Also, what will police do when they can't count on almost everyone carrying a state-issued ID card on them at all times? Dollars to doughnuts (no pun intended), carrying ID will become mandatory as driver's licenses become less common.
Not yet, but wasn't there recently a big national ID program enacted and then repealed? Eventually people will be too weary to push back.
In the US, it's very common for police to "request" identification in routine encounters with pedestrians and fly off the handle if they don't get what they want. People say it's a post-9/11 world, but this happened to me many times in the '90s.
> Not yet, but wasn't there recently a big national ID program enacted and then repealed? Eventually people will be too weary to push back.
The then-government announced a proposal. They were opposed by the other main parties, and voted out at the next election. Prediction is hard, but I don't see it happening.
You don't need to carry a driving license even if you do drive. If you're stopped and don't have your documents then the police can issue a HO/RT1 notice, which requires you to present your license and your MOT and insurance certificates at a police station within seven days. Carrying those documents in your car can save you an errand, but it isn't legally required.
