DVLA clamp

Haggisman · 24 Nov 2023 at 13:20

Dup said:
They even clamped cars left out awaiting repair/restoration from local garages etc because technically they had access to the highway. Silly really given the idle cars had no real consequence to the local community, especially as they were clearly not moved for a little while (but not abandoned).

"Access to the highway" or "On the highway"? I'm guessing the latter, since (assuming SORN), they have no ability to do so on private property.

Maybe it seems silly, but where do you draw the line? If it's OK for a garage to do it then is it OK for me to buy a load of cheap written-off cars and just "park" them on my road with no tax/insurance etc. while I strip them for parts?

bainbridge · 24 Nov 2023 at 13:21

Mine just occasionally pops on the overrun, and was not mapped in purposely, but those cracklemaps are ridiculous.

Rroff · 16 Dec 2023 at 03:39

Weird one today - was a van marked up with DVLA and camera mounts, but also a camera window on the side, going around the shared car park at work, but it had blue lights on it but not flashing ones, a static blue light bar across the back at the top, and 2 smaller ones at the front, very odd. They stopped by a car for a while (which was when the blue lights came on) and a bit later it was towed. Don't think it was any of my colleagues as I've not seen that car before.

LeeUK · 16 Dec 2023 at 18:50

They definitely just drive around. Watched one come in my street one end and drive out the other end and clamped a car around the corner.

andy_mk3 · 16 Dec 2023 at 19:02

Had one of my old cars clamped several years ago. At our old house, it was shared parking around the back. Car was SORN and I figured that being in the car park was off the road. I think one of the cars came around with the ANPR cameras on top and picked it up. I wrote a letter to them arguing my case, saying I believed the car to be off the road etc, a week later they refunded me (I paid the fine to avoid having to pay the higher rate) and removed the clamp. Never had any issues after that.

Doughnut007 · 16 Dec 2023 at 19:28

They drive round my way every few months. I think it's actually a 3rd party contractor.

Meridian · 16 Dec 2023 at 21:00

Mujja said:
Is the car park private property? Surely shouldn't be allowed and driving around if it is.

The law distinguishes between places that are clearly private (gates etc) and those to which "the public have access". In the latter case, all road traffic laws apply: speeding, drink/drug-driving etc. If the DVLA could get on site, then this applies. And to point out the obvious: the car clearly got driven there while not taxed.

Haggisman · 17 Dec 2023 at 10:00

Meridian said:
The law distinguishes between places that are clearly private (gates etc) and those to which "the public have access". In the latter case, all road traffic laws apply: speeding, drink/drug-driving etc. If the DVLA could get on site, then this applies. And to point out the obvious: the car clearly got driven there while not taxed.

It's not that clear though.

The "public has access" to my driveway and there are no gates, but it's clearly private.

My office car park also has no gates, and so the "public have access", but again is clearly private.

My local supermarket does have gates on the car park entrances, but is obviously open to the public.

Going on what you've posted, it would be fine to park a SORN car in the supermarket car park, but not on my driveway or in the office car park?

b0rn2sk8 · 17 Dec 2023 at 10:19

Your driveway does not have public access, a supermarket car park does, even if it has gates.

It’s not just about the physical make up, it’s the intent of the space. E.g. you don’t allow anyone to come and park on your driveway but there is an expectation that anyone could visit a supermarket.

Works car parks get a bit tricky and ‘it depends’ applies.

Resident · 17 Dec 2023 at 10:44

Haggisman said:
It's not that clear though.

The "public has access" to my driveway and there are no gates, but it's clearly private.

My office car park also has no gates, and so the "public have access", but again is clearly private.

My local supermarket does have gates on the car park entrances, but is obviously open to the public.

Going on what you've posted, it would be fine to park a SORN car in the supermarket car park, but not on my driveway or in the office car park?

'Public Access' isn't determined by the car park itself but by the building(s) it serves.

The public don't have access to your home, therefore the drive is private.
The public don't have access to your office (employees excluded) therefore is private.
The public do have access to the supermarket, during hours of business, so it's car park is also public access. However once the supermarket closes it technically reverts to private land.

Shared parking is an anomaly to this given the land itself is open to the public but not the buildings it serves as they are private domiciles with their own private land access.

Haggisman · 17 Dec 2023 at 11:01

Resident said:
'Public Access' isn't determined by the car park itself but by the building(s) it serves.

The public don't have access to your home, therefore the drive is private.
The public don't have access to your office (employees excluded) therefore is private.
The public do have access to the supermarket, during hours of business, so it's car park is also public access. However once the supermarket closes it technically reverts to private land.

Shared parking is an anomaly to this given the land itself is open to the public but not the buildings it serves as they are private domiciles with their own private land access.

Exactly, but the chain of quotes was relating to a works car park, e.g. private

Mujja · 17 Dec 2023 at 12:22

What if you were drunk, sat in a car on a private driveway with the engine running maybe to keep warm. Could you be fined?

I've read of people being fined while sleeping in their car while drunk with the engine off parked on a public road.

Doughnut007 · 17 Dec 2023 at 12:43

Mujja said:
What if you were drunk, sat in a car on a private driveway with the engine running maybe to keep warm. Could you be fined?

I've read of people being fined while sleeping in their car while drunk with the engine off parked on a public road.

I seam to recall you can be prosecuted for being drunk while in charge of a mother vehicle anywhere. Doesn't even matter if you are not in the driver's seat. If you have the keys you can be done.

BigglesPiP · 3 Feb 2024 at 18:05

£0/year VED.

There was a period last summer when the reminder letters were not being sent out. I snapped this image in Winchester and sent it to a friend with a Model 3 because it's funny. He replied saying he just noticed he had also been driving around with no Tax. So I checked and I was also driving with no Tax. I now have a reminder in my calendar.

MissChief · 3 Feb 2024 at 18:35

BigglesPiP said:
£0/year VED.

There was a period last summer when the reminder letters were not being sent out. I snapped this image in Winchester and sent it to a friend with a Model 3 because it's funny. He replied saying he just noticed he had also been driving around with no Tax. So I checked and I was also driving with no Tax. I now have a reminder in my calendar.

No excuse, you get a letter and everything.

LeeUK · 3 Feb 2024 at 18:41

Yeah even if your tax is £0 you still have to "tax" it.

My old 2014 1.6 diesel Focus was £0 tax and I still got the reminder every year to tax or sorn.

d_brennen · 3 Feb 2024 at 18:52

cheesefest said:
There's a car with one of those popping exhausts round here - he just drives around in the small hours annoying everyone. Think its a Saxo.

Would be one of the last few! Those things rust for fun

b0rn2sk8 · 3 Feb 2024 at 21:57

BigglesPiP said:

Not sure if they could have curbed any more of those rims....