Fleet managers are being encouraged to ensure any drivers holding foreign EU licences have completed a DVLA D9 form, which allows motoring offences issued to that licence to be stored on a central database.

This D9 database allows high-risk fleet drivers to be identified.
“Accessing driver records enables fleet managers to look at the training a driver requires and take the appropriate action, therefore minimising the associated risk,” said Diarmuid Fahy, head of risk management at ING Car Lease.

The D9 form can be completed by anyone resident here who has a driving licence issued in any European Community/European Economic Area (EC/EEA) country.

Fleet managers who have such licence holders driving their vehicles should already have ensured that these drivers have registered their details with DVLA – they must do this under UK law within one year of becoming resident.

However, they are also being urged to get them to complete the additional D9 form, which is not mandatory but allows EC/EEA licence holders to apply for a licence counterpart.

This counterpart allows the British authorities to apply fixed penalties and points.

It also allows DVLA to interrogate the issuing country’s database to discover if the licence holder has received endorsements there.

This information is keyed onto a standalone DVLA database – the Foreign Licence Holder Record - before the counterpart document is issued.

A recent poll undertaken by ING confirmed less than half of businesses had clear policies in place when it came to tracking their foreign fleet drivers.

Only one in ten had heard of the D9 form.

“Present GB legislation does not provide for the processing of fixed penalties for holders of licenses issued outside Great Britain and so companies could be at risk of employing drivers who have previous motoring offences,” said Mr Fahy.

“It’s a big concern that as the trend for employing foreign drivers is increasing, there isn’t more awareness about the D9 form and its huge benefit.”