Unmarked Police Vans

[Guest tom2b]

For the last two nights around where i live the police have been doing a crack down on motorists, using a blue unmarked van with limo black windows a couple hundred yards away from numerous marked volvos and traffic police, stopping people for various reasons, speeding, insurance etc. Im not against this as some people really shouldnt be on the roads, however i thought that all police vans of that nature had to be clearly visible, can anyone shed any light on this?

[Guest brummy-ade]

youll find the blue van is an ANPR van with numberplate recognition equipment inside. normally manned by a civilian member of staff

This van then radios thro to the bobbys on bikes or in cars to stop said vehicle.

Clever bit of kit and now because the police pnc has insurance details on they know if you have any before they stop you

[Guest tom2b]

so does the van also have a speed camera inside it?

[Guest micky bigthumbs]

Some do ive picked some up on road angel the ones ive seen are white but have Camera sighns on the side

[enforcer]

Yep that'll be an ANPR check. The camera reads the number plate and automatically checks against the PNC (Police National Computer). This will then show up no insurance, no excise licence, stolen vehicles or any other information marker placed on PNC against the vehicle by the police and other agencies. This could be anything from a vehicle which has been used in crime to a vehicle used by a missing person.

 

The ANPR van does not normally carry speed detection equipment - this isn't what this kind of check is about. They are supported by an entourage of bikes and cars and are tremendously successful. Invariably throw up a good number of disqualified drivers.

 

Got to be unanimous support then for this one???!!!!??

[Guest tom2b]

Yes im all for that, think its a good idea and should be used more regularly, however i am against speed camera vans that arent clearly marked!

[Guest Guy]

Why should they be marked? is that so people can slow down to the legal speed limit while they go passed and then speed up again?

 

They should put marked ones in visible places then put an unmarked one just up the road especially in the 30 limit places

[Guest tom2b]

They should be marked because i have witnessed many near pile ups when people doing maybe 70 in a 60 spot the van at the last second, panic break and any cars following nearly tail ends them.

[enforcer]

That's because they are travelling to close together. We experienced and and responsible motorists will leave the appropriate gap - and if we are travelling at 70 mph max at the proper distance from the car in front all we need to do is ease off the accelerator.

 

Easy.

 

Unless of course the cars in front are now in one smouldering stationary heap

[Guest salty_monk]

Yep, I'm all for getting the disqualified, uninsured, untested & untaxed off the road, just push the costs up for the rest of us...

[Mitch]

Yep, I'm all for getting the disqualified, uninsured, untested & untaxed off the road, just push the costs up for the rest of us...

 

If only,

If they are disqualified and get caught this way, then there still on the road, :gdit:

untested and uninsured, then they just dont give a toss about the other law abiding citizens that pay the insurance (which is higher priced due to us paying for there accidents)

Unfortunatly the penalties for driving without insurance are lower than it would be for them to insure it in the first place.

 

Until the courts can do more, the police are fighting a losing battle. :gdit: :angry: :gdit:

 

It was one of these stop and check points where i got stopped in Newark, Eagle eyed traffic warden (no posh van for them) noticed i wasnt displaying tax disc, (stick pads were knackered so it was in my jacket pocket) quick PNC check and i was away, not like the Nova boy who had 3 lights out.

 

They hold these check points quite often just up the road from me, good for getting defective cars off the road, but those who drive without Mot, tax and insurance, will be back on the road after picking up another wreck from the auction quite quickly

 

Mitch

[Guest salty_monk]

We should adopt the Australian system of insurance, this is how I think it works... the cost of 3rd party cover on a national level is added onto the cost of petrol so as soon as you pass your test you have 3rd party cover to drive any car. Extra insurance, theft, fire, comprehensive etc is bought in the same way as us thereby if you have a valid licence you have minimum insurance cover... the book should then be thrown very hard at those driving without a valid licence (not sure if they do this bit but probably.. or maybe it's a can of Fosters not a book )

 

[Guest rhetorical-oracle]

If you introduced that system in this country then I'm sure there'd be an increase in the number of petrol siphoning incidents reported!

[Guest TerryBarry]

I thought that the driver has to purchase a green slip - which is Third Party Insurance (CTP) from a national system.

 

Maybe our member down there (feralspirit) could enlighten us Poms

[Guest salty_monk]

Whatever they do in Oz, I reckon my way would be a good way to stop people driving without insurance at least..... Also it'd be quite fair as the more you drive the more insurance you'd pay although it wouldn't take account of the higher risk drivers I guess, I think i'd be happier paying for legal high risk drivers than people who do it all illegally as happens now...