Car Owners Legal Responsibility

[light186282]

Why is it that the registered owner of the vehicle is responsible for the actions of the vehicle. For example if my car was caught speeding and no one is really sure who was driving that day, ultimately I am responsible for the crime. Recently a friend borrowed my car, overstayed by 10 minutes in a G24 private carpark and I am getting threatened to go to court. Not only did this private company G24 get my info from DVLA, but holds me responsible as the owner. On this basis if my car was stolen, used in a bank robbery, would I be held responsible for this. How have we let the law get like this ???
Regards, Andrew from Norfolk

[gouldc]

The slight error (and I'm being petty here) is that you're not the registered owner, but the registered keeper.

It's generally accepted that the person who is the registered keeper is not necessarily the owner, but the person who uses the vehicle the most - hence the reason all the fines, etc come to you - if you were not in charge, then realistically you should know who was using the vehicle at the time and you have a duty to infirm the relevant authorities of this.

You would not be held responsible if your vehicle was stolen and used in a criminal activity. Yes, the police may come to you first as you were obviously the registered keeper, but so long as there was evidence to suggest that the car was stolen, no further action would be taken.

As to how did we let the law get like this, how the hell do you expect people to be responsible for their actions if you can't trace the responsibility of ownership?

If no-one registered the cars in their names, then you'd never trace people who hit-and-run pedestrians, who flee accidents, paedo's who kidnap (or attempt) to kidnap kids and someone see's their reg, etc.

If you don;t know who's using your car, maybe you shouldn;t be allowed to drive.

[kempie]

On a slightly different tack, the G24 car parking issue is not one of criminal liability. It is a civil matter of contract law and as such G24 has no case in trying to enforce a contract with the Registered Keeper if they were not present when another driver entered into the contract to use the car park. The RK also has no duty to disclose to a private company who was driving at that time.

[almcd007]

Two words - Responsibility and accountability

Its as simple as that. If you are the registered keeper of a vehicle you have a duty to inform the authorities of who was driving your car at a certain time. It's your car.

There are two ways round this - Firstly dont let anyone drive your car.Secondly keep an accurate record of anyone that does and also if it's a regular occurance get them to sign the car out and in and also make sure they are insured to drive it - see it in black and white - dont take their word for it.

Eventually you will find yourself in court being asked who was driving and why you dont know who was driving at the time.