Untaxed vehicles

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Tue 4 May 2021 18:05
Untaxed vehicles - Dag Hammar

If a vehicle is uninsured it is liable to be seized by the police if it is flagged up on their ANPR system. Does anyone know what the consequences are for driving around in a car that is not taxed ? Would that also receive the same attention on the ANPR ?

And, importantly, does driving an untaxed vehicle nullify the insurance cover ?

By the way, I’m in the clear.

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Tue 4 May 2021 18:14
Untaxed vehicles - Bromptonaut

Untaxed or SORN'd vehicles kept on the public road can be clamped until taxes and penalties are paid. Happened in our close a couple of months ago with a SORN'd Toyota MR2 that had been left parked for weeks. Belonged to somebody on the next road who'd left it out instead of parking it on his own ground with the rest of his menagerie of old cars.

They'll ping ANPR but it's a Revenue rather than a police matter and unless they're thinking about people breaking one law might have other things to hide they may not pursue.

Tax should not nullify insurance. Why would it?

Edited by Bromptonaut on 04/05/2021 at 18:16

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Tue 4 May 2021 18:25
Untaxed vehicles - Heidfirst

Tax should not nullify insurance. Why would it?

depends upon the insurer but it is often part of the insurance policy that the vehicle is required to be taxed so no tax = policy .invalidated.

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Wed 5 May 2021 16:35
Untaxed vehicles - FoxyJukebox

Untaxed cars? no MOT? no insurance?--staggered that so many folk conveniently forget these essentials and even more amazed that they think they think they can get away with it.

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Wed 5 May 2021 16:41
Untaxed vehicles - _

Untaxed cars? no MOT? no insurance?--staggered that so many folk conveniently forget these essentials and even more amazed that they think they think they can get away with it.

But they DO get away with it, at least here and some are caught when there is a purge around Colchester.

But try telling the parking people that an untaxed car is sitting in your street, no MOT, and though we shouldn't check, probably... no insurance.

If the police get them with anpr, all well and good, butotherwise they are too "busy" to intervene.

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Wed 5 May 2021 16:49
Untaxed vehicles - bathtub tom

Isn't there a procedure where you can report them to the DVLA? Seen a few around here with 'untaxed car' large stickers on the windscreen and wheel clamps. Saw one being lifted last year.

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Wed 5 May 2021 16:54
Untaxed vehicles - _

There is

www.gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle

None of the "regulars" here seem to be dealt with.though.

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Thu 6 May 2021 09:04
Untaxed vehicles - FoxyJukebox
Yes there is a formal reporting form on most Council websites-good.
Not sure though where to find evidence of what action( if any) is then taken and outcomes.
So that makes me think I won’t bother ..??
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Thu 6 May 2021 09:21
Untaxed vehicles - Dag Hammar
Yes there is a formal reporting form on most Council websites-good. Not sure though where to find evidence of what action( if any) is then taken and outcomes. So that makes me think I won’t bother ..??

I believe that Councils are only interested in ‘Abandoned Vehicles’ and the council that I come under has the facility to log a report.
It is the DVLA that show an interest in untaxed vehicles.

My initial post was prompted by the knowledge that there is a vehicle I see being used regularly that is not taxed. That made me question whether the driver/vehicle would be covered by their insurance in the event of an accident as I’m sure the insurance company would quickly check for tax and MOT if a claim was made.

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Thu 6 May 2021 15:34
Untaxed vehicles - edlithgow

You used to be able to get away with only MOT-ing every second year.

Since you needed an MOT to buy a tax disk, and that was the visual check, you could buy one just before the MOT ran out, and you were visually legal for another year

SOP for some people,,,er...allegedly,

Effect on insurance? Dunno, but I seem to remember it being alleged you still had 3P cover.

IT and surveillance have probably closed that window now.

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Thu 6 May 2021 18:18
Untaxed vehicles - Engineer Andy

If a vehicle is uninsured it is liable to be seized by the police if it is flagged up on their ANPR system. Does anyone know what the consequences are for driving around in a car that is not taxed ? Would that also receive the same attention on the ANPR ?

And, importantly, does driving an untaxed vehicle nullify the insurance cover ?

By the way, I’m in the clear.

A local living around the corner from me was able to drive their car with no MOT for 9 months+ before larry law presumably caught up with them. Not exactly sure what transpired but they soon flogged the car and a new MOT quickly followed.

I spoke to a Plod who lives nearby who I know and he said rarely do the authorities get involved. Not sure if that also applied to untaxed cars though. Difficult to report it to the DVLA directly if I recall (I didn't, BTW).

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Thu 6 May 2021 19:09
Untaxed vehicles - Middleman

...depends upon the insurer but it is often part of the insurance policy that the vehicle is required to be taxed so no tax = policy .invalidated.

No it doesn't. An insurer cannot decline cover on the basis that the vehicle is not taxed (or MoT'd, for that matter). In fact there are very few grounds on which an insurer can repudiate liability, regardless of any terms in the policy. Section 148 of the Road Traffic Act prevents insurers repudiating cover for many of the most common reasons they may mention in their policies (though most reputable insurers know the law and do not include them). Precedents can be found that cover other reasons not specifically mentioned in the act.

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Sat 8 May 2021 22:29
Untaxed vehicles - Auristocrat

Untaxed vehicles can be reported to DVLA easily online, and vehicles can be clamped and then seized if not taxed within a set time period. Police aren't involved.

Vehicles without an MOT should be reported to Police, who, depending on priorities, can get them towed away.

Uninsured vehicles - Police are only interested if they can stop the car when being driven, and then vehicles can be seized.

Edited by Auristocrat on 08/05/2021 at 22:30

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Sun 9 May 2021 13:15
Untaxed vehicles - Middleman

Uninsured vehicles - Police are only interested if they can stop the car when being driven, and then vehicles can be seized.

But it is a DVLA responsibility to monitor compliance with the "continuous insurance" legislation (s144A RTA). All vehicles must be insured in their own right unless they are declared off-road by means of a SORN. Offences under that section carry a fine only, with no endorsement or points.

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Sun 9 May 2021 18:59
Untaxed vehicles - Auristocrat

Uninsured vehicles - Police are only interested if they can stop the car when being driven, and then vehicles can be seized.

But it is a DVLA responsibility to monitor compliance with the "continuous insurance" legislation (s144A RTA). All vehicles must be insured in their own right unless they are declared off-road by means of a SORN. Offences under that section carry a fine only, with no endorsement or points.

My post was what West Midlands Police stated when we had a problem with an uninsured vehicle parked in our road in December 2020. Although they came and looked at the vehicle and confirmed it was uninsured on MID, they could do nothing unless they caught someone actually using the vehicle.

They did however remove another vehicle that was reported at the same time, which had no MOT so the exercise wasn't entirely wasted.

Edited by Auristocrat on 09/05/2021 at 19:02

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