As I passed a spy van yesterday, the word "tax" appeared in its otherwise covered back window. My car is properly taxed, and I can only think that the camera picked up on the old tax disc still displayed on the windscreen alongside the new disc on the dashboard (fully visible from outside). This has prompted me to check out regulations; the extract below may be of interest. I now wait to see whether I was caught and whether they will be zealous/petty enough to prosecute me for failing to meet the statutory requirements to the letter. Less than an hour later, the discs were seen by two traffic wardens, who passed no comment.
Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 2742
The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002
(3) Each such licence shall be fixed to the vehicle in a holder sufficient to protect the licence from the weather to which it would otherwise be exposed.
(4) The licence shall be exhibited on the vehicle -
(a) in the case of an invalid vehicle, tricycle or bicycle, other than in a case specified in sub-paragraph (b) or (c) of this paragraph, on the near side of the vehicle; (b) in the case of a bicycle drawing a side-car or to which a side-car is attached, on the near side of the handlebars of the bicycle or on the near side of the side-car; (c) in the case of any vehicle fitted with a glass windscreen in front of the driver extending across the vehicle to its near side, on or adjacent to the near side of the windscreen; (d) in the case of any other vehicle -
(i) if the vehicle is fitted with a driver's cab containing a near side window, on that window; or (ii) on the near side of the vehicle in front of the driver's seat and not less than 760 mm and not more than 1.8 metres above the surface of the road.
(5) In each case referred to in paragraph (4), the licence shall be so exhibited that all the particulars on the licence are clearly visible in daylight from the near side of the road.
______________________________________________
At:
www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/20022742.htm#6
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I'll be interested to as strictly one of my cars could be held to be illegal if the windscreen was in the upright position, but not it it was folded! (Motorcycle type holder on the passenger side windscreen mount).
But I'd have thought the poor old thing would forever screaming "tax" as the real requirement is it can be read, from the passenger/pavement side with no explicit rule on how legible it is from the straight ahead position. (Thinks car with a steeply raked windscreen etc).
ANPR will show if tax has been paid, and failure to display it is a minor civil offence.
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its a waste of time. everything car related is stored on a database at the DVLA now.
so what is the point of a road tax van / camera ?
Here in Stevenage there are tax camera's mounted on lampposts at each and every entry point into the town.
I have just thought of one flaw with those ANPR crap things.
What if the insurance was due to expire o na car and the owner renewed during the day.
The ANPR system fitted in police cars is not a live link to the DVLA so they are synchronised in the mornings before the police leave the yard.
Oh just another thing while I think of it, why are speed camera vans (sorry I mean safety camera vans) manned by civilians working 9 till 5pm ?
so no accidents happen outside this time then......
And there never located where actual accidents happen or just before the accident black spots.
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And there never located where actual accidents happen or just before the accident black spots.
>>
Here in Fife we only have mobile speed camera vans, They are often positioned just after schools, Speed past a school, you get done, I have no problem with that.
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diddy you dont have to apologize for using the phrase "speed camera" the warning signs with the camera picture on them do actually use the words speed camera now...ive only noticed them just recently, it seems the local authorities dont give a toss any more and dont seem to need to justify these money making devices
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yep sorry i stand corrected.
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Fit two tax discs - the current one, and an old one.
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So for at least 12 days, possibly longer, the OP couldn't be bothered to take his old tax disc out of its holder and replace it with his new one, instead placing the new one on the dashboard where it could presumably have fallen off.
Some people ...
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Thank you so much, boxterboy.
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In the regulation quoted above it says "on or adjacent to " the left hand corner of the screen.
So that would cover on the side quarterlight, a bracket on the door post, or lying on the left of the dashboard. It doesn't say it has to face forwards, or indeed be the right way up.
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>>a spy van yesterday, the word "tax" appeared in its otherwise covered back window<<
What is this all about? Do they actually display the 'offence' - visible to the offending driver?
p
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You would be entitled to pull up, show the operator your up to date tax disc and point out that you have just been libeled and that they will be hearing from your solicitors.
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While I'm not a lawyer, I doubt that libel applies here. As I understand it, libel by definition is malicious and defamatory, or damaging in some way. I can't see a malfunction falling under those headings.
I certainly wouldn't waste money consulting a solicitor - not that I would wish to deprive our legal friends (especially those who inhabit this forum) of business. Mr X could be your next client, guys! ;-)
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Don't these displays display various things in a loop? and maybe it changed after you went past. DVLA Tax Disc Enforcement Squad
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... I certainly wouldn't waste money consulting a solicitor - not that I would wish to deprive our legal friends (especially those who inhabit this forum) of business. Mr X could be your next client, guys! >>
;-)
he,he,he!
If I say, mind you I have no intention of saying it, but imagine that if I say "Mr Cross is talking utter crap" in his comment, could he successfully sue me for libel? If the House of Lords and the Court of Human Rights could assure me that he would be wasting his valuable time and money, then I may consider saying just that. [Perhaps Mr Cross would sue me anyhow as he might think it a valuable exercise to sue me for fun, and on second thoughts I might amend my imaginary statement to "Mr Cross is talking crap"].
;-)
The perils of the internet forums, you have to be just soooo careful with what you write in case someone sues you.
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" If I say, mind you I have no intention of saying it, but imagine that if I say "Mr Cross is talking utter crap" in his comment, could he successfully sue me for libel?"
IF that were to be true then it would't be libelous but as you only use the example figuratively then I would consider that it is not.
Anyway as I red this thread remember DVLA ANPR equipment reads the number plate not the Tax Disc. Their database holds details of vehicles who's Tax has expired so when your car drives passed untaxed it will be pinged.
Likewise Police ANPR is linked to the DVLA with similar information. But when the Police 'ping' you will get pulled.
The Tax Disc has become a relatively worthless piece of paper but surprisingly a lot enforcement is still done visually.
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Going back to the OP, I'm with BB on this, it seems a lot of fuss over nothing, just a thread to have a dig at the authorities, perhaps... and like him I can't understand why the OP didn't have time in the previous 288 hours to replace the disc....
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