Driving without the Correct Type of License in Israel
This article addresses driving without the correct type of license in Israel.
Legal Issues
The Ministry of Transport and Road Safety oversees regulations about transport and safety in Israel. It is illegal in Israel to drive a vehicle that belongs to a vehicular category not covered by one’s driver’s license. For example, a driver who has a license for automatic vehicles only may not drive a manual-transmission vehicle. Likewise, a driver with a type B license that covers private vehicles under 3.5 tons and up to 8 passenger seats cannot legally drive a heavy truck which requires a type C license. This type of offense is considered by the authorities to be a public safety risk since the driver lacks proven skills to handle the vehicle they were driving and thus could easily cause a dangerous road accident.
Consequences for Driving without the Correct Type of License in Israel
The exact punishment for this offense depends greatly on the particular circumstances. Driving a semi-trailer without a proper license will be treated much more harshly than driving a manual-transmission private vehicle when one only has a license for automatic vehicles. Moreover, any extenuating circumstances (such as a medical emergency) may mitigate the penalty, whereas complicating circumstances (such as causing an accident) may increase the penalty. Normally the punishment involves the suspension of one’s driver’s license for a set period of time as well as a monetary fine.
What to Do if Caught Driving with an Incorrect License
If you have been accused of driving a vehicle with the incorrect type of license then you should try and acquire the correct kind of license prior to your court appearance, if possible. The court will likely view this as an attempt to rectify your bad actions. You should also hire an experienced traffic lawyer who can give you legal advice and try to mitigate your punishment. In a separate article, we provide tips on how to choose an Israeli traffic lawyer.
Allowing a Person to Drive a Vehicle without a Proper License (Hatarat Nehiga)
Not only is it a criminal offense in Israel to drive a vehicle without a proper license, it is also illegal to permit an unlicensed person to drive a vehicle that you own. Under Israeli law the owner of the vehicle is responsible to ensure that whoever they permit to drive their vehicle is in fact qualified and authorized to do so. It is considered especially egregious to permit an unlicensed minor to drive one’s vehicle. In Hebrew the offense is called “Hatarat Nehiga” (Permitting to Drive).
The courts will decide the severity of the punishment based on the exact circumstances of the case and whether malice was involved. However, the punishment can be as much as five years in prison if the unlicensed driver was a minor as well as a heavy fine and a suspension of the owner’s driver’s license. Therefore, it is important to only allow properly licensed individuals to drive your vehicle. If you have been accused of “Hatarat Nehiga” contact an experienced Israeli traffic lawyer immediately.
Additional Articles of Interest
For the convenience of our clients, we provide many articles related to traffic law on our website. These include what you should do if you’re in a car accident, hit and run, get in an accident on the job, get caught drunk driving, or are driving with an expired license.
Contact Us
If you are caught driving without the correct type of license in Israel, please contact us. Advocate Moti Orange specializes in Israeli traffic law, and he would be happy to help you.
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:מאמרים מומלצים