Safe Speed Forums

Advice required Please

I received an email this morning from one of our engineers, he said his van tax had expired 14 days ago and wondered when he would receive the disc.

I immediately told him not to drive the vehicle and that I would get a hire car sorted out until I could find out why our fleet Dept hadn't sent one to him.

Later that morning my manager told me I was wrong and as long as the fleet dept had the disc in their possession he could use the vehicle legally on the road.

Is this correct?

Kind regards

Martin

Absolutely NOT, they are talking out of thier fundimenal orifice. The offence is not for not having paid or bought a tax disc it is for not DISPLAYING a valid/current tax disc.

The old dodge of putting a note in the windscreen saying 'tax in post' is long gone.

It might be worth pointing out that if it can be proved that the company has given a driver information that leads him to commiting an offence then the company secretary can have the points added to thier licence, cc the communication to the company secretary for their information.

_________________
Gordon Brown saying I got the country into it's current economic mess so I'll get us out of it is the same as Bomber Harris nipping over to Dresden and offering to repair a few windows.

Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done.

http://www.wildcrafts.co.uk

PS Martin, the steps you took were 100% spot on !!

_________________
Gordon Brown saying I got the country into it's current economic mess so I'll get us out of it is the same as Bomber Harris nipping over to Dresden and offering to repair a few windows.

Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done.

http://www.wildcrafts.co.uk

Martin, you were quite correct. An offence is committed if you use a vehicle on the road without displaying a current tax disc.

NO- little known fact - there's two offences as DVLA told me recently, and confirmed that law is as was many moons ago.( could not find ins cert ,and tried to tax on line -DVLA said ok - ins co said i'd get a ref no which would keep police happy --DVLA said no go - offence if no tax disc displayed)

1) Vehicle is on public highway and not taxed( no VED paid for vehicle)
2) Not displaying VED disc.

For 1) - DVLA won't bother till 14 days out of date , but police will
for 2) -DVLA inform me that this is a police matter.

Can someone in know confirm this

_________________
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

Feeeeuuuwwwww. I thought as much, what beat me was "Business vehicles" so I thought, he must have come across this in the past.

I am meeting him in Exeter tomorrow morning and will pass this onto him for future reference

Thanks again for you advice

Kind regards

Martin

Just for reference:

Any ‘mechanically propelled’ vehicle when used or kept on a public road must display a valid tax disc.

Are there any exemptions?

The following vehicles are exempt from displaying tax discs:

Fire engines
Ambulances
Some agricultural vehicles
Some electrically propelled vehicles
Invalid carriages
Road construction vehicles
Vehicles used solely for spreading material to deal with frost, ice and snow.

Vehicles are also exempt ONLY when:
- Going to a test centre for a pre-booked MOT, stipulating the time and date
- On an MOT test
- After failing an MOT test, for the purpose of taking the vehicle to a pre-booked appointment at a garage to have the faults rectified.

Some old vehicles may be classed as vintage vehicles and although they are not exempt from having to display a tax disc, the disc is free of charge.

Martin - check with DVLA - 0870 240 0010

If you contact us by telephone, you will be greeted by our interactive voice system. Staffed telephone enquiry hours: 08:00 - 20:30 Monday to Friday and 08:00 -17.30 on Saturday.


Pretty certain that info is correct , but they'll give you chapter and verse.

_________________
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

The Queen

_________________
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

starfin - thanks - thougt i was right -
Anton - don't think she'd be interested in driving a company van

_________________
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

She might... during the war, she was attached to a vehicle maintenance depot. Honestly!!

She might even tune it up for you! Of course she was only a Princess then!

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Oh - she's now officially an oap

_________________
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

Old Austin Princess?

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Now more like a stretched 1800( or perhaps a stretched 80 yar old)

_________________
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

Now more like a stretched 1800( or perhaps a stretched 85 yar old)

_________________
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

for information.
buying road tax online you are advised to print the reciept and keep it in the vehicle until the disc arrives, it took 48hrs for my new disc to arrive in the post after purchasing it online.

I work with the police and they say this is sufficient as the ANPR database they use is realtime so they know immediately if the vehicle is fully licensed and insured and producing the reciept from dvla will suffice.

All computers work in 'real time', unfortunately for the police the information held on the DVLA computer (which is where the police get their info from) is known to be as much as 30% innaccurate.

_________________
What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1994/Uk ... _9.htm#end
Offences under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 (c. 22)


Section 33 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994. Using or keeping a vehicle on a public road without licence being exhibited in manner prescribed by regulations.

Thats what the Gent at DVLA told me - the reciept is not a licence or VED disc.

_________________
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