We keep hearing in the media that there are thousands of unisured drivers on the roads but I don't understand how this can happen.
When I apply for a tax disc online they have access to the details of the insurance on the vehicle and also the MOT if applicable. How can a driver get a tax disc without insurance? If they insure and then cancel surely this should be flagged up and investigated. As we have all the cameras checking for valid car tax why can't it be linked in to the insurance as well? I really don't understand why this is so hard for the authorities to implement.
Andyfr
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Presumably they just buy an old knacker with tax, then throw away when the tax is up.
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At least two reasons why it doesn't work include 1. It is organised by the Government and 2. It is based on Computers and their data. Think back to Passport Office, Child Benefits, Criminal Record Bureau, NHS Records On-Line and you will see what I mean!
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Policing is also an issue.
We have local police sweeps round here on estates and uninsured and untaxed cars are towed away.
In some areas that does not happen - ever.
If the Government were serious they could easily clamp down except I suspect they would then be targetting areas where it is perceived their core supporters live. Or what are so-called "no-go" areas..
Note my careful choice of "suspect" "perceived" etc..
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Andy
You're assuming that they register the vehicles.
If they are unregistered, they are effectively untraceable, unless actually caught in the act. Even then, the fines are paltry and they let the car get scrapped and get another one.
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Yes I suppose I was.
So do they sell before the tax runs out and buy another with tax?
Andyfr
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If you don't have insurance why bother with tax? The car will be registered at an address that doesn' exisit so any letters will disappear into a black hole.
Over the next 10-20 years there is no doubt that ANPR will make life much more difficult for anyone without full documentation to drive a vehicle, especially when congestion charging becomes the norm.
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Its been talked about many times on here you can tax a car on a traders policy for one,you can tax it on a fake insurance certificate,you can buy a car with tax left on it its easy.Get hit by a uninsured car with an unknown driver then it takes for ever to sort it out meanwhile you loose your no claims bonus and your excess and spend hours form filling and making telephone calls. The UK is so easy to commit any sort of crime you just would not get away with it in Germany or Holland where much better systems are in place.
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The problem is compounded because often the car itself is insured, but the driver driving it does not have insurance because [1] he is not covered to drive it [2] he doesn't hold a valid license etc.
UK is a country where insurance is driver specific but in many other countries, insurance is car specific (so anyone driving it is automatically covered).
For majority of uninsured drivers, then drive cheap cars, don't have tax/MOT either.
So, they don't care if they get caught.
Edited by movilogo on 13/08/2008 at 13:58
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Don`t cloned plates provide the perfect escape from with detection, even with ANPR?
If so, how prevalent are they?
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