International Driving Licence Rules

Question:

Good afternoon to you, I was given your email to write my complaint and I get a response back.

I was pulled over by the police last week for not waiting on the line looking right but to be very fair, he hadn’t gotten to the junction but never the less, he inpounded my car that day because he claimed I didn’t have a valid licence to drive. I tendered my international drivers licence, that’s valid for 12months and its only about 6months old.

He says because I have a provisional drivers licence, my international licence becomes invalid once I have applied for a provisional licence, but I told him I have found this in the law and before I begun to drive on the road that with an international driver licence, you are allowed to drive on the UK roads for 12 months in which in between, you can apply for a provisional and full before the time period of 12 months if you wish to continue to drive.

After the 12 months expiry of the international drivers licence……my car was taken off me and I got it out now but since then been restricted and use of public transport when I got a car.

…..it has cause me so much inconveniences but decided to take the test regardless, but today decided to call DVLA to ask if I was really wrong and I had two different correspondents from the office stating to me that I am on the right side of the law and to call the police station to tell them this.

But though I should get advice first before doing this, can I sue?

Because he was wrong and he used the law against me when I actually told him what I saw in the law and he proved to me that I was wrong and impounded my car. I have paid the fee and released my car, would my money be refundable now that the police was wrong in taking my car off me saying I had an invalid licence and with my provisional licence, I didn’t put an L plate and a full licence holder in the passengers seat.

I have found out today that I was right and he was on the wrong side of the law. I tried to ring them but the person I was suppose to speak to wasn’t on site. Do I ring the police station and tell them this? Can I be refunded, do I have a case?

Please advice me on what to do….thanks a lot

Paula Says:

The officer is right that your provision licence takes precedent over your international licence, but if you are within 12 months of entering the UK and becoming resident then you can drive on your provisional without supervision and without l plates.

You need to make a complaint to the IPCC if you want to try to get your money back.