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No
Insurance?
-
Think
again!!
Police are reported
to have moved aggressively
to impound vehicles
without motor insurance
under new powers
granted to them
at the beginning
of August 2005.
Police are now using
modern Automatic
Number Plate Recognition
(ANPR) software
which reads the
registration plate
of passing vehicles
and immediately
links the information
to the police national
computer
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If the information comes up blank on a motor insurance database,
the vehicle will be stopped, and if no insurance is found the car
is impounded.
The driver then has seven days to prove they hold motor insurance.
The police have the right to destroy the vehicle after 14 days
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"We
will not take any excuses or make any exceptions - if you don't
obey the law we'll make sure that you, not the law-abiding motorist,
pay the price," said police spokesman Chief Inspector Nigel Brown.
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The Law – Section 152 Serious Organised Crime & Police Act 2005
With the commencement of this part of the Serious Organised Crime & Police
Act 2005 constables in uniform now have the power to seize uninsured motor
vehicles and vehicles driven without a licence provided certain conditions
are satisfied.
To seize a vehicle any of following conditions must be satisfied:-
The first condition is that:
(a) A constable in uniform requires, under section 164, a person
to produce his licence and its counterpart for examination,
(b) The person fails to produce them, and
(c) The constable has reasonable grounds for believing that a motor
vehicle is or was being driven by the person in contravention of section
87(1).
The second condition is that-
(a) A constable in uniform requires, under section 165, a person
to produce evidence that a motor vehicle is not or was not being driven
in contravention of section 143,
(b) The person fails to produce such evidence, and
(c) A constable has reasonable grounds for believing that the vehicle
is or was being so driven.
The third condition is that-
(a) A constable in uniform requires, under section 163, a person
driving a motor vehicle to stop the vehicle,
(b) The person fails to stop the vehicle, or to stop the vehicle
long enough, for the constable to make such lawful enquiries as he considers
appropriate, and
(c) A constable has reasonable grounds for believing that the vehicle
is or was being driven in contravention of section 87(1) or section 143.
Section 87(1) relates to driving a motor vehicle on a road other than
in accordance with a driving licence for that class of vehicle.
Section 143 relates to driving a motor vehicle without a valid certificate
of insurance to cover its use.
Both sections are from the RTA 1988.
A constable in uniform may seize the vehicle and have it removed. The
power may be exercised anywhere other than a private dwelling and if necessary
reasonable force can be used. If the constable is unable to seize the
motor vehicle immediately as the person failed to stop. He may seize the
vehicle at any time within 24hrs.
A constable in uniform prior to seizing the motor vehicle must clearly
warn the driver that the vehicle may be seized, UNLESS he/she produces
their driving licence and its counterpart immediately or provides a valid
certificate of insurance for his/her use of that motor vehicle. This warning
need not be given if the circumstances make it impractical to do so.
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