Any coppers on here?

regulus · 6 Sep 2009 at 14:53

I was just wondering if there is any cops on here that can give me an insight into something that has dumbfounded me.

Last night I got pulled for driving 'erratically', ok fair enough, quiet non-residential area and I may have touched the white line ONCE whilst NOT speeding. Not even close to being 'erratic', but there you go. Blue lights goes on. They were friendly enough, asked me if I had anything to drink and what I was doing here. Whilst I was talking to one the other one went to have a look at the tax disc. All in order, they had a look at my insurance papers and when I offered my license, they said 'no need mate, only need to make sure you're insured and have a valid tax disc' .... ok ...

About 3 months ago I was stopped at a road block, blew into a machine thingy to test for drink. Again, only had a look at my insurance details and tax disc. Again, they explicitly said they didn't need to see my license. Sent me on my way.

About 5 months ago I was stopped in Edgeware in the early hours of the morning for goin 35 in a 30mph zone. Fine, my fault. Asked my address details, date of birth, place of birth, spent about 15min checking into most of my details. This time I didn't have my license on me, but I was about 10min from home where it was at the time and offered to take them there to have a look. Again they weren't interested in checking for a license, only the tax and insurance. He said any form of identification would do. I showed him my car park pass for work as it was the only thing I had with my photo and name on it. He was happy with that.

What's the story with this lack of interest in having to produce a license.
Many guys at work found the same thing happening to them when they get pulled. What's the procedure they are supposed to follow?

MrMatteh · 6 Sep 2009 at 15:04

I've had the opposite

was pulled over by a 'non traffic' policeman (who was in a van with loads of other policeman)...

He asked for my licence, then was laying in to me for not carrying my paper counterpart and then asked if i had any more ID :confused:

he was utterly clueless tbh, trying to play traffic police.

gort · 6 Sep 2009 at 15:06

There isn't a set procedure for them. They can get your driving licence details from the police national computer which is linked to the DVLA. No need to see the actual paper part or card. The may have checked it without you realising.
I suppose because it was minor things they stopped you for then they weren't that interested as everything else checked out (i.e insurance, tax, car's condition etc)..... and the fact that you probably didn't look slaggy or give them attitude

( |-| |2 ][ $ · 6 Sep 2009 at 15:07

Probably check your name against a licence database to check for previous traffic offences.

Von Smallhausen · 6 Sep 2009 at 16:52

One word. Cost.

It costs nothing to access the driving licence and MOT databases via PNC.

It does cost to access insurance details as police forces are charged by the insurance bureau every time they request insurance details. If you have your insurance details on you then it saves the force, and ultimately the taxpayer, the fee that the bureau charges.

Your name on a work ID card is usually enough to link in with the driving licence database.

malfunkshun · 6 Sep 2009 at 17:17

Von Smallhausen said:
One word. Cost.

It costs nothing to access the driving licence and MOT databases via PNC.

It does cost to access insurance details as police forces are charged by the insurance bureau every time they request insurance details. If you have your insurance details on you then it saves the force, and ultimately the taxpayer, the fee that the bureau charges.

Your name on a work ID card is usually enough to link in with the driving licence database.

Unlike a female friend of my sons.
She was pulled and told her vehicle was not insured, so she produced the certificate of insurance etc. They still wouldn't accept that she had insurance and had the car removed. She went along to the station, sorted out the obvious ****-up (she had pays her insurance monthly so took her policy and bank statements showing the payments) so they gave her car back.........subject to her paying the £145+vat cost of having it removed?????
So, apparently the database was wrong or they just didn't want to check?

mr tommo · 6 Sep 2009 at 17:27

malfunkshun said:
Unlike a female friend of my sons.
She was pulled and told her vehicle was not insured, so she produced the certificate of insurance etc. They still wouldn't accept that she had insurance and had the car removed. She went along to the station, sorted out the obvious ****-up (she had pays her insurance monthly so took her policy and bank statements showing the payments) so they gave her car back.........subject to her paying the £145+vat cost of having it removed?????
So, apparently the database was wrong or they just didn't want to check?

That doesn't sound right to me. I got pulled the other week for having no insurance, it was showing up as uninsured on the database. Turns out Id been driving around for the last 7-8 months without notifyin my insurance company of my private plate

I couldn't remember my previous plate that was on the car before, so as far as they knew my car wasn't insured and I was given a 7 day producer and was sent on my way.

Von Smallhausen · 6 Sep 2009 at 17:32

malfunkshun said:
Unlike a female friend of my sons.
She was pulled and told her vehicle was not insured, so she produced the certificate of insurance etc. They still wouldn't accept that she had insurance and had the car removed. She went along to the station, sorted out the obvious ****-up (she had pays her insurance monthly so took her policy and bank statements showing the payments) so they gave her car back.........subject to her paying the £145+vat cost of having it removed?????
So, apparently the database was wrong or they just didn't want to check?

If that is the case I would seriously consider taking that one further.

If it is how you say ( and I don't disbelieve you ), then I for one would want that recovery fee back at the very least. That fee goes to the recovery agent by the way and not the police.

