Police roadside checks

[Carol Anne]

Any police officers out there? Can anyone tell me if the police yet have an  instant link to insurance databases (as they do with the DVLC), which would enable them to ascertain on the spot whether or not a vehicle is insured?

[twiglet4frog]

not sure about insurance but they have white vans that scan a number plate within 3 -5 seconds and report if it hasnt been taxed, is classed as off the road, if there are any arrest warrants out for the owner of the vehicle, if the vehicle has been reported as stolen or wanted for any investigation and a few other things too.

It can process every single number plate that passes it and notify waiting police a few hundred yards up the road waiting to pull over any suspect cars.

It was trialled in Lincolnshire last year and had a huge success rate catching untaxed cars but also in one month caught 18 people who had arrest warrents for skipping bail too and can be operated by one man whereas previously it took the manpower of 9 officers to collect and verify any details.

The police say the public will find that it a bonus as it is more likely to catch offenders and tax dodgers while allowing the law abiding to pass by checkpoints without being pulled over for random checks that proved time consuming and a infringment on civil liberties  

[BillyNoMates]

I believe they can access a database to check if a vehicle is insured - as used by the ANPR system described above.

You may see it mentioned in the small print on your policy - it is mentioned on mine.

[Buenchico]

Don't forget that the important thing is not whether the vehicle is insured but whether the driver is insured to drive it. (Not quite the same thing!).

My friend could let his insurance policy lapse on his car (so it would show up on any database as 'uninsured') but I could still drive it under the 'any vehicle, third party' provisions of my own insurance. So I'd get rather p_____ off if the Old Bill pulled me over for (apparently) having no insurance!

I've driven thousands of cars to auction - I used to do it for a living - and most of those vehicles were 'uninsured' (i.e.there was no insurance policy with the registration number of the vehicle on it) but there was no breach of the law as I had 'fully comp' - any vehicle" insurance.

It's not the cars which must be insured but the drivers!

Chris

[BillyNoMates]

Good point Buenchico. Also worth adding that MOTs are supposed to be compterised now and on a similar database. But as usual with most Government IT projects it's over budget and somewhat delayed !!

[Carol Anne]

Thanks everyone. Most informative!

[Loosehead]

There is presently an onging project to associate insurance, mot and tax records. It was explained to me when I last had an MOT. If you have one of the new form MOT's and your insurance firm has converted to use the new system then you can tax you car on line as they know if it's taxed and insured. This system should cover most cars within a year or 2. So it won't be long before the number plate reader can tell if you're insured taxed and MOT's, a giant step forward that will hopefully make it much more difficult for illegal drivers.

[ianess]

I've heard that there's a new system to be introduced soon similar to the SORN [off-road notification] for road tax.
The owner  of the vehicle will have to prove that it has insurance cover or else declare that it's not for use on public roads.
No doubt there will be complications and loopholes but hopefully that may go some small way towards stopping uninsured vehicles being on the road.

[JudgeJ]

Whilst what buenchico says is true regarding the driver having to be insured to drive the vehicle, there have been some recent developments.

Driving a vehicle on a road or public place without insurance against third party risk is an offence contrary to Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The requirement is for the driver to be insured in respect of the use of specified vehicles, rather than the vehicle to be insured for use by specified persons.

However, new legislation has been passed and since 1st October it is now an offence to be the registered keeper of a vehicle the use of which is not insured in accordance with section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Such an offence does not require the police to prove that the vehicle was in use on the road.

The police have access to the Motor Insurers’ database to help them prosecute in these circumstances.