Safe Speed Forums

The Times, Friday December 2

Can I see your licence, tax and insurance sir?

It was the first time Oliver Smith had been stopped by the police and he was driving without a licence, road tax or insurance. But he was, at least, well within the speed limit, near his home in Leyland, Lancashire.

Neither the two-year old nor his grandparents realised he needed the documents for his Peg Perego toy car, a battery-powered buggy with a top speed of less than 3mph. The policeman told Sarah and Derek Smith that their grandson could be charged.

The Deaprtment of Transport said that any mechanically propelled vehicle had to be registered, insured and taxed. It was not clear if exemptions for motablity scooters applied to toys. Lancashire police said that a toy car that could travel at only 2-3mph did not come under vehicle legislation, but added that, for safety, it should not be used near roads.

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Anyone who tells you that nothing is impossible has never bathed in a saucer of water.

Aaaah, the DM had it slightly different, they said there is an exemption for invalid carriages and toys like this.

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Semper in excreta, nur quantitat variat.

[quote="CJG"]:gatso2: The Times, Friday December 2

Can I see your licence, tax and insurance sir?


To which the kiddie replied "gooogaagga,ggo,ggo" - which roughl translated by those of us grandparents on here means" sir, i demand my rights under the european convention, and if you procede any further , i will be forced to refer this case to the Human Rights Court at Strasbourg for a judgement"
At this point the Police officer should have backed off, but being ignorant of the child's rights and ignorant of the language used pressed on.A typical example of british police abuse of childrens rights ( as expressed in european law)

The officers involved should be sent for retraining in the art of "listening to children and juvenile minorities"


( this reply is exploiting ptake factor 99)

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

A ridiculous action. You'd only have a calm word if there was an obvious safety issue and reasonably suggest some other play areas. I donn;t know if the officer made his remarks and intended them as a joke - depends how he said it.

I rather think in that situation - I'd have been cooing over the little lad if meeting by chance on pavement.

Odd to think that if he'd been on his push trike or bike with stabilisers - he'd have been legal as an under 16 and capable of more than 3 mph

Toddler in this car is no different to child in pram or person in wheelchair in terms of the "alleged" danger to pedestrian or parked car - and the parents/grandparents were apparently supervising the child and making sure he kept a steady course anyway.

botach - love the reply!

Besides as said in the cycling section - we have an emerging problem with the elderly using electric buggies and trikes - all capable of 12 mph.+

Probably a rooky with nothing better to do...

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

The child is below the criminal age of responsibility anyway, so he couldn't be prosecuted even if he'd managed to steal a real car and driven it down the motorway at 150 mph.

I am not aware of any one recieving a serious injury from someone in an electric buggy or trike. ( Other than the buggy driver)
Do we realy have an emerging problem? Or are we impatient whilst they try to navigate our cluttered pavements and whist they drive down the road looking for a well constructed dropped kerb. I have tried navigating a high street looking for a droped kerb (with a chap with MS) and it is hell. There are none where they should be, and those that exist are sunken or obstructed by a parked car. A 600m trip to the shops needed 24 new dropped kerbs to be installed. The trip was hazardous and slow. Very slow.

They are not capable of 12mph +

Bicycles that have electric motors to assist can only go to 12mph then pedal power or a hill is required. It is my understanding that you need to be over 14 years old to use them.

I don't actually think kiddies are allowed to use electric buggies at all on the public road or pavement. But for that matter they are not allowed to cycle on the pavement either!

Police can deal with antisocial buggy users under the existing laws. IE drink driving, due care and attention, and they have done. But two or three cases a year is not worth legislating for as the people who need these buggies find life hard enough getting a buggy out of the system without having to comply with a liscencing system. (To get one on prescription you need it to be approved by your GP and Occupational therapist and pass a mini driving test.)

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Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

The family actually live in the next road to me (dont know them though!)

Lancs Evening Post reported the child was also asked to produce his MOT.

The copper concerned really was taking the P!$$ here as the boy's father pointed out the toy was 2 years old

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That's how Nazi Germany started. They'll be burning books next. (Brian Noble, Wigan coach - updated 20/4/06!!).

I can only hope that the said officer can be asked to produce his P45 in the near future.

Ahh- but there hasn't been another outbreak of toddlers runing rioyt and speeding on the pavement ,has there??
Next to be tried on OAPs and finaly when fully tested on teenagers on minimotos.

Called preventative policing, i think.

( As the gent of the month says --ho-ho-ho)

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Get the new P45GT - Zero to Job Centre in one second!

Next news item - "Elderly Gent( in red suite) asked to produce documents , including pilots licence for animal hauled sled and exceeding the speed limit, whilst on the ground, preparing (in his words for take off)"--- :

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on