Over 1.6million drivers could be at risk of a £1,000 fine because the photograph on their driving licence has expired, a Freedom of Information request has revealed. Sainsbury’s car insurance discovered that many motorists are at risk of a hefty fine because they may not be aware that a photograph on their driving licence needs to be updated every ten years at a cost of £20, as set out by the DVLA. Those with old-style paper licences are not affected. As well as 1.6million drivers’ photographs that have expired, a further 2.9million must be renewed by the end of 2012 - and over the next five years, almost 13million drivers must renew their photograph to abide by the law.

According to Sainsbury's statistics, 41 per cent of drivers are not fully aware of the consequences of having an expired photograph on their licence. Failure to update your photograph carries a £1,000 fine and can be enforced by the police under Section 99 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. There is no impact on your car insurance as long as the driver has not been disqualified or told not to drive by the DVLA (due to a medical issue, for example)....Read more here--: Driving licence trap: 1.6m drivers risk hefty fine for not renewing photograph at £20 cost | This is Money