New rules requiring convicted drivers to surrender their licences for points to be added within 28 days rather than the previous 12 months mean fleets should review how often they carry out licence checks.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) said tens of thousands of drivers who receive penalty points fail to surrender their licence. In the last year, it estimates some 42,000 drivers failed to do so, and so had their entitlement revoked.

It is hoped that by reducing the time drivers have to surrender their licence will encourage more to do so. If they don’t within four weeks they will have their right to drive revoked, meaning it will be illegal for them to drive.

Jaama said fleets typically check licences between every six to 12 months with more frequent checks on staff that have more than six points.

Now they should consider more frequent checks said Jaama managing director Jason Francis: “The change in the ‘concessionary period’ should encourage all companies to increase the frequency of their driving licence checks or face the reality that they may have staff driving with revoked licences and therefore not entitled to take to the road.”