Roadside emissions testing got my Dad
Discussion
My Dad drives a 1990 VW Jetta, 120k miles, ancient but good condition and reliable. It last had an MOT in April.
Last night he got pulled in Sheffield near to home by a mobile emissions testing van, a load of police, and a load of non-police who were doing the testing. They were camped in a layby and were pulling everything that looked a bit old.
About 6 people decended on his car, and tested just about everything, including looking under the bonnet and checking the tyre tread depth (and this is an emissions test ?!?). Unfortunately his car failed .... a CO2 of 4.9 when it should be < 3.5
Now, as it happens they weren't dishing out fines "this time sir", just warnings, but they said that normally it would be a £60 fine (right put the willies up my old, law abiding Dad bless him, as they didn't tell him that till the end ... they started off with "the fixed penalty notice for this offence is £60 sir ...")
My point to this post is this ... he gets his car serviced like a good boy at VW, and his MOT was only 4 or 5 months ago, yet he was "illegal" and had this not been a trial, they would have fined him (so, give it a month or two and they'll start).
How is the average Mr Joe on the street supposed to know that their car is out, emissions wise ? Does the government seriously think that everyone will have to take their car to the garage every month, just to check it's within tolerances ?!? I dont get it ... tyres, lights, oil all can be checked by yer average punter easily, but surely noone here would think of testing their emissions more than every year or so at MOT or service time .... ?
Daft ...
Last night he got pulled in Sheffield near to home by a mobile emissions testing van, a load of police, and a load of non-police who were doing the testing. They were camped in a layby and were pulling everything that looked a bit old.
About 6 people decended on his car, and tested just about everything, including looking under the bonnet and checking the tyre tread depth (and this is an emissions test ?!?). Unfortunately his car failed .... a CO2 of 4.9 when it should be < 3.5
Now, as it happens they weren't dishing out fines "this time sir", just warnings, but they said that normally it would be a £60 fine (right put the willies up my old, law abiding Dad bless him, as they didn't tell him that till the end ... they started off with "the fixed penalty notice for this offence is £60 sir ...")
My point to this post is this ... he gets his car serviced like a good boy at VW, and his MOT was only 4 or 5 months ago, yet he was "illegal" and had this not been a trial, they would have fined him (so, give it a month or two and they'll start).
How is the average Mr Joe on the street supposed to know that their car is out, emissions wise ? Does the government seriously think that everyone will have to take their car to the garage every month, just to check it's within tolerances ?!? I dont get it ... tyres, lights, oil all can be checked by yer average punter easily, but surely noone here would think of testing their emissions more than every year or so at MOT or service time .... ?
Daft ...
I reckon that on a car that age, anything could have happened... a seal or gasket could have gone in the last 4 months, ECU could be faulty, or carb dirty, depending on which engine it is. Could be any one of dozens of easily explained and inevitable causes and I think it's just an occupational hazard of running an old car.
That said, it seems misguided and spiteful to fine people for these minor infractions though - after all, it's not like he put his foot down and exceeded the CO2 limit is it? No intent.
Pretty much any old TVR needs to be MOTed by a friendly garage that will do the emissions tests in a sympathetic way, unlike these former fast-fitters that inspected your dad's car. Probably the same for X-Flow Caterhams and any other classic car - this means an almost certain collar everytime a classic sports car, or any Rover V8/Ford V6 TVR is pulled in. Once 'they' know this, it's another stick with which to beat us anti-social sports car drivers.
OTOH, any car that's burning oil should be taken off the road immediately and with utmost vigour. So, old Datsuns and all Diesel cars then
>> Edited by CarZee on Thursday 4th September 21:55
That said, it seems misguided and spiteful to fine people for these minor infractions though - after all, it's not like he put his foot down and exceeded the CO2 limit is it? No intent.
Pretty much any old TVR needs to be MOTed by a friendly garage that will do the emissions tests in a sympathetic way, unlike these former fast-fitters that inspected your dad's car. Probably the same for X-Flow Caterhams and any other classic car - this means an almost certain collar everytime a classic sports car, or any Rover V8/Ford V6 TVR is pulled in. Once 'they' know this, it's another stick with which to beat us anti-social sports car drivers.
OTOH, any car that's burning oil should be taken off the road immediately and with utmost vigour. So, old Datsuns and all Diesel cars then
>> Edited by CarZee on Thursday 4th September 21:55
This has got to be THE biggest load of bollox ever.
All that personnel and machinery to spot a dodgy car?
Priorities should be looked at FFS.
How about the untaxed/untested/unlicenced/uninsured?
Take out the scum before anything else and then get picky.
I feel a letter to my MP coming on.
All that personnel and machinery to spot a dodgy car?
Priorities should be looked at FFS.
How about the untaxed/untested/unlicenced/uninsured?
Take out the scum before anything else and then get picky.
I feel a letter to my MP coming on.
I have to agree with nevpugh308 here carzee in so far as i think it unfair to pay £6k+ for a new car 10 - 15 years ago or maybe more from a dealer for a prestiduce old sports classic only to find that it's your responsibility to make sure that emmisions are in line with ever changing regulations blah blah....
