Should all drivers be made to carry licence when driving?

[Hugo a Gogo]

if not, why not?

people are quite prepared to carry all manner of other cards, work ID, tesco club card, ATM card, Gym membership etc etc. Why not a licence card?

Watching all these 'Police Cops Action Chase Crash Interceptors' programmes, the amount of "what is your name, tell me your real name, come on now, please" that goes on is ludicrous

We all accept having to have insurance, tax etc, yet it all falls down at the stage of proving who we are, where we live or that we actually have a licence - you are driving a car and you have some responsibility

what do you think?

[Deluded]

I keep mine in my wallet so it's pretty much on me all the time.

Can't see why anyone would object to it really.. But people can be such retards sometimes.

Wern't we supposed to be getting compulsary national ID cards anyway? Was a big thing a few years ago which no one seems to care about any more...

[6potdave]

I don't see a problem with it, I always carry mine in my wallet. Would get around the problem of people driving without one.

[Captain Muppet]

I never carry my licence. I keep it in a big metal box with all the other important documents in my life that I'd rather not have lost or stolen.

If it was the law I'd have no problem carrying it, but until then I'll keep it somewhere safe, if that's OK?

[Deluded]

6potdave said:

I don't see a problem with it, I always carry mine in my wallet. Would get around the problem of people driving without one.

Wouldn't really solve any problems though. All it would mean is that the driver would get pulled, get asked for their licence, get fined for not having it on them and then the police would still have to do all the usual who are you, whats your real name etc.

Same with the other thread about insurance discs. It wouldn't make a difference. Just because a car has a disc in the window, doesn't mean that the person driving it is insured to be doing so.

[LooneyTunes]

Deluded said:

Can't see why anyone would object to it really.. But people can be such retards sometimes.

Why is retarded not to want to carry around so much personal information (full name, address, DoB)?

After all, it's not as if the banks or credit providers whose cards are probably in the same wallet use the same info for security purposes is it?

[TomTheTyke]

Those of us who look young enough to be regularly asked for I.D. (the poster in the shop tell us it's a bonus really) don't have much choice but to carry our licences. However, people just don't seem to like being forced to do stuff like that, smacks a bit too much of "Papers!" (in a German accent), and to be honest, as has been said in this thread, I don't think it would make a blind bit of difference to the people the OP is talking about anyway. Better off letting our politicians carry on dealing efficiently with really important problems...

[PaulMoor]

Deluded said:

I keep mine in my wallet so it's pretty much on me all the time.

Can't see why anyone would object to it really.. But people can be such retards sometimes.

Wern't we supposed to be getting compulsary national ID cards anyway? Was a big thing a few years ago which no one seems to care about any more...

Are you willing to led me your driving licence (with name, address and DoB on it), bank cards (with your account details) and mobile phone (easy to find your Mothers maiden name - Give your parants a call, get them to confirm there name and address then off to online public records) for half an hour?

That is the problem with carrying it all around. Personaly I only carry my debit card and my mobile unless I know I need something else. Much easyer to replace than a wallet full of stuff.

There would (rightfully IMO) when the police started handing out fines because of lost/stolen/forgotten licences. In the UK the genral feeling is that the govenment do not have the automatic right to demand to know who you are, hence the fuss over ID. You should be able to go about your lawful business without being forced to prove who you are to anyone who askes.

[Starfighter]

Licence in wallet in pocket, MOST and insurance certificates (company duplicates) in the glove box. No problem having the set with me when ever I am driving.

French law (among others) requires you to carry your licence so it would be interesting to see anyone try the "human rights" angle to refuse.

[Hugo a Gogo]

PaulMoor said:

You should be able to go about your lawful business without being forced to prove who you are to anyone who askes.

so your 'lawful business' includes driving, but not buying a bottle of wine from tescos, getting out a library book, going to the gym, flying anywhere, etc etc?

[Dr Interceptor]

Everyone should keep their licence on them, and a COPY of their insurance certificate in the glove box.

Make it an offence not to do so, and it would speed up a lot of roadside enquiries made by the old bill.

[ad70x7]

Mine's always in my wallet.
What do you use for ID if you dont carry your driving licence?

[Captain Muppet]

ad70x7 said:

Mine's always in my wallet.
What do you use for ID if you dont carry your driving licence?

I have a face that looks like it's over 40. That seems to work for buying beer. There is nothing else I do regularly that might require ID.

[Robb F]

Dr Interceptor said:

Make it an offence not to do so, and it would speed up a lot of roadside enquiries made by the old bill.

So if I lose the card on a night out, I can't drive until the DVLA give me a replacement.

I see no reason that would be an issue...

[kambites]

Fine if it's only the card. It'd be annoying to have to carry the paper bit around too.

[ewenm]

They need to get rid of the "paper counterpart" first.

[ad70x7]

Captain Muppet said:

ad70x7 said:

Mine's always in my wallet.
What do you use for ID if you dont carry your driving licence?

I have a face that looks like it's over 40. That seems to work for buying beer. There is nothing else I do regularly that might require ID.

suppose, I have to use mine for picking stuff up at the post office, occasionaly in the supermarkets for beer/fags if they're being picky, and if I forget my blockbuster membership card. It would be more hassle for me to have it at home than in my wallet.

[Captain Muppet]

Dr Interceptor said:

Everyone should keep their licence on them, and a COPY of their insurance certificate in the glove box.

Make it an offence not to do so, and it would speed up a lot of roadside enquiries made by the old bill.

Not carrying my licence hasn't ever slowed down a roadside meeting with the BiB, not even the time I got a ticket.

I tell them personal details, they call it in, I get a producer, admin check out the documents, I put the documents back somewhere safe. Even if I'd had my licence on me I'd have got a producer for the MOT and insurance.

The system works for me, but then I only expeirience the system as a law abiding citizen. Except for speeding that one time. And the other time I got caught. But certainly no other time ever.

[Hugo a Gogo]

Robb F said:

Dr Interceptor said:

Make it an offence not to do so, and it would speed up a lot of roadside enquiries made by the old bill.

So if I lose the card on a night out, I can't drive until the DVLA give me a replacement.

I see no reason that would be an issue...

under my system, that i'm making up now...

you'd have to somehow prove who you were, and get a ticket for 'failure to produce' then you'd produce your new one from DVLA a couple of day later, with confirmation letter/slip/statement showing you'd ordered it at the soonest opportunity, the ticket would then be cancelled

[crofty1984]

Hugo a Gogo said:

PaulMoor said:

You should be able to go about your lawful business without being forced to prove who you are to anyone who askes.

so your 'lawful business' includes driving, but not buying a bottle of wine from tescos, getting out a library book, going to the gym, flying anywhere, etc etc?

It's not against the law to go to the library, you know.