of people travel around and spend time in different countries it would be ridiculuos to expect them to pass a test in each country they live in for a few years.

Sounds like there is an issue where the original test might be passed in some obscure country where the standards are not good and they then exchange a driving license in another european country and then exchange that for a British one.

I can't imagine it's a large problem but it's easilly resolved by maintaining a list of approved countries and only exchanging licenses where the *original* test was passed in one of those.

I wouldn't think there would be much wrong with Australia, Hong Kong and Japan's testing system though

[dzug2]

Is that a real isssue or just a theoretical one? Do such countries exist or has someone with nothing much to do wondered if it be the case? Even if it is is the likely number of such drivers worth wsting scarce resources on?

It really does sound a non-issue to me. There are better sticks to beat the EU if that is the point being made

[Simon_Winns]

I've heard stories of foreign drivers obtaining more than one license too.

I understand that many people seek employment in Britain, or indeed it is required as part of their existing employment to drive a vehicle in the UK. But it begs the question, from a road safety point of view, what legislations are in place to ensure that foreign drivers possess the skills necessary to drive safely on British roads?

This matter also raises the issue of vehicle tax: foreign fleets aren't required to pay tax to transport their goods on our highways nor does Britain have toll roads to fund highway maintenance. Foreign haulage firms are using our roads and not paying a penny.

What are your thoughts on this?

[Connemmara]

just joking - TO LICENSE SOMETHING BUT A LICENCE IS WHAT IT IS

[chas2008]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2222302/Foreign-lorries-charged-10-day-use-British-roads.html

wont hold my breath...

[Khandro]

Has someone a link to this new legislation as I would like to do the opposite and swap my UK license for a German one and always understood that this would require taking a German driving test which is expensive and rather awesome, particularly to someone who has been driving for nigh on 50 years

[Connemmara]

still nobody has picked up the difference between licence and license in the English language.

[Khandro]

correction; licence. Thank you.

[ABerrant]

This is specifically aimed at countries outside of the EU...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/9800905/New-curbs-on-foreign-licences.html

...and prompted by the 'scandal' raised last year with particular interest towards Hong Kong...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16996938


Khandro - "...I would like to do the opposite and swap my UK license for a German one and always understood that this would require taking a German driving test..."

You have understood incorrectly. A citizen of an EU Member State normally resident (i.e. resident for more than 185 days per year) in another EU Member state can exchange licences without the need of a retest. This is true for the exchange of a GB or NI licence for a Führerschein.

http://www.bmvbs.de/cae/servlet/contentblob/91968/publicationFile/64303/fact-sheet-foreign-driving-licences.pdf

[owdhamer]

Some years ago in Ireland they were so far behind with driving tests all those on the waiting

[TWR]

It really does sound a non-issue to me. Its a bit issue if the driver from abroad has no licence.

[owdhamer]

list were sent a license.

[DTCwordfan]

Khandro, apply to DVLA that you have "lost" your license and get a replacement. Later on, apply for the German and give up one of your two UK licences and voila. The one proviso is that I did that when we were paper-license based and with the plastic, they may be more up to date on this......Mind you, may be not.

[Hopkirk]

DT, if you get a replacement for a 'lost' licence it will have a different issue number.

The old one becomes invalid, and any check with the DVLA will show this up.

[Khandro]

ABerrant; Thank you for that link, it's the sort of exchange that makes AnswerBank really worthwhile. I was told 5 years ago that a new test was required (which was once certainly the case) and have never thought to question that since.

[puternut]

Are these foreign drivers any worse than those UK citizens driving never having either passed a test, on a 'hookey' licence, or with no licence at all?

Should we not look at our own system first