Radio Reports

[Guest The Modfather]

 

I see this law trying to stop this. If you own a car either tax it and use it legally or state that it is not used on public roads. Simple.

 

But this is how it has been, or meant to be since SORN came in? It really isn't difficult for them achieve as they have a database of all vehicles currently in use on GB roads, and one of all scrapped vehicles upheld by End Of Life scrap yards. They have a database of all vehicles that are taxed, SORN'd or recently un-taxed, and they have one for insured vehicles. What they need to do is amalgamate all of these databases, and go from there. Pick up those that are taxed but uninsured (buy insurance using a credit card which in 2 weeks or so bounces, however you have the proof that you are "insured") however these tax discs will show VOID on PNC and therefore are illegally on the road, but at the moment the car needs to be checked manually.

Pick up those that are not SORN'd even if they are on private land (will prove difficult) and I believe that this is the area where the law needs to change. At the moment getting onto private land requires either a written law or a warrant.

 

IMO if they spent some of our tax money on doing the above, I would be happy. You are right Daz they do need to get on top of this and rid the law dodgers of their vehicles, and (tongue in cheek) the tax might come down! We can dream

[Tazzzzman1]

Yep agree, road tax dodgers need to be sorted as it's us law abidding Saps who end up paying for them.....

 

Easiest way is to get rid of road tax all together.

I'm all for putting a few pence on fuel as a replacement to road tax (whats a few more pennies on an already over taxed commodity!!?). This in my mind makes perfect sense...

#No one can dodge the road tax.If you need fuel you pays tax

#The ones who use the road more/ do miles are the ones who pay more by using more fuel

#The government saves ££££££'s by abolishing the Car tax dept. Saving on paperwork,easier on the environment etc etc etc

 

However we end up paying tax, it never gets spent in the area it's intended (just look at state of the roads currently!!!)

 

 

Rant over

Just my thoughts...

[Guest robinj66]

Just to clarify the position (from one of those that does make money when the law is broken ) see here - the law has recently changed and you do need to insure a vehicle, even if it's kept on private land, if it has not been SORN'd

 

 

 

 

 

PS I won't charge you for this consultation

[Guest snotfart]

this latest "initiative" is bullsh1t! it will do next to nothing to stop the scourge of the uninsured driver,who will continue to use the already well documented methods of evasion.i despise these administrative penalties as they do not represent anything like justice,the fines are set just low enough to discourage legal challenge and in my opinion are nothing more than a revenue raising exercise dressed up as a legitimate effort to prosecute the wrongdoer.

let me give you an example,i have a large fleet(6 bikes,5 cars/trucks)for a while i relied on the sorn reminder "system" to keep everything in order and all was well until the reminders did not arrive but guess what?the penalty notices did,and so i am out of pocket to the tune of a hundred quid for what? oh yeah for the pleasure of having two bikes in my lock up garage.sound like justice to you? feels like extortion to me.

dave

[Guest The Modfather]

That's nothing new, it's been the law for years. You must have insurance if your car is on the road. Only if it is sorn then no insurance needed, as its on private land, see earlier post. Government thinking that they are doing something new, me thinks?

 

I have just had a double take on this. After reading RobinJ66's reply I have fully read the document, and stand partly corrected! As I previously stated, if the vehicle is SORN'd and off road, then no insurance needed. Basically they know where the car is! However, if it is NOT sorn'd then they reckon (yeah right) that they can fine, clamp or remove said vehicle even if on private land. They have obviously had this "new" law passed (as I also previously stated that they would need to do, but looks like they have) through parliament. I must admit this is the first I have heard of this new law, being a copper that should make you worry!!!!

 

Anyway, here is the document, not in full but I have kept the important parts. I still think, and Robin being what I think he is may be able to clarify, would need a warrant to enter private land (garage, front/rear garden) to clamp or remove said vehicle. Where would you therefore stand if one of these vehicle removers was bitten by my German Shepherds if they entered my private property? Good luck if they want to meet my two

 

Motoring Stay insured: new penalties for motor vehicles without insurance From early 2011, a new law will mean that the registered keeper of a vehicle must keep it insured unless they've made a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification). If you're not insured and haven't made a SORN, you could face a penalty. Find out what the change in the law means for you.

