Lincolnshire Police have wasted no time using tough new laws which allow them to seize uninsured vehicles. In just 12 months since the new laws came into force as part of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, Lincolnshire Police have taken 1,500 vehicles off local roads which were either not insured or being driven by someone who was not properly licenced.
And this week, the 1,000th vehicle to be crushed under the new legislation was personally destroyed by Assistant Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police Peter Davies.
He worked the machinery to operate the crusher at a scrapyard in Sleaford - and is pictured standing on top of his handiwork!
When a vehicle is seized, the driver or registered keeper is given a fortnight to obtain a valid certificate of insurance or produce a driving licence before they can reclaim the vehicle. They also have to pay the police towing costs and all storage charges…
Then they are prosecuted for having no licence or insurance.
Inspector Les Parker of the Roads Policing Unit said,
"The UK has one of the worst records in Western Europe for uninsured driving with an estimated one in every twenty cars on the road being driven without proper insurance cover.I reckon it's a fair cop.
“This results in every honest motorist in the UK paying £15 - £30 of their insurance premium to compensate the innocent victims of these cheats... and the problem is growing at a dramatic rate".
"Police Officers have always dealt with motorists who are driving without the required documents but have often been powerless to prevent them from continuing to do so as soon as our backs were turned. Now, not only will offenders be prosecuted for the offences but we have the power to remove their vehicles from the road.
"The police treat this offence as a very serious matter and if you are caught then do not expect to be treated sympathetically.
“You will be prosecuted, we will seize your vehicle and, if you want to get it back, you will have to pay all recovery and storage charges and you will have to have obtained insurance. Therefore using a vehicle without insurance simply isn't worth the risk."
7 comments:
How interesting to contrast this with the story on Iain Dale's blog about the police not being interested in his car being broken into, and not even coming out to look at it. Says a lot about Nu Labor policing priorities, but the word "fair" doesn't come into it.
Keep taking your medication, Michael.
Crusher Davies' achievements speak for themselves.
I bet that a fair proportion of the thousand cars crushed in Lincolnshire were a bit of cheap recycling service from our local cops.
You've got an old car. The second hand value is now low-to-negligible and falling.
Crusher is offering to dispose of it for you!
Thanks.
They should do the same to off-road bikers.
Interesting article. Pity it's not quite like how it's being made out to look. ASK ANY ACTIVE LINCOLNSHIRE POLICE BOBBY WHAT HE OR SHE THINKS ABOUT INSPECTOR PARKER'S APPARENTLY-FORCEFUL ENFORCEMENT POLICY. You'll find the following:-
1. Insp Parker will NOT authorise uninsured cars to be seized by anyone other than Traffic officers; there are precious few of those out & about at the best of times.
2. Insp Parker will NOT authorise uninsured cars to be seized by his Traffic officers when the uninsured driver is arrested for two of the most serious uninsured driving offences - driving whilst disqualified, or drink-driving - as he states that would break the spirit of the law, i.e. to prevent the car from being driven, as the driver is already being prevented from being driven due to the driver having been arrested. He states that that would "go against the spirit of the law"!!
THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW!! THAT'S WHAT THIS LAW'S FOR, INSPECTOR!! THE DRIVER IS RELEASED AFTER A FEW HOURS AND GOES STRAIGHT BACK TO DRIVE THE CAR!! IT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE WEEK!!
Hate to say it, but I think Inspector Parker (as reported) is probably right about the law.
geoffrey:
re: off road bikers.
they already do destroy them.
anonymous:
thanks for the information: i'd like to know more in confidence if need be and wonder if you would mind emailing me at
fairdealphil@hotmail.com
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