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What licences do your drivers need?
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You can not take for granted that any of your drivers has a
current driving
licence,
valid for the vehicle they drive. You should not even assume that
they know the licensing requirements, which are always subject to change.
The current driving licence categories have been in force since January
2013, following several changes during preceding years – and categories
were known as ‘groups’ until 1990. As an example, vehicles ranging from
cars to 16-seat minibuses were all within the ‘A’ group of vehicle types
during 1976-86, but are now sub-divided into four different categories.
You should also take into account that age restrictions apply. The minimum
age for driving in the UK can be 16, 17, 19, 21 or 24, according to the vehicle
category. Make no assumptions: a minibus might fall into either category
D or D1 – or even D1E, if towing a trailer – and different minimum ages apply.
You can check driving licences manually – ensuring that you examine both
the plastic photocard and the paper counterpart, but this is hardly foolproof.
The only certain way of covering yourself is to check with DVLA before hiring
a driver. Then, carry out regular reviews, at least annually.
Action point:
Anybody likely to drive on your behalf must be
licence-checked
with DVLA. Check the type, any
restrictions – ‘must wear glasses,’ for example –
and review any driving offences.
Ensure that each
and every driver is fully covered by insurance.
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Best practice in fleet management - Issue 01
1,2 4,5,6