The daily rental industry is urging company car drivers to ensure their driving licences are up to date – after it was estimated by those behind the campaign that at least a quarter of motorists attempting to hire a car this summer will find their licence is out-of-date or has incorrect details.
The joint campaign has been launched by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to highlight the problem.
They say the driving licence is the first form of identification car rental company representatives ask for.
If the information does not correlate with other forms of identification, a considerable amount of time is wasted, the organisations say.
Such concerns yet again demonstrate why it is vital for fleets to carry out regular licence checks on their employees.
Daily rental companies Europcar and Hertz are supporting the campaign by including 'update your details' leaflets in rental agreement packs handed to customers when they hire a car. Both are BVRLA members.
Jay Parmar, head of legal services at BVRLA, said: 'Out of date driving licences delay the entire process of hiring a car and can cause both our members and customers considerable aggravation. We wholeheartedly support this campaign.'
Motorists who fail to update details, for example a change of address, face a £1,000 fine.
The issue of licence checking was raised in May, when companies were encouraged to check their drivers' licences on a frequent basis in the fifth HSBC Vehicle Finance Business Car Expectations survey.
The report found that 88% of fleets check the licences of new employees but the frequency of checking after that differs from company to company.
It said: 'If drivers lose their licence through fixed penalty points, the typical time for disqualification is two to three months. Some drivers may take the risk and not report it to the company and continue driving.'
Drivers wanting to update their licences or vehicle registration documents or certificates should go to their local post office or log on to www.dvla.gov.uk.
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