[Horatio]

It's not often that I have praise for Merseyside police (for reasons I've gone into before, and don't want to get bogged down in now) but today, they notched up an entry in my good books.

We've just been along the M53, and spotted a couple of vans on the motorway bridge at J4, along with an ANPR camera over each lane. I didn't think much of it until we came off at J3.

There (and presumably at other junctions downstream) they have a whole list of 'stickered' cars that they've impounded for no tax, no insurance etc. Many of them seemed quite new and valuable too - there was an M Class Merc there that must have been worth at least 20K , even second-hand.

To a point, I've a tad of sympathy to those who feel that they need a car but struggle to find the money to insure it. Premiums were high when I got my first car, and ironically meant that I was spending so much in insurance that I could neither afford to maintain the car properly or trade it in on a more cost-effective one. It was a foolish decision to go for a 2.2 Litre engine'd car as my first one, but nowadays new drivers are paying much higher premiums to insure a 1.0 Corsa. Of course, it doesn't make it right, but it does make it understandable. I always had my first car taxed, insured and MOT'd, but I'd be lying if I said it was always roadworthy.

As for the M Class, unless the owner has a genuine explanation, I hope they sell it or crush it and don't give him a bean

 

[Asterix]

It's not often that I have praise for Merseyside police (for reasons I've gone into before, and don't want to get bogged down in now) but today, they notched up an entry in my good books.

We've just been along the M53, and spotted a couple of vans on the motorway bridge at J4, along with an ANPR camera over each lane. I didn't think much of it until we came off at J3.

There (and presumably at other junctions downstream) they have a whole list of 'stickered' cars that they've impounded for no tax, no insurance etc. Many of them seemed quite new and valuable too - there was an M Class Merc there that must have been worth at least 20K , even second-hand.

To a point, I've a tad of sympathy to those who feel that they need a car but struggle to find the money to insure it. Premiums were high when I got my first car, and ironically meant that I was spending so much in insurance that I could neither afford to maintain the car properly or trade it in on a more cost-effective one. It was a foolish decision to go for a 2.2 Litre engine'd car as my first one, but nowadays new drivers are paying much higher premiums to insure a 1.0 Corsa. Of course, it doesn't make it right, but it does make it understandable. I always had my first car taxed, insured and MOT'd, but I'd be lying if I said it was always roadworthy.

As for the M Class, unless the owner has a genuine explanation, I hope they sell it or crush it and don't give him a bean

Sympathy in my book for these people comes between sh*t and syphillis in the dictionary, it's the same old adage...if you cant afford it you can't have it.

 

[leroy]

I totally agree with you on this matter Horatio, I think it's a good idea that uninsured vehicles are now falling into the no tax and no MOT bracket also. My daughter was pranged by an uninsured driver and after all the hassle she had apart from being slightly injured I could have seriously prodded him in the wrong places, the car in question was a black 2001 BMW with tinted windows so I guess I'ts good that I didn't.
Regards leroy

 

[Horatio]

Sympathy in my book for these people comes between sh*t and syphillis in the dictionary, it's the same old adage...if you cant afford it you can't have it.

I agree there's no excuse, but I can understand why they do it. The fact that I can understand their motives doesn't mean for one minute that I endorse their actions. They still deserve to have their vehicles impounded.

But I did feel particularly smug over seeing the shiny Merc impounded with the sticker on the side. When you have a valuable car, you have absolutely no reason not to insure it: If you can't afford the premiums then downsize - a smaller and less valuable car will still get you from A to B.

Which makes me wonder if the Merc had been stopped for other reasons - e.g. the owner/driver being banned (which would also technically make it uninsured.) I suppose we'll never know.

 

[chris m]

I have had times without a car as I could not afford to either fix it or insure it or sometimes both. For us a car is more of an esential than a luxery and I want to ensure that the OH and kids are as safe as can be so I always make sure it is legal, you can be a great driver but if you are not insured and someone drives into you then what?