Uninsured drivers

[wim121]

Roadtax crackdown is pretty real - I've seen cars clamped and friend got it when he was still waiting for his paid tax disk: strange they don't do the same for uninsured cars.

They cant do that I believe.

You have a few days to display your tax disc, to allow for phone renewals.


Is that guy still going round london with an angle grinder, liberating vehicles? No-one as yet has ever tried to clamp my vehicle, but I would have a good go at breaking their wrists if they tried.

[AtW]

They cant do that I believe.

Yes they can and they do from what I have seen.

Sadly it seems they might not be able to do that in case of lack of insurance.

[wim121]

Yes they can and they do from what I have seen.

Wow, they shouldnt be illegally clamping people like that.

Luckily, I have a tyre wrench in my toolkit in the boot to deal with fools like that ....

If you use the electronic vehicle licensing service or tax by post at the end of the month, there’s now an exemption for not displaying a tax disc. This exemption covers the first five working days of the month to allow time for the new disc to arrive in the post. While you are still waiting for your tax disc you will need to display your current tax disc. The exemption only applies if applications are made before the current tax disc or SORN expires.

Car tax rules : Directgov - Motoring

Yes they can and they do from what I have seen.

Sadly it seems they might not be able to do that in case of lack of insurance.

I have heard of the police doing that as well, which Im not sure, but I believe is illegal?

One time I got stopped by the police, the officer was rather snotty and told me I should always carry all my documents on me and I politely informed him, all you had to do was tap the lock to break in to my car and then all my paperwork would be gone, so he just gave me a producer.

Dont they hand out producers like candy nowadays? Used to get them constantly when doing evening delivery work just a few years back.

[Incognito]

Put another way -

The UK's uninsured driver hotspots | This is Money

Actually you're being disingenuous with your link (I don't think intentionally though).

The original link provides figures from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. I'm assuming they've calculated their figure by comparing what they've paid out in a postcode compared to the national average with regards to compensation in accidents involving uninsured drivers, either that or they're going on car seizures.

Your link provides statistics from Moneysupermarket.com which analysed quotes for insurance to gather conviction history. Their statistics aren't worth the paper they're written on anyway. Using the town of Sanquhar as an example, lets say only 10 people decided to get a quote for their renewal (rather than just renew with existing company) and 3 of those people had previous history for driving without insurance, then there's your 30% headline figure. There is no guarantee of consistency in the test conditions. You are making the assumption that all drivers (including all those convicted for having no insurance) will compare the market when it comes to renewal and that they will use the internet to do so. Their is no control over datasets either, how can you compare a village with 1000 people living in it to an urban area the same size with 5000 people living in it. If both datasets return a figure of 10% uninsured drivers (lets say for an area of 10km square) where would you think you're more statistically at risk of being in an accident with an uninsured driver?

It's also important to consider that an uninsured car and an uninsured driver are two completely different things. It's easy for the police to spot the first because they query the MID, the second is not so easy. If Chap A has insured the car and shares the insurance details with his five cousins then it's quite the task to identify what's happening (and the police can't crush the car).

[AtW]

Wow, they shouldnt be illegally clamping people like that.

It's legal (I am not talking about few days grace they might be giving now):

"Every vehicle registered in the United Kingdom (UK) must be taxed if used or kept on a public road. If the vehicle is kept off-road it must either be taxed or have a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) in force. If not it could be wheelclamped or removed."

Source: Wheelclamping untaxed vehicles : Directgov - Motoring

They should be doing the same for insurance and cops should get a bonus for each such car taken off the road.

[wim121]

It's legal (I am not talking about few days grace they might be giving now):

"Every vehicle registered in the United Kingdom (UK) must be taxed if used or kept on a public road. If the vehicle is kept off-road it must either be taxed or have a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) in force. If not it could be wheelclamped or removed."

Source: Wheelclamping untaxed vehicles : Directgov - Motoring

They should be doing the same for insurance and cops should get a bonus for each such car taken off the road.

Yes, they can clamp untaxed vehicles. But they are acting illegally if they clamp a vehicle while it is awaiting a valid tax disc.

[Incognito]

They should be doing the same for insurance and cops should get a bonus for each such car taken off the road.

Compulsory car insurance rules come into force today | This is Money

[AtW]

Yes, they can clamp untaxed vehicles. But they are acting illegally if they clamp a vehicle while it is awaiting a valid tax disc.

It's legal until you prove you were waiting for disk and in this case you won't get charged.

Once you get your motor back without paying crazy fee you'd be pretty chuffed.

Incognito: good link on insurance, it's summer this year pretty new, about time they started proper crackdown on tulips that drive in F reg cars without insurance.

[BoredBloke]

Surely if you tax your car online, the moment the tax is paid for then the car becomes taxed. All the coppers would have to do is to check with the DVLA to see that the customer has paid for their tax disc. I had a tax disc that never turned up in the post and the DVLA sent me another. The person I spoke to said that it was ok to drive because their systems showed that I had taxed my car!

[Spacecadet]

Surely if you tax your car online, the moment the tax is paid for then the car becomes taxed. All the coppers would have to do is to check with the DVLA to see that the customer has paid for their tax disc. I had a tax disc that never turned up in the post and the DVLA sent me another. The person I spoke to said that it was ok to drive because their systems showed that I had taxed my car!

you are still legally obliged to display a valid tax disc at all times