Random Vehicle checks
Discussion
It seems to be something of a new trend but I've passed 2 HUGE random vehicle checks in the past 6 weeks. One at South Mimms and one just outside Westerham on the A25. On both occasions, there must have been 30+ officers with cars and bikes galore.
I wasn't stopped on either occasion but plenty of others were. On both occasions I drove on to witness plenty of motorway madness - in one case a near accident caused by a police van! While I agree that unsafe cars should be taken off the road, I can't help but feel that this is a huge misuse of Police resource and another example of the Police being directed to presecute the motorist. It really is time that the Government (Let's face it - it's them NOT the plod themselves) turned their attention to REAL criminals.
I wasn't stopped on either occasion but plenty of others were. On both occasions I drove on to witness plenty of motorway madness - in one case a near accident caused by a police van! While I agree that unsafe cars should be taken off the road, I can't help but feel that this is a huge misuse of Police resource and another example of the Police being directed to presecute the motorist. It really is time that the Government (Let's face it - it's them NOT the plod themselves) turned their attention to REAL criminals.
monkeypilot said:
I can't help but feel that this is a huge misuse of Police resource and another example of the Police being directed to presecute the motorist. It really is time that the Government (Let's face it - it's them NOT the plod themselves) turned their attention to REAL criminals.
What utter nonsense.
Random vehicle checks are not persecuting honest motorists, they're SUPPORTING us by helping to remove unsafe vehicles and uninsured/untaxed/unlicensed drivers from the roads and I for one support them. If your car and documents are all in good order you have nothing to fear. Granted I might view things a little differently if they pulled me and did me for a noisy exhaust but I really doubt they would do me for that.
If I had a Mars Bar every time I heard someone on here whining about how the "Police should be out catching REAL criminals" I'd be fat.
monkeypilot said:
It seems to be something of a new trend but I've passed 2 HUGE random vehicle checks in the past 6 weeks. One at South Mimms and one just outside Westerham on the A25. On both occasions, there must have been 30+ officers with cars and bikes galore.
I wasn't stopped on either occasion but plenty of others were. On both occasions I drove on to witness plenty of motorway madness - in one case a near accident caused by a police van! While I agree that unsafe cars should be taken off the road, I can't help but feel that this is a huge misuse of Police resource and another example of the Police being directed to presecute the motorist. It really is time that the Government (Let's face it - it's them NOT the plod themselves) turned their attention to REAL criminals.
Sorry to be so negative but that is the answer i would expect from someone misinformed.
If you were to see the results that were gained from the check at South Mimms then you would certainly not see it as a waste of time and would be asking why arent more checks like this done.
Sadly, in todays world, not every motorist commits only the henious offence of speeding......criminals use vehicles as a way of getting about from A to B...not always in their own vehicles either.
Whilst resources (specialists) are targetting things like this, rest assured that more mundane Police tasks are still being done.
Hi Mungo! How's the course going? etc. etc.
echo said:
I was stopped 4 times last year for traffic surveys - this year (so far) not once
Traffic surveys, I tell them to go and cohabitate with their own derrieres......
Vehicle checks get supported 100% by me.....
Lets get the untaxed, uninsured, unsafe, unwashed, off the roads.... and these checks are on e of the ways to do it........
yeah tony,how about just letting us have a rough number of how many uninsured/unlicensed/drunk drivers you guys caught......id love to know too out of interest???
im 100% behind random stop-checks....especially high visibility ones.its good as it lets the ones that you dont catch know that its only a matter of time and luck before they are.
>> Edited by cortinaman on Saturday 20th March 19:27
im 100% behind random stop-checks....especially high visibility ones.its good as it lets the ones that you dont catch know that its only a matter of time and luck before they are.
>> Edited by cortinaman on Saturday 20th March 19:27
The Westerham one was a multi agency one including the local police, Benefits Agency and Customs and Excise. Seems a sensible way to identify those breaking the law/bending the rules.
They also got a lot of coverage on local news stations - so hopefully that will make people think twice.
