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Lives at risk as driving test fraud hits 'terrifying' levels

EXCLUSIVE by DAN NEWLING
Last updated at 10:10am on 30th September 2006

Driving test fraud has surged to 'terrifying' levels, putting millions of innocent lives at risk, a Daily Mail investigation reveals

Fraudsters are 'systematically targeting' test centres in their thousands to obtain the driving licences, which allow them on the country's roads unskilled and highly dangerous.

The highly-prized documents also unlock the door to thousands of pounds of Government benefits, credit cards and bank accounts.

Illegal immigrants and other criminals use easily-forged ID to book a test, then pay a lookalike up to £1,500 to pass for them. Experts say the driving licence they receive allows them to 'wreak havoc'.

Home Office Minister Baroness Scotland said it was clear the public was being put at 'substantial risk'.

The terrifying scam, which puts other motorists at enormous risk of injury or death, had been thought to be limited to a handful of cases.

But the Daily Mail has discovered that the shock case of a Somali bus driver this week convicted of helping 200 of his countryment to illegal driving licences is disturbingly common.

In the last year alone - an astonishing 4,830 practical tests had to be halted over doubts about the driver's identity. A similar number of theory tests are also understood to have been halted - pushing the total towards 10,000.

Experts say even this is just the 'tip of the iceberg', with many more bogus drivers likely to have slipped through the net.

Terrorists may even be using the trick to open bank accounts needed to move money in and out of the UK as they plan atrocities.

Baroness Scotland said: "The system is being systematically targeted by serious organised criminals who obtain driving test pass certificates through candidate-impersonation fraud.

"As a result, people who have not demonstrated the necessary level of competence can obtain those certificates and full driving licences. That clearly places the public at substantial risk."

it seams a bit hard to get a provisional liscence

What struck me as a bit late was the introduction of proceedures to check on the validity of foreign ladies whose religion prohibits them showing their face .(not sure of the circumstances ) ---in such cases , DVLA will attempt to have a female member of staff check the photo with the candidate, in private.

If they introduce front-facing cameras for ID purposes we'll all have to start driving in burkas

Driving test fraud has surged to 'terrifying' levels, putting millions of innocent lives at risk, a Daily Mail investigation reveals

Fraudsters are 'systematically targeting' test centres in their thousands to obtain the driving licences, which allow them on the country's roads unskilled and highly dangerous.

So if it's such a "terrifying" problem - how come it doesn't stand out in the contributory data.... sensationalist journalism I think

Also bear in mind that all these people in the eyes of the law have valid driving licences, it's just that someone took the test on their behalf.

And (dare I mention it) we never seen any accident involvement stats categorised by ethnic background...