Driving along the A12 near Ipswich last week, I passed a vehicle and trailer parked in a layby. A big sign in front of the trailer announced that there was a camera in it, to catch people driving untaxed vehicles. How does that work then - do they photograph every single vehicle that passes and check the registrations, or just a selection?
Of course I hadn't got round to renewing my tax when it expired at the end of October, due to pure laziness. Having passed this camera site, I drove into town the next morning and bought a new tax disc... Now I am waiting to see if I get something nasty through the post.
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I wouldn't worry.
I don't know how long it takes the DVLA to update the computers to say when someone has bought VED. But I would imagine that it is several weeks.
Is there any law on where a VED disk should be located? Could you legally put it in the rear window as long as it was prominantly displayed?
Jonathan
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No, it should be displayed in the windscreen on the nearside.
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Regulations say that the tax disc must be displayed on the front windscreen , nearside. This is to enable plod to read it easily as he walks / coasts by.
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Aha
Got it.
The vehicle licence (colloquially known as the "tax disc") shows that you have fulfilled your legal obligations as a vehicle keeper, including payment of your Vehicle Excise Duty [VED]. It must be displayed on the left hand side of your vehicle's windscreen and shows the registration mark and the date up to which the duty has been paid. You may be fined for driving, parking or leaving an untaxed vehicle on a public road.
from DVLA website
Doesn't say that it should be at bottom though.
Jonathan
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Mmmmm, interesting point Jonathan.
Two weeks ago on my drive into work I passed a police Volvo estate parked at the side of the road with two of the boys in blue stood beside the car. I thought they were speed trapping and since I wasn't speeding didn't take much notice.
About mile further up the road I see the Volvo coming up quickly in my rearview mirror. They followed me for about half a mile then switched on the Christmas lights.
I pulled over into a restaurant carpark and they pulled alongside me driver to driver (mine's LHD), didn't even get out of the car. They started quizzing me about my tax disc and when I pointed it out at the top LHS of my windshield they began to make threatening noises about it being in the wrong place. They told me that it should be in the _bottom_ LHS and 'let me off with a warning'.
Regards, Kevin...
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I wonder how many muggings, rapes and snatchings took place while all this priority law enforcement activity was going on.
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Why do I get the impression that current law enforcement is about collecting money.
Putting muggers etc. behind bars costs money and even more to keep them there.
Pursuing motorists is more 'cost effective'!
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IT's also a lot easier; muggers and nasty chaps tend to fight back or run away or something. Easier to screw a supine motorist, risk-free, and allows uniformed person to throw weight around, play with poice car lights etc.
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Where are you supposed to put the tax disc if you don't have a windscreen? Not a silly question - I am building a Lotus Seven style sports car which just has two small perspex wind deflectors.
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Richard,
a colleague who owned a Morgan said that his tax disc was held in a chrome motorcycle-style holder attached to the side of the car between drivers door and engine cover.
Kevin...
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Duhh !
Make that passenger door and engine cover.
Honest mistake tho'.. Mines LHD.
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If you haven't room on the "windscreen" I would suggest use a motorcycle-type disc holder on the front nearside.
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They could be just photographing registration plates, then checking them against the database of VED paid. Any that are not on the database get a nasty letter, as the photograph is proof the car was driven illegally. No need to photograph the disk at all.
Chris
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Road Vehicles (Registration & Licensing)Regs 1971 covers exhibition of Excise Licence :-
Reg 16 (2) Licence to be in a holder sufficient to protect the Licence from any effects of the weather to which it would otherwise be exposed.
Ignoring invalid carriages, tricycle or bicycles then
Reg 16(3)(c):- in the case of any vehicle fitted with a glass windscreen in front of the driver extending across the vehicle to its nearside, on or adjacent to the nearside of the windscreen, so that all particulars thereon are clearly visible by daylight from the nearside of the road.
Top, bottom or centre not mentioned.
Reg 16(4) (d) covers any other vehicle which is fitted with a driving cab with a nearside window, then Licence has to be on that window, or on nearside of window in front of driver.
Penalty under Sec 33 Vehicle Excise & Registration Act 1994 for this summary offence fine £200 (no endorsement or Penalty points).
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It is my certain belief that you USED to have to put disc in lower nearside of W/Screen, but a good number of years ago it was changed , as per DVD's info. ie. Reg 16 (3) c. and why you sometimes see it legally displayed near the rear view mirror.
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KB,
"you sometimes see it legally displayed near the rear view mirror."
Yes, I do that.
Why? because
(a) It fills the gap between the visors, so I don't catch glare from evening sun.
(b) I rarely have to clean that area of the inside of the windscreen, and therefore I don't wipe it off.
and
(c) It inconveniences plod and wardens, who have to lean over the car to check the thing! (Oooh, nasty!)
My road tax was due today, but I have 21 days (after expiry) to get it.
I'll go on the 20th. (why should I not let that cash earn interest for me, not them.)
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I believe in the uk you would be guilty of 'failure to display' in the intervening period.
A technical and absolute offence. Legal guru to comment please.
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Dont think that these new camera systems on the motorway which capture your number are crude fantasy. I got a letter from a consulting firm installing these things telling me where and when the camera got my plate and 'inviting' me to take place in a survey regarding traffic on that stretch of the M62.
You have been warned!
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M62 Junction 9 by any chance? New junction at Birchwood services?
Six sets of SPECS cameras in each direction.
Does anyone know how these link to each other? Is it camera to next camera, or is it any combination of two cameras?
Jonathan
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DVD, you couldn't quote me the reg for the position of a rear fog light could you (ie single light offside)? I need the reference for a discussion on another forum. Cheers.
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Some years ago my car was stolen from outside the house. The tax disc had expired 2 days earlier and, as the form for renewal said I had 14 days in which to renew, I was going to do that on the Saturday. Police found my car and then announced they were going to prosecute me for the out of date tax. When I pointed out the 14 day period on the form, they said I would be prosecuted for 'failure to display a current tax disc on a vehicle which was on the road. Talk about adding insult to injury.
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Thanks everyone who wrote about tax discs on vehicles without windscreens. I'll get a holder from my local motorcycle shop.
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