Motorists may now have an opportunity to extend the validity of their drivers’ licenses to a maximum of 10 years. Well, if they behave.
Under Section 6 of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 10930, all drivers’ licenses will be valid for five years, unless revoked or suspended. However, if a motorist hasn’t committed any form of traffic violation then the holder will be entitled to renew his or her driver’s license for 10 years.
Although the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is giving motorists a chance to extend the validity of their licenses, the agency is also beginning its new and stricter crackdown against erring motorists. Under the same IRR, the LTO will now institutionalize a point system which will be used to determine the eligibility of a driver for a license renewal.
“The system shall likewise be utilized as a primary tool to identify, deter, and penalize repeat offenders of traffic laws and ordinances,“ the document stated.
Section 11 of the IRR indicated that every violation made by any motorist will have a corresponding demerit point based on three categories of violations: Five demerit points for “Grave Violations,“ three demerit points for “Less Grave Violations,”, and one demerit point for other violations not listed in the previous categories.
Any motorist applying for a driver’s license renewal who accumulated at least five demerit points during the accumulation period shall be required to undergo a driver’s license reorientation course.
Aside from completing the reorientation course, applicants who incurred 10 or more demerit points will also be required to pass the theoretical examination before he or she can renew the license. Forty demerits point will result in the revocation of the license.
Meanwhile, drivers of public utility vehicles, who are supposed to be “professional” while on the road, will incur double demerit points for every traffic violation.
Even student drivers who will be caught breaking any traffic violation and incurring at least five demerit points during the validity of his or her student permit will be barred from applying for another permit for a year.
