Save me making mistakes......

[chumley-warner]

Question the first:

I've just bought a Westfield with an Aeroscreen (no windsreen) yesterday. It had no tax (I didn't realise) so I went and bought a new disc this afternoon. On my way back I dropped in at the police station to ask where I should attach it.

The lady on duty said she didn't know, got the "book" out only to tell me it said "in a conspicuous position". She recommended I spoke to DVLA so I did - they were no use either. The Westy forum I belong to suggested either facing me on the passengers side on the scuttle (a bit tricky - holes to drill, possibly have to take the scuttle off to bolt it on also it is not facing forward) or attach it to the roll bar behind the passenger (my preference, but it is not in front of the driver). Which is favoured in this forum? And what is legal??

Question the second:

During my chat with the duty officer I mentioned that above 50mph for any time, I really need to wear a helmet - especially on the motorway. She said if I was wearing a helmet, I would be a dead cert to be pulled over - just to check all my bits and pieces were in order (I can't remember the exact term she used). If this is the case do you recommend I bring my goodies (insurance / MOT / V5 is in the post at the moment) with me in anticipation ?

Cheers for any advice

Mr Chumley-Warner

[fast westfield]

I sent this to Humberside Police the other day

Dear Sir
Can you tell me if it is legal to use a crash helmet with an iridium visors in an open top car that has no windscreen [like my car http://homepage.ntlworld.com/paul.jones37/ ] during day light hours.

I received this reply within the hour

Thank you for your email. I have received the following response from our
traffic management officer:

"Section 183 (2) of the road traffic act 1988 referring to visors applies
only to motorcycles. An officer would therefore have to decide whether or
not the drivers actions were reasonable in the circumstances to determine
whether or not the act committed amounted to carelessness or worse."

Clare Weston
Quality of Life Policing Strategy Unit
Extension 6286 (Direct Dial Tel. No: 01482 578286)
E-Mail: [e-mail]


Paul.

[streaky]

fast westfield said:

[snip]Quality of Life Policing Strategy Unit

What the heck (several stronger words come to mind) is a "Quality of Life Policing Strategy Unit"?

Who defines the quality of life?

Whose life do they define quality for?

Why does it need 'policing'?

What laws govern this?

Will they publish the strategy for policing it for public consultation before enforcement?

Do all police forces have this Unit?

How much tax payers' money is consumed by such idiocy? And how much of that money was released from another budget by the fines extracted from scammeras?



Streaky

[gixxer1000]

chumley-warner said:

or attach it to the roll bar behind the passenger (my preference, but it is not in front of the driver). Which is favoured in this forum? And what is legal??

I'd be rather surprised if it's a legal requirement to have to place the tax disc in front of the driver as motorbikes have them attached anywhere you fancy. Perhaps it's more from the perspective that traffic wardens/police are used to having to search around a motorbike looking for the tax disc, but cars pretty much always have them in the windscreen.

[Tivster]

streaky said:

fast westfield said: [snip]Quality of Life Policing Strategy Unit What the heck (several stronger words come to mind) is a "Quality of Life Policing Strategy Unit"? Who defines the quality of life? Whose life do they define quality for? Why does it need 'policing'? What laws govern this? Will they publish the strategy for policing it for public consultation before enforcement? Do all police forces have this Unit? How much tax payers' money is consumed by such idiocy? And how much of that money was released from another budget by the fines extracted from scammeras? Streaky

Streaky 'Quality of Life' policies revolve around a sort of low tolerance policing of the issues that are an annoyance to you rather than clear cut offences. For example youths on motor scooters, noisy kids in street etc. It's the sort of thing that people phone in and moan about the police not doing anything.
It sort of works - I've seen it in action - and can make a difference, but it's not core performance related, so not backed by the government.

Tivster

[chumley-warner]

Let's hope this is legal!



Mr Chumley-Warner

[s2ooz]

looks fine to me! I was going to suggest sellotaping it to the bonnet or something.

Make sure that disc holder you have is the anti theft style, for some reason people like nicking tax discs to put in the window of their untaxed car.

(ie does it need allen/hex keys to open it?)

[chumley-warner]

It need an allan key to take it off the scuttle and a phillips screwdriver to undo the mount itself b4 you get my disc......but you will have the run very very fast!

[streaky]

Tivster said:

Streaky 'Quality of Life' policies revolve around a sort of low tolerance policing of the issues that are an annoyance to you rather than clear cut offences. For example youths on motor scooters, noisy kids in street etc. It's the sort of thing that people phone in and moan about the police not doing anything. It sort of works - I've seen it in action - and can make a difference, but it's not core performance related, so not backed by the government. Tivster

Tivster - that's great and highly commendable (note no sarcasm!) ... I just wonder (now more than before) why someone from that unit was responding to the question. 'Quality of Life Policing Strategy Unit' answering a Trafpol question about legality of a visor for a car driver just seemed a little starnge. [/mild_sarcasm_mode_ON] Maybe they had nothing to do (especially given the speed of the response, or it was just a good use of resource.[/mild_sarcasm_mode_OFF]. Thx - Streaky

[TheLemming]

Ya know, sometimes the Police just cant win.

They reply promptly to a question, with a reasonable answer, and get flamed for it...

[pdV6]

After having the disc nicked from the TR3A for the nth time, my dad asked the DVLA if it was ok to use a photocopy and produce the original on request.

Apparently they are ok with this. Which suprised me not a little.

[streaky]

TheLemming said:

Ya know, sometimes the Police just cant win. They reply promptly to a question, with a reasonable answer, and get flamed for it...

See other threads to confirm that I don't flame policemen (non-PC, what what the heck!) ... just the system!