For some reason fridge freezers sping to mind here and the fact that it should be the responsibility of the manufacterer to dispose of cfc? stuff etc ( you get my point)
When spending such a large amount of cash on a car i believe the manufacturer should be responsible for providing ongoing testing and modification of emmisions.
I find your comments on deisel cars a bit baffling even if predictable but then thats what makes you Carzee. (kidding)
For some reason fridge freezers sping to mind here and the fact that it should be the responsibility of the manufacterer to dispose of cfc? stuff etc ( you get my point)
When spending such a large amount of cash on a car i believe the manufacturer should be responsible for providing ongoing testing and modification of emmisions.
I find your comments on deisel cars a bit baffling even if predictable but then thats what makes you Carzee. (kidding)
Hello sir we have noticed you drive a car , well you will be glad to hear we have found another way to shaft the motorist, let me just stick this up your pipe ..... 
ing w@nkers ,
When is all this crap going to stop? if everybody refused to drive for 1 day this country grind to a halt , all thesewits that hug trees smoke dope live on another planet! so how do we move around to do our jobs ??????
I need a car to do my job , millions of other people need there car to do there job !
this country has too many morons in high places ,
Oh well just sit back have a beer and watch it all go down the pan
ing w@nkers , When is all this crap going to stop? if everybody refused to drive for 1 day this country grind to a halt , all these
wits that hug trees smoke dope live on another planet! so how do we move around to do our jobs ?????? I need a car to do my job , millions of other people need there car to do there job !
this country has too many morons in high places ,
Oh well just sit back have a beer and watch it all go down the pan
It's just so moronic. I mean, like you say CZ, no intent ... he didn't do it on purpose, or through any negligence on his part. I mean, okay there's an argument which says that you should check your tyres every week to check they are legal, any numpty can do that with no special equipment, but they can't SERIOUSLY expect Mr Average to check emissions on a regular (more regular than annually, say) basis ?
Oh, I forgot to mention, apparently the fine goes down to £30 if you'd had an MOT within the last 6 months.
Oh, I forgot to mention, apparently the fine goes down to £30 if you'd had an MOT within the last 6 months.
I would be very tempted to go on the offence if stopped in this way.
Starting with : "well the car has a valid MOT certificate, and the emissions were checked then, so how am I supposed to monitor that"
Moving on to : "Well you prove to me NOW that your emmissions are legal - but you have to put your fancy little meter down first and prove your emmission levels to me without it... go on I dare you..."
The friggin cheek of these jobsworths astounds me. If emissions and particulates were check in London, I reckon 95% of the buses would be straight off the road.
John
Starting with : "well the car has a valid MOT certificate, and the emissions were checked then, so how am I supposed to monitor that"
Moving on to : "Well you prove to me NOW that your emmissions are legal - but you have to put your fancy little meter down first and prove your emmission levels to me without it... go on I
dare you..." The friggin cheek of these jobsworths astounds me. If emissions and particulates were check in London, I reckon 95% of the buses would be straight off the road.
John
CarZee said:
I reckon that on a car that age, anything could have happened... a seal or gasket could have gone in the last 4 months, ECU could be faulty, or carb dirty, depending on which engine it is. Could be any one of dozens of easily explained and inevitable causes and I think it's just an occupational hazard of running an old car.
>> Edited by CarZee on Thursday 4th September 21:55
Or more like VW servicing is S
E. Maybe we should all be asking for a printed readout of emissions when we have our cars serviced.
Something to chuck back at them anyhow !
mr john said:
Maybe we should all be asking for a printed readout of emissions when we have our cars serviced.
Something to chuck back at them anyhow !
I always get one from the Nissan garage when the Primula's done... always miles under the limits too, which is good considering it's be caned for the last 70k miles by me.
Bilko - I think you misconstrued what I'm saying - I'm not defending these cretins or their political cretin-masters.
And having a swipe at diesels is just my way of bringing a little levity to a situation that's otherwise too depressing for me to even consider.
>> Edited by CarZee on Thursday 4th September 22:53
Where was this? I've seen them in a layby on the A61 north of town, but am keen to avoid them if possible.. Not that my car isn't legal, I just don't want to face the situation that will result if one of those helpful people kneels behind my car and I accidentally hit 5000 revs as he is inserting his tube..
I would think you would have a good chance of beating this in court, if you have the car serviced in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations.
I think I might have called the BiBs bluff on this and actually asked for the fixed penalty.
Also if this becomes the norm, while they check mine I will be checking theirs with my own analyser.
Feck 'em
I think I might have called the BiBs bluff on this and actually asked for the fixed penalty.
Also if this becomes the norm, while they check mine I will be checking theirs with my own analyser.
Feck 'em
Surely the correct solution to failing a roadside emission test is a Rectification Notice, not an automatic fine? Automatic fines would be totally unjustified (as everyone else has said) and I wouldn't even wave them around as a means of scaring someone into getting the car fixed.
And surely this is quite a good way of catching uninsured / untaxed / dangerous cars as they're likely to be the older ones?
And surely this is quite a good way of catching uninsured / untaxed / dangerous cars as they're likely to be the older ones?
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