On 13/07/2013 9:09 AM, Erick T. Barkhuis wrote:
Dave Smith:

On 13/07/2013 8:35 AM, Tom P wrote:

The reason why car rentals are not interested in an IDL and want to
see your real one is that your license could have been revoked for
a serious traffic offense.

That's true..... but it can be revoked and still be in your
possession.
[...] If it was for demerit points, a medical suspension or
any of a number of other problems, they send you a suspension notice
by mail or registered mail and the notice instructs you to turn in
your license. Most people don't, so they will still have a licence to
produce,[...]

This procedure is common in Germany, too. For instance, if you were
caught speeding, exceeding a large margin, you get fined and you'd have
to turn in your licence for one or several months.
However, _you_ can decide, within a fixed period of time, exactly when
that will be. So, you get a letter on July 1st, saying something like:
"You were speeding, you get fined, your licence will be revoked for 30
days. Turn it in before October 31st, and the day we receive your
licence is the first of those 30 days in which you can't drive."

As far as I know, most people _will_ turn in their licence upon
receiving such letter (at a time which suits them best), because the
penalty for not complying is heavy.



There is a major difference here. The Ministry of Transportation
suspends the licence. You are supposed to turn it in, but the suspension
is in effect whether you hand it in or not. If for unpaid fines it
remains suspended until the fines are paid. There is also a fee to
reinstate a suspended license. If you are convicted of driving while
your license is under suspension there is an additional 6 month
suspension that starts upon completion of the other(s).

It might surprise you how many people drive while under suspension. It
sure surprised me. It also surprised me to see so many repeat offenders.
One of my "clients" had been convicted 16 times. Another must have pleas
down to driving without a licence because he had numbers convictions for
driving under suspension along with a number of driving without a
licence that were incurred while it was still under suspension, which it
had been for more than 20 years. He had a total of 24 convictions for
those two offences alone. I will admit to having been pulled over once
for speeding during that period of time. You have to wonder about his
driving habits to have been pulled over at least 24 times.