Who is responsible?

[good grief]

This morning I was stopped driving my wife’s Discovery by two arrogant rude police officers.
The reason being that the rear number plate is apparently smaller in size than the legal requirement. The original plate fell off and she ordered another one online which is the one they odjected too. They gave me a humiliating dressing down and said they would deal with it with a fixed penalty notice, once I got home and inspected the form I see it is a traffic offence report which indicates intention to prosecute.
Now my question is,my names on the form but it’s not my vehicle so can they legally prosecute me.
Thanks in advance for your views.

[Garvin]

Yes

[TheAngryDog]

yes. It is the same as you borrowing a car with a bald tyre. You are in control of the car at the time so the responsibility rests with you.

[Superhoop]

The condition of the vehicle is the responsibility of the driver i.e. it was your responsibility to ensure the vehicle you were driving was roadworthy before driving it..

[TooMany2cvs]

good grief said:

This morning I was stopped driving my wife’s Discovery by two arrogant rude police officers.
The reason being that the rear number plate is apparently smaller in size than the legal requirement. The original plate fell off and she ordered another one online which is the one they odjected too.

And is it legal?

good grief said:

Now my question is,my names on the form but it’s not my vehicle so can they legally prosecute me.

Given that the car is your missus', does it make a big difference if it's the keeper or the driver who's ultimately liable? There's no points.

[R6VED]

It sounds like you may have failed the attitude test.

[InitialDave]

R6VED said:

It sounds like you may have failed the attitude test.

Assuming plod are actually correct, of course, and it's not the other way round.

Get your tape measure out...

[jeremyh1]

good grief said:

This morning I was stopped driving my wife’s Discovery by two arrogant rude police officers.
The reason being that the rear number plate is apparently smaller in size than the legal requirement. The original plate fell off and she ordered another one online which is the one they odjected too. They gave me a humiliating dressing down and said they would deal with it with a fixed penalty notice, once I got home and inspected the form I see it is a traffic offence report which indicates intention to prosecute.
Now my question is,my names on the form but it’s not my vehicle so can they legally prosecute me.
Thanks in advance for your views.

I do a lot of miles 90 k a year you are at some point going to get stopped
I have never come across an arrogant police officer Even when I was young and cocky !
They do a st job for us that nobody else wants to do .
Its always best to listen and say sorry .Let them know that they are the boss and that you keen to take advice
Sadly you may have pissed them off a bit


You were the driver of the bus so you are responsible and accountable for the vehicle you were driving
If the vehicle was not legal you should have cycled

[jeremyh1]

InitialDave said:

Assuming plod are actually correct, of course, and it's not the other way round.

Get your tape measure out...

This forum should have a thank you button
but what Dave said but they are probably right

[InitialDave]

jeremyh1 said:

This forum should have a thank you button
but what Dave said but they are probably right

They weren't last time we had a thread about someone getting a ticket for it...

[Bigends]

We would have reported the wife as well for permitting the OP to use the car with the dodgy plate - after all - its her car. apparently no longer the case any more. The OP should certainly check that the plate is in fact illegal - did the cops carefully measure the plate ?

Edited by Bigends on Wednesday 28th February 16:01

Edited by Bigends on Wednesday 28th February 16:03

[good grief]

jeremyh1 said:

good grief said:

This morning I was stopped driving my wife’s Discovery by two arrogant rude police officers.
The reason being that the rear number plate is apparently smaller in size than the legal requirement. The original plate fell off and she ordered another one online which is the one they odjected too. They gave me a humiliating dressing down and said they would deal with it with a fixed penalty notice, once I got home and inspected the form I see it is a traffic offence report which indicates intention to prosecute.
Now my question is,my names on the form but it’s not my vehicle so can they legally prosecute me.
Thanks in advance for your views.

I do a lot of miles 90 k a year you are at some point going to get stopped
I have never come across an arrogant police officer Even when I was young and cocky !
They do a st job for us that nobody else wants to do .
Its always best to listen and say sorry .Let them know that they are the boss and that you keen to take advice
Sadly you may have pissed them off a bit

Trust me I sat there like a mouse, was as civil as possible, I’ve never been in front of a beak but I conducted myself as if I was.

You were the driver of the bus so you are responsible and accountable for the vehicle you were driving
If the vehicle was not legal you should have cycled

Edited by good grief on Wednesday 28th February 16:08

[JagerT]

Can you upload a picture of the plate ?

[Foliage]

The driver is always responsible

[good grief]

JagerT said:

Can you upload a picture of the plate ?

[TooMany2cvs]

good grief said:

That would seem to be a fair cop, comparing the character sizes to the aperture, relative to a legal plate.


Bike-size?

[Heartworm]

lacking the manufacturer on it too

[littlebasher]

No name and postcode of the plate manufacturer, and the spacing looks equally dodgy.

You sure the old one fell off

[Integroo]

good grief said:

JagerT said:

Can you upload a picture of the plate ?

It's clearly illegal - spacing, size, details that are required. I doubt it was replaced because the last one fell off, it is clearly for vanity reasons. Whether or not you think it should be illegal is irrelevant. Pay the penalty.




It also looks fking ridiculous.

[AyBee]

I can't for the life of me work out how you didn't know that was illegal (given you have a number of other cars that display numberplates) nor why you would bother not having a legal numberplate given it's a bog standard car with a bog standard plate