The same measures are being used throughout the European Union in every area of our lives to build a giant network of computers just to keep a continuous eye on us all.
The Department for Transport says: ’Under continuous insurance enforcement' it will be an offence to keep an uninsured vehicle, rather than just to drive when uninsured.
Yes folks, it means if you have parked your "uninsured vehicle" on your own private land without declaring SORN, you will be clamped/fined regardless of whether you drive it or not. So, if you have parked your car in your back garden on private land, don't be surprised to see policemen peering over your fence!
As usual the government fail to see the "elephant in the room" and haven't considered the possibility that those culprits that drive without insurance will be rushing to rent garages.They'll store their killing machines safely from the eyes of the Stasi and spying database (and I thought we were short on Policemen?)
It was obviously too much like hard work just to adequately punish the guilty when they were discovered or had caused an accident. Now, forewarned, it will be even harder because their vehicles will be safely tucked away.
Official Government website with more information is here
The continuous insurance enforcement scheme will provide a new fixed penalty for people who ignore official reminders that their insurance has expired. This will apply to vehicles that are not declared as being off the road through SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) and not insured.
ReplyDeleteWhere a motor vehicle isn't used on a road or other public place, there’s no requirement to purchase insurance cover for 'on road risk' as long as a SORN declaration has been made.
Now, I agree, I don't think it will be too long before the legislation is expanded to include ALL vehicles irrespective of their SORN status but for now I'm safe .....
I have no problem with convicting people who drive with no insurance but I do have a problem with the inevitable spying it will involve.
ReplyDeleteGuilty until you can prove your innocence rears it's ugly head again.
As far as I am concerned, if I park my car on my drive in my back garden temporarily until I can afford the extortionate insurance, then I don't expect to be targeted.
What this change proves once and for all we do not own our cars even those of us who have handed over money to buy them.
ReplyDeleteIf we owned our cars it would be criminal damage for a DVLA appointed goon to clamp your car.
If we owned our cars it would be theft if the DVLA appointed goons crushed the car.
Forcing us to insure something we never own but have to maintain and repair is mad enough but the real insanity is we all simply fall for it without so much a murmur of discontent.
Lambs to the slaughter.
Statewatch continues to do good work in this area, watching the spread of computer surveillance and control.
ReplyDeleteI expect signs with "Private Land, Trespassers will be prosecuted" will be popular soon.
ReplyDeleteStepping foot on private property to clamp a private car... that can't be right.
Unregistered is fireproof as far as the illegal drivers are concerned. Confiscate the car, crush it, do as you please, they don't give a rip as long as they can get another beaten up old bomb from a bloke in the pub for many many times less than a year's VED, insurance and MOT. I'll bet you the first prosecutions with this law will be some middle aged, middle class type who took off on holiday for a fortnight and forgot the insurance was due a few days before they got back.
ReplyDeleteIt is no real surprise that number plate thefts have mushroomed is it?
ReplyDeleteThe best larf at the weekly Newsquest godawful bad rag local paper (Wiltshire Times - yes, you) last year was a comment to an article about some trouble making tinkers - pointing out that the registration plate on the white Ford Transit tipper towing a caravan across the front page that week actually belonged to a metallic blue Ford Fiesta.
Well, I'm glad it's not continuous insurance as in SORNed or not, but I note DVLA have been characteristically tinkering with the way it works to entrap and obstruct and generally make life awkward for folk and make up some more arbitrary rules.
ReplyDeleteThey just love confiscate and crush eh? - oooh... I bet that causes "power" arousal at DVLA "corporate strategy" meetings every time someone says it - FFS what's wrong with valet, re-register and sell? I hear they've crushed quite a lot of good cars (and some finance company owned cars too! - but few reports of Transit tippers getting it...)
How about admitting database errors and offering folk a refund of the towing-pound charge + loss of income and a fulsome apology? Hmm... thought not.
Don't want to be seen as incompetent, privacy leaking, conniving, low life, cheating, dishonest car trade spivs?
Bit late for that.
A AE says, the "po-lite" classes are going to cop it - the recently formed army of council parking jobsworth bonus penalty snoopers are going to see to that and they'll be "jus lovin it!" = renewed reason to visit the leafy suburbs in their Noddy vans and strut their stuff.
I should add that I've recently seen several incidents involving likely pissed banger piloting Eastern European gents fenderbendering and fucking orf - but I expect little more from my local plods/judiciary than to have it blamed on the elusive Prawo Jazdy .
The criminals will find a way round it. It's typical of the government not to think of the inevitable.
ReplyDeleteIdentity theft will lead to number plate theft.
Statewatch are brilliant James. I get their newsletter but trawling through the site can be arduous sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI bet this is a European thing. I must check it out.