Police looking to track down white van involved in fatal collision with cyclist in Hampshire

STiG911 wrote:

Here's odd.

According to the DVLA, that Van hasn't had valid tax since 9th Feb this year, and on the MOT History Check page, it's been religiously tested every July up until this year when all of a sudden it was tested in March - twice as it failed the first time - which could indicate a change of owner.

So - locate the test centre, get the paperwork, find the owner. Shouldn't be that hard.

 

Should it?

Why not ring them up and suggest it?

Sswindells wrote:

STiG911 wrote:

Here's odd.

According to the DVLA, that Van hasn't had valid tax since 9th Feb this year, and on the MOT History Check page, it's been religiously tested every July up until this year when all of a sudden it was tested in March - twice as it failed the first time - which could indicate a change of owner.

So - locate the test centre, get the paperwork, find the owner. Shouldn't be that hard.

 

Should it?

Why not ring them up and suggest it?

My point is I don't get why the MOT / Tax Disc system was changed apparently for the better, but it's still easy for people to get away with this shit.

STiG911 wrote:

Sswindells wrote:

STiG911 wrote:

Here's odd.

According to the DVLA, that Van hasn't had valid tax since 9th Feb this year, and on the MOT History Check page, it's been religiously tested every July up until this year when all of a sudden it was tested in March - twice as it failed the first time - which could indicate a change of owner.

So - locate the test centre, get the paperwork, find the owner. Shouldn't be that hard.

 

Should it?

Why not ring them up and suggest it?

 

My point is I don't get why the MOT / Tax Disc system was changed apparently for the better, but it's still easy for people to get away with this shit.

Changed for the better or for the Government to try and save money?

I wasn't be sarcastic BTW, police can miss things or not consider an Enquiry until it's mentioned to them. 

We used to be able to send requests off to the DVLA for info like that, but it's been a long time since I've had to do it so it might have changed or be more difficult.

You never know. It might spur someone on to start looking. Or they might say they've done it but the driver / owner was discounted because it is a cloned plate and they haven't got details of the right one. 

burtthebike wrote:

There is a problem with false plates, which gives the user licence to behave badly because they won't be caught.  We need much better ANPR and more police doing the checking, but with this austerity government, it isn't going to happen and vulnerable road users will die.

Yet police cars have ANPR cameras on them and a bonger that goes off when un taxed/non MOTd are behind, in front, or even comming the other way down the road.... But they just don't have the manpower to police it.

P3t3 wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

There is a problem with false plates, which gives the user licence to behave badly because they won't be caught.  We need much better ANPR and more police doing the checking, but with this austerity government, it isn't going to happen and vulnerable road users will die.

Yet police cars have ANPR cameras on them and a bonger that goes off when un taxed/non MOTd are behind, in front, or even comming the other way down the road.... But they just don't have the manpower to police it.

Only a small number do. And they also throw up false readings on occasion due to sun glare, or don't even pick the plate up because it's an illegal one so it doesn't recognise it. There isn't enough vehicles with the capability, or the officers free to go chasing after minor dodgy number plates when there are hundreds of more severe crimes going unattended due to low numbers. In hindsight it's great to say they could have stopped that vehicle and found out who was in it and later on there would be a line of enquiries of the vehicle was involved in a collision, but hindsight is wonderful. 

vonhelmet wrote:

Given the number of number plates you see that are technically illegal - funny fonts, incorrect spacing, bolts in six places so it spells Y0URMUM or some such - I don't find it all hard to imagine that there's an underclass prepared to print any old bullshit number plate no questions asked.

I imagine the standard get out would be that they're sold as "novelty items" and not intended to be put on an actual real life motor vehicle. Yeah, pull the other one...

Actually, you're right there. My car and my wife's car are both "historic vehicles " which means that they're allowed vintage plates.

You can buy "genuine" plates and pay through the nose, or you can buy "show" plates (ie. for using at a car show) for significantly less money. For show plates, you just tell the manufacturer what you want putting on the plate and promise that you won't use them in the road and no further questions asked.

My car has had pressed aluminium black-and-silver "show" plates on for fifteen years now (incidentally, vintage plates confuse the f*ck out of ANPR in multi storey car parks).

brooksby wrote:

Actually, you're right there. My car and my wife's car are both "historic vehicles " which means that they're allowed vintage plates.

