warning about the police

[imac]

Originally Posted by perussell

One of my friends was recently stopped by the police because his road tax had expired - he bought the car last year and thought the dealer had provided 12 months cover rather than the 6 months that were actually on the car (or so he says..........)

That made me laugh, how can anyone be so unobservant? Its not like its in the "car file" for goodness sakes, it's on display in big numerals on the vehicle and the owner had 6 months of walking past it to notice it! Lol.

Originally Posted by VolvoT5

No tax = no insurance ?

sorry volvo t5, I have had this arguement loads of people in the past, but you need to check your fine print on your insurance.
the legal requirement for a vehicle licence is a valid cirtificate of insurance, your v-5, applicable application form, a valid M.O.T. cirtificate (if car older than 3 years old).
To insure a vehicle that is SORN for fire and theft you need nothing but money.
Now for the important part:- To insure a car for use on the road the minimum legal requirement is a valid MOT and to name a driver with at least a provisional driving licence.
The only things that effect your insurance is if you modify your vehicle without notiffying the company, driving it whilst un road worthy (i.e. no MOT). Or driving whilst discualified.
so to some it up for you :-
no insurance= no tax
no tax= you still have insurance,
just don't leave the vehicle on public property, as this does constitute the vehicle being in use (even if it isn't, sorry).

[LankyTim]

Originally Posted by foggyjames

My 340 (which incidentally used to be 5lab's ) was today given a ticket for not displaying a parking permit in an area which is not signed as being a permit-holders zone. I'd left it in the glovebox after a few days away.
James

If there are no signs stating that you need a permit they cant do you, they will probably say otherwise though. Dont let them bully you!

A bit of an aside and away from the topic so I will keep it short, I recently got pulled over for crossing the solid white line on an entry slip road to a motorway overtaking a slow moving car into the outer lane - 3 points and 60 quid. It was a sunday and the motorway was more or less empty.

He was on to me in no time, he said he saw me on the camera. They actually sit around watching those things - and there was me thinking they were just there to track robbers' escapes from turning over the local Post Office and such like.

I can't help feeling that I was set up in a way that you see those corrupt American traffic cops doing it in old episodes of The Rockford Files. George ****ing Orwell, what a powerful insight that bastard had.

Having no road tax is not a motoring offence it's a custom&excise offence and as such does not carry any points on convition, how ever having no insurance is a differnt matter. I think that the police should have used there initative and issued a warning.

[AClough]

Originally Posted by Tony B

I recently got pulled over for crossing the solid white line on an entry slip road to a motorway overtaking a slow moving car into the outer lane - 3 points and 60 quid. It was a sunday and the motorway was more or less empty.

Tony, I don't want to start a flame war, but crossing a solid white line has always been a cardinal sin as far as the police are concerned and I have to agree with them. They don't paint them on the road for fun, it's because it's a b***dy dangerous place to leave your lane, usually where sufficient forward or rear observation is not possible.

I'm sure you checked your mirrors and looked over your right shoulder before performing said manouvre and as you say, the road was nearly empty, but a solid white line means DO NOT CROSS, not 'Do not cross unless, in your opinion, this rule shouldn't apply to me right now because I know better'.

People crossing white lines, particularly on the entrances to motorways, have nearly wiped me off my bike many times on my daily commute so this subject is dear to my heart. Don't do it.

[Rant mode off]

Alistair

[louis]

rest assured my fellow volvo owners, you will not get any points/endorsements for no tax or mot, i can verify this from my very irresponsible past, the fines do tend to get larger though

[LankyTim]

they can now confiscate your vehicle and destroy it too. Ive seen it done! every now and again in Brum the police set up "road blocks" and pull in untaxed cars, kick the drivers out and tow the cars away. The fine to get them back is usually so large that the owner cant pay and they end up being flattened.

Point taken, Alistair

My feeling at the time was that the car in front of me was going so slowly it presented a hazard, in so far that it wasn't joining the motorway at a speed commensurate to the traffic already on the motorway, but it was quiet and I guess I ought to have been more patient.

[Ross9]

To allow you to cross a solid white line to pass anotehr vehicle, without breaking the law, the vehicle you are passing has to be travelling at a very slow speed, <10mph if I remember correctly, ie, cycles, horses, slow moving farm machinery, etc, and even in these cases the manouvre should only be carried out if you can see safely to carry it out.

Ross