They also got a lot of coverage on local news stations - so hopefully that will make people think twice.
lets get all the scrounging reprobates off the road! If they don't have tax, insurance etc. confiscate the car and crush it! have to renew my insurance at the end of the month - it has actually gone up (due to all these people that drive without and then crash etc etc. The road checks and ANPR vans etc have my full support! Sorry if my views seem abit right-wing but this country is becoming too soft (unless you're speeding!!!)
Quite a lot of the random checks are joint operations with other agencies such as DHSS, VOSA (DOT vehicle examiners), Custom & Excise and DVLA. I have been involved in several recently and they are usually very productive. DHSS usually get good results with people working and signing on such as taxi drivers/pizza delivery etc, VOSA usually take a good number of unroadworty 'sheds' off the road and DVLA and occasionally the Local Council grab the untaxed stuff. Personally myself and the officers involved enjoy doing this type of work as it dosn't just target motoring offenders (no insurance etc) but all the other ascociated problems including travelling criminals, unregistered vehicles etc etc. All we need now is insurance disks in the windscreen and the power to grab and crush anything without one. We will then be somewhere near sorting the problem. Just a point re the earlier observations re coppers doing traffic surveys all the ones done in my area are carried out by civillians working for agencies, the cops are there for health and safety reasons etc and are working overtime paid for by the agency, it does not come out of the Police budget.
john robson said:
All we need now is insurance disks in the windscreen and the power to grab and crush anything without one.
I'd back this but unfortunately the power would be abused by local authorities as it is with abandoned cars, SORN and tax disks. A couple of years ago, the Government regulated to allow local authorities to remove vehicles abandoned by the roadside after giving 24 hours' notice (by sticking a notice on the vehicle). This did not affect vehicles abandoned on land that was privately owned, but to which the public had ready access, such as communal gardens round blocks of flats, school grounds, shop car parks etc.
In those cases, two weeks' notice had to be given to the landowner before the vehicle could be removed. If the landowner agreed, the vehicle could be moved immediately; if he objected, the council had no right to remove it, but if he failed to answer within the notice period, the council could then collect it. The problem is that the regulations make no distinction between privately owned land to which the public has access and land round a private house, so in theory they allow a council to seek to remove vehicles from driveways and gardens if they believe them to be abandoned as detailed in the Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations (1986).
When the Government recently proposed to reduce the notice period to only five days, the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs was so alarmed by the proposals (that also make no clear definition of what constitutes an abandoned vehicle) that they have been fighting to have them dropped, or revised in such a way that the powers do not relate to land that forms part of a private dwelling. FBHVC recommends that if you have a restoration project sitting on your drive, you should attach a notice to it stating clearly that the vehicle is not abandoned.
>> Edited by The Wiz on Tuesday 23 March 13:35
I'll add my voice to the fray and say that I heartily support random vehicle checks. The idea of doing a multi-agency one with lots of different authorities getting their checks done is an excellent one - a really good example of working together.
Now, one for tonyrec and other policemen. Is there any way you can request to have such a check set up in your area? I really worry about the number of uninsured drivers in my patch of London (East End) and letters to the MP get a wholly unsatisfactory response ("We are working with Tom, Dick and Harry to set up ... " and it's all a load of hairy bolox.)
Is there any means by which I can ask that the local force set up some random checks, and enforce the results? For the 10 minutes I'd waste driving through them, I'd reap the rewards.
Oli.
Now, one for tonyrec and other policemen. Is there any way you can request to have such a check set up in your area? I really worry about the number of uninsured drivers in my patch of London (East End) and letters to the MP get a wholly unsatisfactory response ("We are working with Tom, Dick and Harry to set up ... " and it's all a load of hairy bolox.)
Is there any means by which I can ask that the local force set up some random checks, and enforce the results? For the 10 minutes I'd waste driving through them, I'd reap the rewards.
Oli.
I appreciate what the wiz is saying but, if for any reason you are going to leave a legitimate car by the roadside what is wrong with contacting the Police and letting them know the reg no and location with a reason why it is there that way we can put a 'seen' entry on the PNC. That way we will know all about it and contact you if there are any problems.
Its not the police that are the problem with regard to abandoned vehicles its the local councils. Frankly I don't think that the Council will even consult with the Police bfore taking action. I seem to remember reading about a guy who had his Escort taken away and crushed because a council employee considered it looked abandoned (it was taxed as well as far as I remeber).
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff