Motorists in Britain could land themselves a hefty fine by ignoring the codes on the rear of the driving licence. Many drivers will have never looked at the rear of their driving licence before. On the back of the plastic photo card licence is a whole host of information which you need to become familiar with to stay safe on the road. The codes could land you a fine and penalty points if you fail to understand who they’re for.
Under section 12 of the driving licence are ‘information codes.’ These codes relate to different road rules and regulations about what you can drive and how.
Of all the codes 01 is the most common and relates to eyesight.
A driver will have the 01 code if they need to wear glasses or contact lenses while behind the wheel and have informed the DVLA they require them to drive.
If a police officer pulls you over and finds that you’re not wearing glasses or contacts despite needing them on the roads then you could be fined £100 and handed three points.
However, you’re more likely to be prosecuted and go to court, reveals lawyers.
Therefore, this fine can rise to £1,000 but you can also be fined £1,000 for failing to update your DVLA driving licence.
Laura Newton, motoring law expert at Rothera Sharp, said to The Sun: “Failing to update something can be an offence but that’s just a financial penalty.
“If you are not driving in accordance with the categories it’s like not having L-plates on your car as a learner. That is when it becomes an endorsable offence.”
Other codes refer to what type of vehicle you can drive, the length and weight, type or whether you need modified steering, brakes or clutch if you are disabled.
In addition to this, there is a code which refers to motorists that wear a hearing aid.
Motorists can be fined £1,000 for failing to keep their address information, marital status and title up to date.
They can also be punished if the photo on the licence expires. Both of these offences carry a £1,000 fine.
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