[Mike 700]

 

Just driving along to Tesco, to save a bit on a couple of ready meals, when some old git crossed the white line and smashed my mirror – excess on Insurance is £100.

Gonna enjoy those meals, if it kills me!

Topic

[joss]

No Dash cam ?That would have saved you your excess.  I take said old git did not stop

Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.

[Mike 700]

No dash cam today, Joss,  but I am ordering a cheapish version from Amazon in the morning – AMAZON CHOICE  Front and Rear 1080P Full HD Dashcam, Dual Dash Cam with F1.8 Night Vision 170°Wide Angle 3 Inch IPS Screen Dashcams for Cars, Loop Recording, G-sensor, Parking Monitor £25.49 thanks for your advice.

Nah, the old ( probably the same age as me ) git didn’t stop, but neither did I, as we were both in lines of traffic going at a steady 25-30 mph on a one lane each way country road, and stopping would have caused chaos?

RSA Insurance have already ( efficiently ) arranged a repair and a courtesy car, and the cost will likely be in excess of £300 I’m told?

Regards,

[joss]

Glad to see you have ordered a dash cam Mike. They really are worth it.

Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.

[Georgie]

Commiserations, Mike.  I’ve sometime thought about getting some kind of dash-cam, but strongly suspect I’d just end up incriminating myself. 😮

How were the meals?

[Mike 700]

Thanks guys,

I have the dashcam , but I am not going to fit it yet, for two reasons-

1. Having had a chat with Motability, they will not authorise the rear camera fitting- a plug in will be ok, but not one which needs to be connected to the car’s electrical system, so I may have to change the whole thing, or just not use the supplied rear camera, and replace it with a plug in version?

2. Having applied for my medical driving licence renewal in January 2020, just over One Year ago, and driving under Section 88 of the RTA, with my ability to drive being confirmed twice during the year by my Consultant, I have just received a form D 797 M to complete ( new photo ), and having spoken to the DVLA this morning, I have been informed that I do not have a driving licence nor Section 88 cover, until they receive and approve in writing ‘ the  D797M .

So, I am ‘in effect’ banned from driving for a few days to a week or so!

HeyHo – there y’ go !

 

 

 

 

[joss]

@Mike 700  Motabilty policy regarding dash cams is you can have one or two so long as they are not “hardwired” to the cars electrical circuits. Shame really, but understandable.

Sorry to here about your Driving licence Mike. Mine is due for renewal in May this year. Currently on a 3 year licence. Did they notify you when its due ?

Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.

[Mike 700]

Hi Joss,

As the Dash cam was quite cheap, at £25+ after a £ 14 + discount was applied, and as the front camera is a plug in, I have decided to fix the rear camera to a mobility scooter – you never know when it may be needed I guess?, sent an email off, and the makers say that this is ok?, and then i’ll get me another set like the one in the box, and use the front camera from the new set as a rear camera for the Tiguan , and plug it in at the back.

The rear camera from the second set will also go on a mobility scooter, so nothing wasted, and a total, cost of £ 50.98,  which seems like a good investment compared to paying the Insurance excess.( in the future though?)

Once again, thanks – good advice.

As far as the licence is concerned, I didn’t receive a notice from the DVLA, as I sent off early via their Website , but if I had waited, they may indeed have informed me that my licence was due for renewal, rather than just an receipt/acknowledgment?

btw. A new photograph was not required at that time, but because of covid , and consultant etc delays , the appropriate date clearly slipped by, and I do now need the updated photo, which I will get at Tesco tomorrow, along with another for my passport renewal?

Regards.

ps- whilst the Tiguan is being repaired, they supplied me with an almost new Vauxhall Corsa Auto, with plenty of kit on board, but it is so low to get in and out of, and the door opening is too small for me ( 5ft 10+ and 48inch chest) to use , with a steeply sloping entry , but once in, the seat is much more comfortable than the one in the Tiggie, and the driving position is good, as well as the performance!

[Mike 700]

Georgie wrote:

Commiserations, Mike. I’ve sometime thought about getting some kind of dash-cam, but strongly suspect I’d just end up incriminating myself. ? How were the meals?

 

Well, the meals were good, but not worth the cost of the excess and dash cams, but you can’t take it with you eh?

[Mike 700]

joss wrote:

@Mike 700 Motabilty policy regarding dash cams is you can have one or two so long as they are not “hardwired” to the cars electrical circuits. Shame really, but understandable. Sorry to here about your Driving licence Mike. Mine is due for renewal in May this year. Currently on a 3 year licence. Did they notify you when its due ?

 

Just to follow up on the licence saga Joss, with a cautionary tale?

Based on my experience with the DVLA this year , I would caution anyone against applying early for a Medical Driving Licence- much better to be patient and apply near the expiry date of your existing licence!

Should there be a delay in processing the licence – (which happened to me ,with delays and missing or incomplete forms to/from both my Consultant and GP, but to be fair, they probably had a bit more to attend to than in a normal year ) – resulting in your existing licence expiry date passing by, and then ,with no valid licence yet issued, you can resort to driving under Section 88 of the RTA , as long as your Doctor agrees, but –

be aware, ‘the section 88 cover is valid from the date your application received, not the date of your licence renewal’ ?

