Do foreign registered cars escape insurance checks?
Discussion
I was looking at Smart cars on eBay for someone at work, and found this example, registered on Lithuanian plates.
According to the seller
t, but the car won't show up on the UK insurance database so presumably won't get caught by ANPR. However, if stopped by the police I'm hoping the driver would face the same penalties as a UK registered car if they couldn't provide proof of insurance etc?
According to the seller
Dodgy Lithuanian said:
"as you may know there is now tax or insurance needed as car is on foreign plates" (sic)
Obviously bullst, but the car won't show up on the UK insurance database so presumably won't get caught by ANPR. However, if stopped by the police I'm hoping the driver would face the same penalties as a UK registered car if they couldn't provide proof of insurance etc? If they are UK residents they probably face even more serious penalties. The police and other enforcement agencies have been running Operation Jessica recently to deal with this and have taken a lot of these cars off the road. It's an easy goggle to find that info out. I get the impression that a foreign plate is now a trigger to stop the car.
You probably don't want to hear that from me though, so wait until someone else comes along and says similar.
You probably don't want to hear that from me though, so wait until someone else comes along and says similar.
simoid said:
If they live here they probably face even deeper st. The 5-0 etc have been hot on this recently to deal with this and have taken a lot of these fools off the road. It's an easy search to find that info out. I get the impression that a foreign plate is now a beacon for the fuzz.
t. The 5-0 etc have been hot on this recently to deal with this and have taken a lot of these fools off the road. It's an easy search to find that info out. I get the impression that a foreign plate is now a beacon for the fuzz.
LoonR1 said:
You probably don't want to hear that from me though, so wait until someone else comes along and says similar.
Not true, you clearly know a lot more about insurance than I do, even if many of the insurance industries tactics make little sense.Thanks for the Operation Jessica name, there's quite a bit of information on that.
An English mate of mine, who has been a German resident for many years, was stopped for speeding on the A6 in his German-registered VW. Having a Scouse accent and producing a German Insurance Certificate didn't help. The Officer asked him how he was supposed to know what it was. "Because it says Versicherungsausweis on the top" was his reply. The Sergeant simply told him to p*** off and never darken his doorstep again. 
LoonR1 said:
If they are UK residents they probably face even more serious penalties. The police and other enforcement agencies have been running Operation Jessica recently to deal with this and have taken a lot of these cars off the road. It's an easy goggle to find that info out. I get the impression that a foreign plate is now a trigger to stop the car.
Interesting, just did a bit of Googling to find out more.All of the bits I've found seem to say "insist owners tax, insure and register them in the UK or leave the country within 56 days"
But there's no specific mention of MoT?
I'm assuming that once they're UK registered, then by default they have to get an MoT if the car is over 3 years old?
Sportidge said:
Interesting, just did a bit of Googling to find out more.
All of the bits I've found seem to say "insist owners tax, insure and register them in the UK or leave the country within 56 days"
But there's no specific mention of MoT?
I'm assuming that once they're UK registered, then by default they have to get an MoT if the car is over 3 years old?
Can they tax it without MoTing it?All of the bits I've found seem to say "insist owners tax, insure and register them in the UK or leave the country within 56 days"
But there's no specific mention of MoT?
I'm assuming that once they're UK registered, then by default they have to get an MoT if the car is over 3 years old?
simoid said:
If they live here they probably face even deeper st. The 5-0 etc have been hot on this recently to deal with this and have taken a lot of these fools off the road. It's an easy search to find that info out. I get the impression that a foreign plate is now a beacon for the fuzz.
Why should I face extra hassle if i bring my Croatian car to England ( a land getting worse by the day),a 3000 km drive, i just need a green card insurance. t. The 5-0 etc have been hot on this recently to deal with this and have taken a lot of these fools off the road. It's an easy search to find that info out. I get the impression that a foreign plate is now a beacon for the fuzz.Perhaps there are just too many cars for the island's size. Caused by the crippling of public transport.
rogerhudson said:
Why should I face extra hassle if i bring my Croatian car to England ( a land getting worse by the day),a 3000 km drive, i just need a green card insurance.
Perhaps there are just too many cars for the island's size. Caused by the crippling of public transport.
How do you face "extra hassle"? What do you mean?Perhaps there are just too many cars for the island's size. Caused by the crippling of public transport.
kapiteinlangzaam said:
I drive quite a lot in the UK with my foreign plated cars.
Never been pulled, but then again they are quite new and in decent nick. Cloggy plates as well, which attract far less attention than E. European i'd imagine.
Ive had a few smart arse customs people try to tell me I cant drive my cars in the UK (I still have a UK DL and Passport), but im domiciled in NL for tax purposes, so have to gently point out the error of their ways.... no point being arsey, as HMRC can seriously ruin your day if they want to.
Maybe a new thing, my uncles travel between their respective homes in France, Spain, Wales and England on Spanish and French registered cars and have never been pulled but they don't drive anything interesting to neither Plod nor PHers so take that as you will.Never been pulled, but then again they are quite new and in decent nick. Cloggy plates as well, which attract far less attention than E. European i'd imagine.
Ive had a few smart arse customs people try to tell me I cant drive my cars in the UK (I still have a UK DL and Passport), but im domiciled in NL for tax purposes, so have to gently point out the error of their ways.... no point being arsey, as HMRC can seriously ruin your day if they want to.
Roo said:
The latest thing around here is when an Eastern European pile of st dies they just buy a UK car and fit their number plates to it.
There's loads of RHD cars like it. Usually VW or BMW.
Seen a few like that where I live. Audi A4 or VW Passats seem fave.t dies they just buy a UK car and fit their number plates to it.There's loads of RHD cars like it. Usually VW or BMW.
Thanks LoonR1 for Operation JESSICA. There's a Skoda Octavia on Spanish plates that's been dropping off at my daughter's school for about 3 years. Clearly resident since the children are being schooled here.
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