Error on new driving licence

Error on new driving licence

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Discussion

IJWS15

Original Poster:

1,935 posts

92 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
With the reputation DVLA have this can’t be an unusual situation, just moved and updated my licence online. New licence arrived yesterday and they have got everything right apart from missing the (01) note off every category.

They say that you have to return the incorrect licence with a covering letter (more opportunities to screw up) but am I breaking any laws if I don’t? I have worn spectacles for 50 years and am not likely to drive without them.

HTP99

23,286 posts

147 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
Well I never knew the 01 code was a thing, I wear glasses, driving without them for me would be dangerous, I don't have that code on my licence.

agtlaw

6,909 posts

213 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
A friend of mine renewed his photocard. I think it may have expired so he sent a paper application to DVLA. When it came back, neither of us could log into the online DVLA portal with the new licence details.

I had a photo of his old licence and soon realised that they had changed his licence number. Looking more closely, they had changed his date of birth!

Mont Blanc

1,400 posts

50 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
I wouldn't give it a second thought.

There was a thread on here recently where loads of people said they didn't have (01) on their licence despite wearing glasses. There must be hundreds of thousands (possibly millions) of people in the UK who wear glasses and have never once thought to let the DVLA know about it.

sixor8

6,594 posts

275 months

Friday 12th July
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I'm sure I read another thread about this issue recently. I think it may stem from if you took your driving test wearing glasses. I've started wearing mine driving but only because I've gone to varifocals instead of having to take reading glasses on and off to read anything close up. rolleyes

All drivers are obliged to ensure that they can pass the 'test' which is a number plate from 20m away, not exactly stringent. You don't even have to notify DVLA if you lose 1 eye, as long as you can pass the test with one, never mind distance perception....

QBee

21,400 posts

151 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
agtlaw said:
A friend of mine renewed his photocard. I think it may have expired so he sent a paper application to DVLA. When it came back, neither of us could log into the online DVLA portal with the new licence details.

I had a photo of his old licence and soon realised that they had changed his licence number. Looking more closely, they had changed his date of birth!
Presumably thought he was a born again christian?
There were a lot of them about when I was a student, very earnest, very hard to avoid.

agtlaw

6,909 posts

213 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
QBee said:
Presumably thought he was a born again christian?
There were a lot of them about when I was a student, very earnest, very hard to avoid.
Perhaps.

To resolve the issue (and restore his original licence number) he had to send his original birth certificate to DVLA.


Hol

8,702 posts

207 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
agtlaw said:
QBee said:
Presumably thought he was a born again christian?
There were a lot of them about when I was a student, very earnest, very hard to avoid.
Perhaps.

To resolve the issue (and restore his original licence number) he had to send his original birth certificate to DVLA.
There’s been a (very) few posts over the years where the presumption was that the DVLA have mixed up two peoples details.

Admittedly, the issues noted were around receiving some form of notice (think fine) that was obviously sent to the wrong person, so I wonder if this was another example?

Pica-Pica

14,450 posts

91 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
My previous licence had 01 coding. However my eyesight has changed and become longer distant,m such that my glasses don’t help. I checked with my optician, and asked if my eyesight was OK for driving. She said yes, although I did buy some Zeiss lenses glasses for night driving. I renewed my driving licence and ensured I did not have the ‘01’ coding.

In short.
Having 01 and not wearing corrective lenses, may be an issue, if stopped.
Not having 01, but wearing corrective lenses won’t be an issue.

BertBert

19,681 posts

218 months

Friday 12th July
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Just wondered, what is the offence committed of driving without glasses and having the 01 code? Assuming ones eyesight is legal without correction.

agtlaw

6,909 posts

213 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
BertBert said:
Just wondered, what is the offence committed of driving without glasses and having the 01 code? Assuming ones eyesight is legal without correction.
Driving with uncorrected defective eyesight

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/secti...

BertBert

19,681 posts

218 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
agtlaw said:
BertBert said:
Just wondered, what is the offence committed of driving without glasses and having the 01 code? Assuming ones eyesight is legal without correction.
Driving with uncorrected defective eyesight

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/secti...
I don't think so. My question was if you have 01 but have good enough (legal) uncorrected eyesight. Is that an offence?

My eyesight has gone from not good enough to good enough with the passage of time (although I've never had an 01 code).

bobtail4x4

3,820 posts

116 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
BertBert said:
Just wondered, what is the offence committed of driving without glasses and having the 01 code? Assuming ones eyesight is legal without correction.
same here, as I got old (er) my eyes have got better,
the nice optician says I don`t need glasses to drive anymore,
either that ot the last one was taking me for a mug £400 every couple of years,

IJWS15

Original Poster:

1,935 posts

92 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
Will ignore it then.

Cat

3,063 posts

276 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
BertBert said:
I don't think so. My question was if you have 01 but have good enough (legal) uncorrected eyesight. Is that an offence?

My eyesight has gone from not good enough to good enough with the passage of time (although I've never had an 01 code).
It's not an offence.

Code 01 on your licence doesn't mean you must wear glasses/contacts when driving, it simply indicates that you may need them to meet the required standard.

The offence, as agtlaw has pointed out, is driving with uncorrected defective eyesight. If you don't need glasses to meet the required standard then your eyesight is not defective as far as the law is concerned so there's no requirement for correction.

There is no specific offence of driving without glasses whilst having code 01 on your licence.

Cat

BertBert

19,681 posts

218 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
Thanks

Bainbridge

195 posts

44 months

Saturday 13th July
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That's good to hear.

I needed glasses for my driving test due to short sightedness and the glasses code is probably on my license, but the I had laser eye surgery about 15 years ago and don't need them anymore.

I didn't think to update my licence.

Drawweight

3,097 posts

123 months

Saturday 13th July
quotequote all

When I turned 70 and had to renew my licence I put the old one down as ‘lost’

I’ve read too much about categories going missing or details wrong to take any chances. I’m too old now to retake my motorbike tests.

NDA

22,304 posts

232 months

Saturday 13th July
quotequote all
My last eye test showed (as is the same for others here) that my distance vision has improved to the point of being pretty much 20/20. My reading vision has worsened.

I no longer need glasses to drive - but have an '01' on my licence.

My limited understanding is that as you get older the lenses in your eyes harden and, in many cases, this can improve your vision.

Pica-Pica

14,450 posts

91 months

Saturday 13th July
quotequote all
NDA said:
My last eye test showed (as is the same for others here) that my distance vision has improved to the point of being pretty much 20/20. My reading vision has worsened.

I no longer need glasses to drive - but have an '01' on my licence.

My limited understanding is that as you get older the lenses in your eyes harden and, in many cases, this can improve your vision.
6/6 - this is not the USA !