As to your final point, the database was either incorrect or the cops didn't do the neccessary checks.

malfunkshun · 6 Sep 2009 at 17:44

Von Smallhausen said:
If that is the case I would seriously consider taking that one further.

If it is how you say ( and I don't disbelieve you ), then I for one would want that recovery fee back at the very least. That fee goes to the recovery agent by the way and not the police.

As to your final point, the database was either incorrect or the cops didn't do the neccessary checks.

That is the story I was told, I do have to say that there is an element of 'uh huh' about it. That said knowing the girl in question I know her car covered. Curiosity will have me find out more

bam0 · 6 Sep 2009 at 17:48

Von Smallhausen said:
If that is the case I would seriously consider taking that one further.

If it is how you say ( and I don't disbelieve you ), then I for one would want that recovery fee back at the very least. That fee goes to the recovery agent by the way and not the police.

As to your final point, the database was either incorrect or the cops didn't do the neccessary checks.

Tbh it wouldn't surprise me too much about being charged the fee, a similar thing happened to me about 7 years ago in Yorkshire, my car was stolen and used in a robbery, the police found it (it was undamaged and locked in a residential area) and recovered it so they could dust it for fingerprints. When I went to get it I had to pay the release fee to the recovery agent, then write to the police force to get the money back (which they did give).

DRZ · 6 Sep 2009 at 18:06

I was driving through Cheshire last weekend and was pulled over because they had heard reports of "a darkcoloured car" driving about that had been involved in some shenanigans. They pulled me over, informed me that I was "obviously not the car involved", told me that I was insured on the car and then sent me on my way.

What a total waste of time for all involved!

Maccy · 6 Sep 2009 at 18:29

Are you supposed to carry your insurance certificate in the car then? I was under the impression you didn't have to :confused:

mr tommo · 6 Sep 2009 at 18:42

Maccy said:
Are you supposed to carry your insurance certificate in the car then? I was under the impression you didn't have to

No they can tell on their numberplate reader thing if the car has valid insurance. Then if you do get pulled you'll usually get a producer which involves you taking down your insurance certificate and licence to prove you are insured.

Obviously having your insurance ceretificate, driving licence and whatever else they may require may save you a trip to the station, but kind of pointless. If it gets lost or ruined in the car its £20ish to replace, cheers elephant :mad:

Magic_x_uk · 6 Sep 2009 at 18:45

mr tommo said:
No they can tell on their numberplate reader thing if the car has valid insurance. Then if you do get pulled you'll usually get a producer which involves you taking down your insurance certificate and licence to prove you are insured.

Obviously having your insurance ceretificate, driving licence and whatever else they may require may save you a trip to the station, but kind of pointless. If it gets lost or ruined in the car its £20ish to replace, cheers elephant

Always makes me wonder why they need to you do the "producer" in 7 days etc when they have already checked before hand if your car is fully insured, tax etc,

miniyazz · 6 Sep 2009 at 18:49

Magic_x_uk said:
Always makes me wonder why they need to you do the "producer" in 7 days etc when they have already checked before hand if your car is fully insured, tax etc,

Their databases aren't kept up-to-date, so if you show up as uninsured you may still be insured.

Atomic · 6 Sep 2009 at 18:52

malfunkshun said:
Unlike a female friend of my sons.
She was pulled and told her vehicle was not insured, so she produced the certificate of insurance etc. They still wouldn't accept that she had insurance and had the car removed. She went along to the station, sorted out the obvious ****-up (she had pays her insurance monthly so took her policy and bank statements showing the payments) so they gave her car back.........subject to her paying the £145+vat cost of having it removed?????
So, apparently the database was wrong or they just didn't want to check?

Yeah things like that do tend to happen quite a bit. I work in admin for a vehicle recovery and one of our customers is the police. We remove vehicle authorized by them and have to deal with the admin side of things.

Why errors happen, I don't know. Depends on the police officer I think sometimes and if they get a vehicle for a Section 165 then it's a nice tick in their box.

Von Smallhausen · 6 Sep 2009 at 19:10

Maccy said:
Are you supposed to carry your insurance certificate in the car then? I was under the impression you didn't have to

No. There is no legal requirement to carry your documents with you although the Road Traffic Act states it is an offence not to produce them to a constable when requested ........ never quite fathomed that logic.

Anyway, that is why you have the 7 days grace to produce them to a police station of your choice when issued with a HO/RT1.

malfunkshun · 6 Sep 2009 at 19:42

Atomic said:
Why errors happen, I don't know. Depends on the police officer I think sometimes and if they get a vehicle for a Section 165 then it's a nice tick in their box.

That can't be the case where there was, in the end, no cause surely?

Von Smallhausen · 6 Sep 2009 at 19:47

There are no targets set for issuing 165s, certainly not where I work anyway.

Magic_x_uk · 6 Sep 2009 at 19:59

Von Smallhausen said:
There are no targets set for issuing 165s, certainly not where I work anyway.

Ditto that in Derbyshire as well.