The law on Big Bore exhausts...

West · 31 Mar 2008 at 22:53

I was told that a lot of local meets round by me, Police officers were going round with digital cameras and taking photos of cars and checking them with insurance companies to see if the mods that were visible from the outside were on the policy.

Not sure how true that was.

FrostedNipple · 31 Mar 2008 at 22:54

therealnerd2 said:
Did it include the furry dice mod you'd added under the mirror?

do i know you?

therealnerd2 · 31 Mar 2008 at 22:57

FrostedNipple said:
do i know you?

I am a mind reader

cheets64 · 31 Mar 2008 at 23:11

All cars should be given silent exhausts and let the engine do the talking.

Defcon5 · 31 Mar 2008 at 23:18

Lopéz said:
If a police officer deems your exhaust to be excessively noisy they can issue a VRN - you then have 7 days to repair the "fault" (even if the exhaust is noisy by design not through wear) and get paperwork stamped by a garage as proof of repair.

Could also issue a sec.59 (just about anyway!), and seize the car if it isnt removed

dthebuk · 31 Mar 2008 at 23:23

when i got pulled over, the police just assumed i hadn't declared my 'zorst. I was actually outraged, then he tried to tell me it was illegal, then he wouldn't belive me when i told him it wasn't. To top it all off he thought my car was an old porsche...what a loser

FrostedNipple · 31 Mar 2008 at 23:25

do they get paid with on a commission scheme?

tigerstyle · 1 Apr 2008 at 00:25

Another way to get the numbers up easily

Go do real work like finding out who broke the glass in the phonebox down the road from me! (this goes out to all the popo...)

Psycho Sonny · 1 Apr 2008 at 00:36

the thing about the insurance isnt a joke, last year our limo driver got pulled on the motorway driving from glasgow to london, they checked his license and insurance, he wasnt insured to drive the limosine, they confiscated the limosine with all 16 of us still inside it, we had to wait 2 hours for a licensed police officer to be called to the scene, driven to the nearest service station, dropped off and they arranged a minibus to take us to where the 2 coaches that where also travelling with us had ended up, as far as i know the driver was arrested for driving without insurance (although he was insured, he wasnt insured to drive that specific type of car, etc) and his limosine was confiscated, he never got it back, it was a new hummer limousine probably worth about 50K, enought for 16-18 people inside

Scythe · 1 Apr 2008 at 00:39

Phil W said:
Its possible, and happening in areas where 'boy racers' are known to hang about.

At Festival Park (SOT) VOSA visit with a van to check your car out!

Yep! It's hilarious when you drive past and they have been pulled for something, they mostly look like there going to rip the police's head off for ruining their reputation with the 13/14 year old girls in his car haha.

SGWills · 1 Apr 2008 at 00:43

the police have the power to check if any non standard parts are covered by the drivers insurance, had a police ring me the other day because he stopped some one who said he work for the voluntery(sp?) emergancy services and he has the blue lights fitted to his vehicle

DRZ · 1 Apr 2008 at 00:52

Your contract is between your insurers and you, and the insurers are bound by law to provide the minimum cover required by law no matter what you do to your car. What your insurance company do to you afterwards might not be pleasant but its a civil matter and not a criminal one as regards to your requirement to be insured.

Not sure what the Police hope to gain by reporting undeclared modifications really. Uninsured drivers should be dealt with though.

pieman109 · 1 Apr 2008 at 09:58

My own opinion on this matter is to check with your insurers first to see if theres any clauses in your poilicy restricting the use of "modifications" of any type. If you have an accident and expect a pay out of a reasonable amount, say over a grand,, they'll do their utmost to get out of it, and use this as way to avoid paying I reckon.
Imho, wether you like it or not, you have to put up with whats in your/their policy otherwise you run the risk of effectively not being insured. If in doubt, phone 'em up and check first, then its up to the individual wether or not to take the risk.

Dolph · 1 Apr 2008 at 10:04

DRZ said:
Your contract is between your insurers and you, and the insurers are bound by law to provide the minimum cover required by law no matter what you do to your car. What your insurance company do to you afterwards might not be pleasant but its a civil matter and not a criminal one as regards to your requirement to be insured.

They are only required to do this in the event of an accident. If you're just driving round with undeclared modifications, they can simply void the policy (with notice).

What they can't do is decline to pay a third party because of you invalidating your policy, which isn't quite the same thing.

DRZ · 1 Apr 2008 at 14:55

Well yes, but right up until they are informed and they void your policy, you are still insured.

Foolish perhaps, but you are still 'insured'.

Morba · 1 Apr 2008 at 15:35

thepedster said:
Another way to get the numbers up easily

Go do real work like finding out who broke the glass in the phonebox down the road from me! (this goes out to all the popo...)

Stopping the 16 year old gimps with stupid exhausts on their mopeds is a good thing. Noisy barstewards!

mattpc · 1 Apr 2008 at 15:55

Phil W said:
Its possible, and happening in areas where 'boy racers' are known to hang about.

At Festival Park (SOT) VOSA visit with a van to check your car out!

The VOSA boys had a good stare at this beauty from the comfort of their vehicle when we were parked at the services. They didn't do anything tho..

Yes it does have a shark fin on the rear as well as the top!

Dolph · 1 Apr 2008 at 16:25

DRZ said:
Well yes, but right up until they are informed and they void your policy, you are still insured.

Foolish perhaps, but you are still 'insured'.

Strictly speaking, you're not. The fact that the insurer has an obligation to honour a third party claim does not make you legally insured. It only ensures the third party is protected.

Psycho Sonny · 1 Apr 2008 at 19:01

mattpc said:
The VOSA boys had a good stare at this beauty from the comfort of their vehicle when we were parked at the services. They didn't do anything tho..

Yes it does have a shark fin on the rear as well as the top!

i hope those fins are stuck on properly, wouldnt want one flying at me if it fell off on the motorway

Behemoth · 1 Apr 2008 at 19:36

cheets64 said:
All cars should be given silent exhausts and let the engine do the talking.

Have to say I agree with you there. Hear it all too often round here, small cars with tiny engiines and huge exhausts, just sounds like something very small making a lot of noise.