In my case, having applied in January 2020 for an April 2020 licence expiry,-thinking that this would take a bit of pressure off’ – and even though I was not technically driving under Section 88 for the period January to April, because my licence was still valid, the section 88 1 year cover , commenced on the day my application was received ie 28 January 2020, which then duly expired on the 27th.January 2021.

So, if because of Covid ( and it could be for any other reason in the future of course) , there is a shortage of staff and consequential delays, as a result, you may end up like me? – I still do not have my licence, but neither do I now have protection under section 88 RTA, as my application was about 13 months back!

The result is , that I now cannot drive , until I am in receipt of my new Driving Licence, Not even in an emergency as I would be breaking the law, the lease agreement and will invalidate the Insurance cover !

Phew

Mike 700.

[joss]

Thanks for update Mike 700

I guess I will just leave mine until I get notified, then take things from there.

Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.

[joss]

@Mike 700  Maybe this what has caused your problems with driving licence. from DVLC

If your licence expired between 1 February and 31 December 2020
Your driving licence or entitlement to drive in the UK was automatically extended for 11 months. This is because of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The extension started from the date your licence was due to expire.

You will not get a new licence as part of the automatic extension. You’ll only get a new licence when you renew it.

You can renew your licence online at any time before the extension ends.

Renew your licence as normal if it expires on or after 1 January 2021.

Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.

[Mike 700]

joss wrote:

@Mike 700 Maybe this what has caused your problems with driving licence. from DVLC If your licence expired between 1 February and 31 December 2020 Your driving licence or entitlement to drive in the UK was automatically extended for 11 months. This is because of coronavirus (COVID-19). The extension started from the date your licence was due to expire. You will not get a new licence as part of the automatic extension. You’ll only get a new licence when you renew it. You can renew your licence online at any time before the extension ends. Renew your licence as normal if it expires on or after 1 January 2021.

yup, I thought of that, as my licence was due for renewal on the 16th. April 2020, and therefore by adding the 11 months, one would have thought that I would be covered until March 15/16 2021?

NAH – too easy, because in the meantime they decided that my photo was getting old (well, so am I ) and by asking for an up to date photograph, this request sent rhe application

on another track, and I will now have a new licence with a new photograph, not as per your note ?

watch this space!

 

 

[joss]

?

Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.

[Mike 700]

I have just had a conversation with a very nice young lady at the DVLA- she has confirmed that  I have been granted my licence and it is on the way , probably next week now, and that I am entitled to drive as normal- phew , 13 months in the making?

Just going out to celebrate – Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose – living it up again!!!!!

[Mike 700]

Just got in from the ‘celebration shop’, and waiting for me was a letter from Motability – “  It’s time to choose your next car” .

I can order from the 7th.March, but I also have an agreement on file to keep the Tiguan for up to a further 2 years, as it has only done 18000 miles and has over £4000 of extras on board!

So, decisions decisions?

[Mike 700]

Mike 700 wrote:

I have just had a conversation with a very nice young lady at the DVLA- she has confirmed that I have been granted my licence and it is on the way , probably next week now, and that I am entitled to drive as normal- phew , 13 months in the making? Just going out to celebrate – Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose – living it up again!!!!!

 

Well, I have an update on the licence saga.
After some 14 months since applying for a renewal, I telephoned the DVLA again yesterday and they confirmed that my licence will be actually / physically issued today, and will run from the 27th February 2021 to 26th. February 2024, so it has gone up from a 1 year term and back to a 3 year term – good news, but on looking on the DVLA website today, I am now restricted to Auto Transmission only – no explanation available?

I can now, at least, sort out my car renewal, which is to just keep the existing car ( by agreement on file ) – it’s automatic ( 7 speed with sport  mode ) opening Panoramic sunroof, full KESSY inc tailgate, park assist, sliding reclining rear seats picnic tables etc etc etc, auto lights ,massage drivers seat, and so much more,  inc a new dash cam. New tyres and still under 18000 miles – sorted!

 

[joss]

Good news there Mike 700. From 1 year to 3 years is perfect. Regarding auto boxes only. Did you tick that box on the medical form? That you need an automatic because of your mobility problems?

I sent mine in this week. I hope it does not take 14 months lol. I was on a 3 year medical licence because I was on insulin for my diabetes. This time, I am no longer on insulin and back on tablet control. Hoping for a 5 year licence this time around.

Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.

[Mike 700]

joss wrote:

Good news there Mike 700. From 1 year to 3 years is perfect. Regarding auto boxes only. Did you tick that box on the medical form? That you need an automatic because of your mobility problems? I sent mine in this week. I hope it does not take 14 months lol. I was on a 3 year medical licence because I was on insulin for my diabetes. This time, I am no longer on insulin and back on tablet control. Hoping for a 5 year licence this time around.

It certainly is good news, – I honestly can’t remember if I ticked any particular box, but I may have done- but as I have ‘chosen’ to drive automatics for the last 20 years or so, making it ‘official’ really is of no concern to me, especially as I have been able to  arrange automatic courtesy cars whenever my car had to go in for service or repairs!

Nothing has changed ,health wise, and there was no explanation as to why they dropped me from a 3 year licence to a 1 year, nor has there been any explanation as to why they have put me back up to a 3 year ‘deal’?

Good luck with yours, & Regards.

[Author]

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