The new vehicle insurance law - don't be caught out

 

Stay insured - stay legal

 

Watch a video on the new rules on being insured and penalties you could face

 

Stay insured In early 2011, the vehicle insurance law will change.

 

If you're the registered keeper of a vehicle, it must be insured at all times.

 

The only exceptions are:

 

if you have made a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) for the vehicle

vehicles that have been kept off-road since before SORN came into force on 31 January 1998 - unless they are brought back into use

Could you be breaking the law?

 

If you're not using your vehicle, you should make a SORN. If you are using it, it must be insured.

 

How to make a SORN The change in the law means that you won't be able to temporarily take a vehicle off the road and cancel your insurance, unless you make the vehicle SORN at the same time.

 

If you're not using your vehicle, you should make a SORN. If you are using it, it must be insured.

 

How does this affect a vehicle used only in the summer?

If you have a vehicle that is not insured, but which is still taxed you could face a penalty. This includes motor caravans, motorbikes and classic cars – all vehicles that people sometimes leave uninsured for part of the year.

 

What if you have a personalised registration on your vehicle?

 

You should inform your insurance company if you change the registration number of your vehicle at any time. If you do not you could receive an Insurance Advisory Letter (IAL) letter to say your vehicle is not shown as insured.

 

Personalised reg and number plates Where does the new law apply?

 

The new law will apply in England, Scotland and Wales. It will not apply in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

 

Does this change affect the Off Road Register?

 

Off road bikes and construction machinery on the Off Road Register are not affected by the change in the law unless they are registered for use on the public road.

 

Are classic cars affected?

 

The change in law will affect your classic car if it's taxed but not insured. If you have a vehicle that was manufactured before 01 January 1973 that has a 'nil value' tax disc, it is still considered by DVLA as taxed. So, you should make a SORN if it's uninsured and keep it off the road.

 

How does this affect pre-SORN vehicles?

 

Vehicles which have been kept off-road since before SORN came into force on 31 January 1998 are exempt from this law unless they are brought back into use. If you want to bring the vehicle back into use, you will need to tax and insure it. Follow the link below to do this.

[Guest Angel Boy]

Just to clarify the position (from one of those that does make money when the law is broken )

 

 

PS I won't charge you for this consultation

 

 

LOL - Good response

 

Andy

[fry61]

\\\\you have never suffered the screwdriver through the tank to steal fuel; road tax on fuel would make this more likely,used to be a common occurence when we lived in town; 3 miles away from home before you run out.

[Dave Ed]

Over here, the Gibraltian Government realised that no-one bothered to pay road tax anyway and all the Spanish were coming across the border for our cheap fuel, U/L was about 70 pence per litre.

they abolished the road tax and stuck 25p or so onto the fuel, the local Spanish essentially pay for all our road works now, Fuel is now a staggering 90 pence!

i know that this will be different back "home", different scenario etc.

 

Dave

[Longboarder]

Well at least my question is answered. I don't need to insure the GT6 as it has been off road since before the introduction of SORN. However it does seem that if you have a donor or project car, even in bits, you will have to sorn or insure. I'm not sure what the problem is? That seems like no change for reasonably law abiding people like me.

 

Nigel

[Guest The Modfather]

No, you are right Nigel. There is no change to law abiders, just those that don't tax can now also be done for no insurance immediately. There's no difference to how it has been, if you have a donor then you have to SORN it, which is what you should have been doing anyways!

HOWEVER this also comes down to what you do with the V5 when you purchase the car. If the seller knows it's going to be a donor they should declare it as sold rather than scrapped, and inform DVLA via the new keeper section that you now own it, as some don't realise that the VIN, engine and VRM plate (or just number is transfered) are also removed for the project. This would also mean that there was a car out there with no owner, and if you stripped the car and spent the next 4 or so years building it, when you came to register it, you may not get to keep those numbers. Some declare as scrapped which denotes that the vehicle is to be recorded on the End Of Life register, which causes that VIN and VRM etc to be shown on PNC as scrapped, and not now in a Hood or Cobra etc.

 

The only difference is that all vehicles now NEED to be either SORN or insured, which as we have established, law abiders do anyways, it's just another way to cut down on tax and insurance dodgers without having to catch them driving (Sec 59 Police Reform Act). They can now collect from your land!

 

Daz