There's a black Audi TT I regularly see with black-and-silver plates, obviously done because it "looks cool". There's no way anyone could be fooled into thinking the car was historic and permitted to use those plates, yet the police turn a blind eye to it whenever they see that car.

Cloned plates most, or sold and previous owner failed to transfer details, or false details provided on cash sale.

STATO wrote:

Cloned plates most, or sold and previous owner failed to transfer details, or false details provided on cash sale.

Christ, so even if you catch a plate on your cam, still not guaranteed to catch a hit and run'er.

Sad state of affairs. Car with cloned plate - best way to murder someone. Even if you do end up getting caught, you'll still get off lightly. Probably get in more trouble for the cloned plate than killing a person.

unconstituted wrote:

STATO wrote:

Cloned plates most, or sold and previous owner failed to transfer details, or false details provided on cash sale.

 

Christ, so even if you catch a plate on your cam, still not guaranteed to catch a hit and run'er.

 

Sad state of affairs. Car with cloned plate - best way to murder someone. Even if you do end up getting caught, you'll still get off lightly. Probably get in more trouble for the cloned plate than killing a person.

And still some people are demanding that cyclists should have licence plates...

unconstituted wrote:

Christ, so even if you catch a plate on your cam, still not guaranteed to catch a hit and run'er.

 

Sad state of affairs. Car with cloned plate - best way to murder someone. Even if you do end up getting caught, you'll still get off lightly. Probably get in more trouble for the cloned plate than killing a person.

No and it's bizarre in the current state of our security it happens. You'd think it'd be simple, you cannot sell a vehicle without taking down new owners details and providing them to the DVLA but alas, the seller only has to say they don't own the car anymore, the purchaser has to let the DVLA know they now have it. Obviously unscrupulous individuals ( exactly the sort that commit hit and runs, or any sort of crime for that matter because it's a well established theory that criminals do all kinds of criminality and not just the one thing accused of ) don't inform the DVLA. 

Youd also think the DVLA would force license plate makers to inform them that they've made a plate, or at least log it, and then prove the plate they've made the person requesting had authority to do so. Again, traceable to an extent. And would stop cloned / false plates. 

Most cops would support most of this because quite simply it makes criminal activity harder and detecting crime easier so justice can be done. 

Unfortunately, civil rights get in the way. The rights that those who regularly criticise policing, the tactics and investigations they do demand. The, 'Why should I give you my name, this is a police state', brigade. Actually, cops have no interest in abuse of power, or taking advantage of your civil liberties, they want to catch cretins that run people over and drive off. 

Sswindells wrote:

unconstituted wrote:

Christ, so even if you catch a plate on your cam, still not guaranteed to catch a hit and run'er.

 

Sad state of affairs. Car with cloned plate - best way to murder someone. Even if you do end up getting caught, you'll still get off lightly. Probably get in more trouble for the cloned plate than killing a person.

 

Youd also think the DVLA would force license plate makers to inform them that they've made a plate, or at least log it, and then prove the plate they've made the person requesting had authority to do so. Again, traceable to an extent. And would stop cloned / false plates. 

 

All of the motor factors who produce number plates locally insist in the production of the log book before they will provide a plate. I assumed this was established working pattern across UK now.

Grahamd wrote:

Sswindells wrote:

unconstituted wrote:

Christ, so even if you catch a plate on your cam, still not guaranteed to catch a hit and run'er.

 

Sad state of affairs. Car with cloned plate - best way to murder someone. Even if you do end up getting caught, you'll still get off lightly. Probably get in more trouble for the cloned plate than killing a person.

 

Youd also think the DVLA would force license plate makers to inform them that they've made a plate, or at least log it, and then prove the plate they've made the person requesting had authority to do so. Again, traceable to an extent. And would stop cloned / false plates. 

 

 

All of the motor factors who produce number plates locally insist in the production of the log book before they will provide a plate. I assumed this was established working pattern across UK now.

Depends on how good the owners are.  You can Still find falsified MOTs from some garages. 

unconstituted wrote:

What's the deal with registration plates now. Can't police just tap in a plate number and get a previous/current owner list then follow that up. Or are there loads of dodgy vehicles going around, untaxed with no associated address?

My neighbour is a nob.  He turns up with different vans all the time.  They are invariably missing Tax, MOT or have been declared off road via SORN.  He drives like a twat, so yeah I bet there's loads of vehicles out there that aren't properly registered