Remove Red Tape

Licensing, Registration and Insurance

These regulations aim to protect the public by ensuring that drivers of private and commercial vehicles are appropriately qualified and insured. They include provisions and penalties for licenses, insured and uninsured drivers, registration plates and the validity of foreign licenses.

You can find all the regulations that relate to Licensing, registration & insurance below to the left.

Tell us what you think should happen to these regulations and why, being specific where possible:

• Should we scrap them altogether?
• Could their purpose be achieved in a non-regulatory way (eg through a voluntary code?) How?
• Could they be reformed, simplified or merged? How?
• Can we reduce their bureaucracy through better implementation? How?
• Can we make their enforcement less burdensome? How?
• Should they be left as they are?

276 comments on “Licensing, Registration and Insurance”

1. Owen Davies on June 16, 2011 at 11:40 pm said:

   Why are learner motorcyclists allowed to drive around on ‘L’ plates forever as long as they keep renewing their CBT. CBT is a 1 day training course and in no way eqips them to ride safely on the road. A year on L’s is more than enough time to pass your test and become a trianed and competant rider. If you don’t pass within a year then you can’t do your CBT for another 3 years.

   Learner car drivers should be limited on engine size / power to weight ratio for 2 years just like motorcyclists are. Learner drivers should also have to do a module on motorway driving after they have passed test to stop middle lane driving on the motorway.

   C1 / D1 should be granted for the the same test for drivers without grandfather rights
2. Mike Lambden on June 16, 2011 at 8:35 pm said:

   The DSA red tape for any query can be hard work, especially if its a data upload for Driver details for CPC
3. June on June 16, 2011 at 6:11 pm said:

   why oh why do we have to wait 3 or 10 days between taking driving tests and driver cpc tests. The CPC test is even more of a nonsense because if you fail the mod 4 which is a demonstration on a stationary vehicle you have to wait 3 days to retake – the DSA can offer no sense for this other than it gives you time to practice – practice what, looking at something!
4. june on June 16, 2011 at 5:59 pm said:

   why is it that the DVLA can sell off my personal details that hey hold on their licensing databade for financial gain – they are a Government department and should be protecting my details not selling them off to the highest bidder to make a few pounds for the Government
5. June on June 16, 2011 at 5:53 pm said:

   the integrity of the driving test should be preserved – there is a rumour that motorcycle trainers are going to be allowed to deliver driving tests for bike riders – how is this going to preserve the tests integrity when a trainer trains someone and then tests them- lets just all go down to the supermarket and drive around a bit like they do in America and then consider that a test pass – and while we are at it don’t be surprised when we suddenly become the worst country in terms of road safety in the world instaead of our current No 1 position. Thi is a silly idea – there was a big fraus case in the press about selling driving test not long ago and the Government seem unable to realise that some regulations are there for a reason.
6. JUNE on June 16, 2011 at 5:48 pm said:

   Teachers driving minibuses should not be allowed unless they undergo training like professional drivers and hold the correct minibus driving licence i.e. a D1. I do not want children driven by untrained persons just because the Government wants to save money. Professional drivers undergo periodic training to drive – teachers do not.
7. Mike on June 16, 2011 at 5:09 pm said:

   I would like to comment firstly on inexperienced drivers.

   I cannot think of many instances where we would allow someone to operate potentially lethal equipment without adequate training and examination and yet every year we allow newly “qualified” motorists to drive on motorways without any training or evaluation. I think it is time for there to be a significant change to the process for becoming qualified to drive a car.

   1. A basic driving test similar to the current one. As an aside, the so called theory test is a joke and can be learned parrot fashion from CDs which are widely available and certainly without going to the bother of even looking at the Highway Code – the theory and hazard perception elements need to be reintroduced into the practical test .

   2. Drivers should then be limited to driving a car having a power to weight ratio below a particular figure for two years (the actual ratio to be assessed by experts more knowledgeable than me).

   3. Once the basic test has been passed, drivers should have a maximum of two years to pass a further test driving on motorways and if they fail to do so, they should go back to provisional licence holder status.

   4. If during the two years following them passing the basic test they acquire six or more penalty points they should go back to provisional licence holder status immediately..

   Turning now to more experienced drivers, I would like to see a driving licence entitlement lasting no more than 10 years after which there should be a compulsory retest on urban roads and motorways. Yes, there would be a concern about cost but actually the test need cost no more than the average cost of replacing a tyre and this move would quickly remove those dangerous drivers who quite frankly either should never have been driving or who should no longer be driving. It would also deal with the politically difficult issue of older drivers as this would not discriminate on age and if older drivers demonstrated they still had the ability to drive they would keep their licences like everyone else.

   Finally, can I come to uninsured drivers and unlicensed vehicles.

   I would like to see the network of speed cameras converted to record the vehicle’s index number, check with the tax, MOT and insurance records at the DVLA and issue a fine if any proves not to be in force. In the same way that photos are currently taken to provide evidence in speeding cases, photos should be used to provide evidence of vehicles being used without tax, insurance or a valid MOT..

   There also needs to be a closer link between the money a driver saves by taking the risk and not insuring their car and the penalty if they are caught. For example the insurance premium on our very modest 1.4 litre hatchback last year was £1200 because we had an inexperiened driver on it. We could have decided not to insure the car and on average we could have been fined every month for a year and we we would still have saved money!!

   I suggest the penalty should be twice the premium as calculated by three of the widely available comparison websites and absolutely should NOT be linked to ability to pay..If you are in an accident involving an uninsured driver, the amount they earn annually will be of no interest and by and large the police find uninsured cars are also not roadworthy.