British drivers hiring cars abroad now have three-week code rather than three-day one in move hailed 'victory for common sense'
- Drivers now need to take unique code with them when hiring car overseas
- Previously, only had 72-hour code - this has been boosted to three weeks
- Comes after many drivers complained code didn't last long enough
British holidaymakers or business travellers hiring a car abroad will now have three weeks to share their driving licence history with firms instead of just three days, the DVLA has announced.
The paper part of the driving licence was scrapped last month and motorists now need to obtain a special online code to give to hire companies to check their penalty point records.
However, the code only worked for a maximum of 72 hours. It meant those hiring a car in the second week of a foreign trip were forced to find internet access abroad or run up roaming charges by going online using a mobile phone.
Car hire changes: The DVLA will now generate a unique three-week code rather than a three-day one
The DVLA said it was clear 'some users want the check code to last longer' amid claims it had been inundated with complaints and has extended it to three weeks.
The 72-hour limit had initially been set to 'minimise the risk of unauthorised access to potentially personal data' the DVLA claimed.
Pete Williams, RAC head of external affairs at the RAC, said: 'This is a dramatic U-turn from the DVLA which feels very much like a victory for common sense.
'Presumably they were inundated with complaints from private motorists and businesses alike about three days being far too short a period to share your licence with a hire car company or an employer.
'The move to three weeks is sensible as it provides sufficient flexibility for people hiring a car in the second or third week of a holiday or business trip.'
Dudley Ashford, DVLA drivers' services manager, said it had introduced the extension after listening to customer feedback, as for some people 'the 72 hours validity period is not long enough.'
He added: 'We will review this in three months once we've had sufficient further feedback from users and industry.'
Motorists in Northern Ireland were warned not to bin the paper part of their driving licence, as the abolition in Great Britain does not apply in the region.
The move to getting a unique code online caused the DVLA website to crash when it launched this time last month, while some travellers said long queues had formed at hire firms out of confusion.
Drivers can generate a code on the gov.uk website.
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