DisneyDaddy-O
Dis Dads Club Member #286
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2009
jadephoenixx said:Heard on the radio this morning that CAA is offering refunds to anyone who wants it.
Heard the same thing, march 15th is deadline for refunds.
jadephoenixx said:Heard on the radio this morning that CAA is offering refunds to anyone who wants it.
Well I'll let you know tomorrow because we leave next Friday so we're going to need to go get it.
This really annoys me. There is NO purpose to it. The license is already in English and has been acceptable for decades. All of a sudden this is a matter of importance? I don't think my eyes can roll any further into my head.
Passport renewals are going through the roof, extra insurance to travel out of country, passport photos, and now an International Driving Permit to translate something from English to English? You have to be kidding me.
Same thing here. And if you think about it. It is not that our driver's license are invalid. We still have valid Canadian driver's licenses so I am not sure why that would be an issue for Canadian Insurance companies.
But technically the law still exists even when it is not enforced so technically you are still breaking the law. And if somebody wants to be a pain in the 'you know where'...
That's why CAA probably is probably covering their 'you know what'.
My two cents (and considering I'm a lawyer, I would expect each and every one of you to send me payment in the mail, except I guess I have to round down to zero, since we lost the penny).
Ok... my (apparently) free thoughts are as follows.
Simply because the law is not being enforced (and 'may' ultimately be proven to be in contravention of international treaties) does not mean that for the time being, it is not a valid law in the state of Florida.
If it was simply a matter of worrying about being ticketed, I would likely not bother with obtaining an IDP. But let's be clear here - if you don't have the IDP and are in a motor vehicle accident, in my opinion, you run a significant risk of your insurer denying coverage on the basis of your failure to comply with the law.
Everything that has been written and reported on to date simply deals with the issue of ticket writing - the insurance companies have been silent, and the media has not asked any necessary questions of them.
We all know what the insurance companies are like in terms of finding 'any' reason to deny coverage, so for $40, let's call it a cheap insurance policy on your already existing insurance.
I wish you good luck if you want to be the test case where you stand up in court with a press release from the Florida DMV saying they are not going to enforce the law for the time being, trying to convince a judge that based on that, he or she should force your insurer to pay up. How much time and money is that going to cost you (the correct answer is 'years' and 'tens of thousands').
There was an interview last night on 680 News with someone from the Insurance bureau. This is what he said,
"Pete Karageorgos of the Insurance Bureau of Canada told 680News that Canadians should expect to be covered by insurance as usual.
Weve asked insurance companies to operate on the status quo that if you do have a client in the United States or in Florida specifically that your insurer does in fact cover your claim.
However, he advises that to err on the side of caution to obtain the permit until the law is clarified.
To be on the safe side, get the International Driving Permit, he said."
Interesting that CAA is offering refunds now if you purchased yesterday... http://www.680news.com/2013/02/15/caa-to-offer-international-driving-permit-refunds/
CanuckTraveller said:After reading all these threads, I'm going to talk to my insurance broker and get something in writing before getting the IDP.
The spirit of the law and the actual consequences are two different things.
Maddysdaddy said:Simply because the law is not being enforced (and 'may' ultimately be proven to be in contravention of international treaties) does not mean that for the time being, it is not a valid law in the state of Florida.
Thanks for the heads up! I found several sites but here is a link from the Florida Department of Highway Safety: http://www.flhsmv.gov/ddl/idp.html
Also, here is info on the visitflorida site: http://www.visitflorida.com/uk/articles/florida-frequently-asked-questions
Here is the text found about halfway down the above page:
Take note if you reside outside the United States and will be visiting Florida as of January 1, 2013. A nonresident must have in their possession an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued by their country of residence and a valid license from that country. This applies to any vehicle, including rental vehicles. The IDP must be in the customer's name and from their country of residence. Again, this permit is only to be shown in conjunction with a valid driver license issued from the visitor's country, not as a substitute. Contact the authorities in your country who issued your driver's license, or the motoring association there, to find out how to obtain an IDP. A listing of associations in foreign countries authorized to issue an IDP is provided for your reference, courtesy of the American Automobile Association (AAA).
There has been conflicting information published in the press this week regarding Florida requiring an Intl drivers license.
Canadians DO NOT need an international drivers license to drive in Florida.
Non-resident visitors to Florida who wish to drive while here will be required to have in their immediate possession a valid driver license issued in his or her name from another state or territory of the U.S. or from their country of residence
I actually work in the travel industry, and I sell a lot of cruises leaving out of Florida, so I do encounter people who want to stay a few extra days and do a car rental. Last week, we were actually sent this email to clear any questions or worries our passengers might have:
I don't know exactly what's happening and if CAA is trying to make more money off of this? But there's no real requirement for Canadian drivers in Florida.
Actually, that is exactly what it means. The law is not enforceable because it is contrary to the 1949 Geneva Convention. The only purpose of an International Drivers Permit is to translate your drivers license into the local language. In this case, English to English.
Sent from my iPad using DISBoards
I called my insurance agent (Allstate) and asked about coverage to ensure I was covered while renting a car in Florida without an IDP and they said yes. And I will just have my Canadian Drivers License.
Unless there is some update in last 48 hours that I have not yet seen, all we know is that the question has been raised as to whether this law is in contravention of the Convention. If there has been some formal pronouncement by the courts or a repeal of the law by the Florida legislature, I would invite you to post a link to same - otherwise you may want to consider your definitive statement that the "law is not enforceable".
Let's be clear - from what has been reported, it would appear that when the legislature reconvenes in March, the law will be amended to exclude licenses printed in English. Until that happens, the law is on the books, and I for one will not give the insurance companies an opening to deny coverage if I'm involved in an accident.