MoT and stopped by police. (1 Viewer)

[Eggs]

You are permitted to drive to a test station without a valid MOT

You aren't permitted to park on a road if you haven't got a MOT, as the OP stated.

 

[Emmit]

You are permitted to drive to a test station without a valid MOT

Yes, Providing you have made a prebooking to that Test Station and you go directly there without deviation.

However, it is necessary to have Insurance.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

I got stopped in Plymouth last week. Copper swanned up to the motor, opened the passenger door and asked "morning drive, can I ask where you have been, where you are going and is the journey essential?"

All I could muster was "you're having a laugh right?" to which he replied "no, im not in the habit of having a laugh, so if you wouldn't mind answering the question"? Oh here we go, copper on a power trip!

So, as politely as I could, I asked him to put on a pair of gloves before I showed him the movement order from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Abnormal Loads officer, and a letter from DfT instructing the logistics and transport sectors to continue operating as normal where possible, regardless of what is being transported. He got a pair of gloves out, put them on and took the letter and notification from me. I think he must have just learned to read cause he took ages to look at the documentation.

I asked him if he wanted to download the tacho, which he declined (might not have known what I was talking about) so I asked him to make sure he closed the door properly when he's done.

He even had the nerve to smuggly say "ok drive, we have to be seen to be pro active during these times". Flipping idiot! It reaffirmed my distain for the Police service of today.

And this is what he pulled me up in?

View attachment 463501

Obviously you can understand his concerns as a lot people about taking lorries with 40ft trailers out just for something to do

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[David and Sally]

Obviously you can understand his concerns as a lot people about taking lorries with 40ft trailers out just for something to do

His question was...is the journey essential? So, is moving a boat essential? Probably not so a good stop

 

[jongood]

Obviously you can understand his concerns as a lot people about taking lorries with 40ft trailers out just for something to do

Absolutely and if you re going to do it you might as well get a crane organised and drop a boat on it .

Why the heck are they bothering with lorries, there are plenty of cars out there ( I saw from my lorry)

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

His question was...is the journey essential? So, is moving a boat essential? Probably not so a good stop

Sorry don’t agree, the government has encouraged firms to keep working through this, is construction essential? Of course not, are takeaways essential? It’s all been very woolly what is classed as essential but haulage firms moving stuff around is legitimate to me.

On the subject of construction firms, know someone who is on a site of over 200 blokes no way that can be kept safe, my mate is on a site of about 30 and 5 have gone down with Covid that they know about,

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[Silver-Fox]

His question was...is the journey essential? So, is moving a boat essential? Probably not so a good stop

Id be asking is the driver self employed.

Over size load so probably got paper work to support.

Conclusion not worth a stop but maybe I think differently

 

[billym]

You aren't permitted to park on a road if you haven't got a MOT, as the OP stated.

1)A person who uses on a road at any time, or causes or permits to be so used, a motor vehicle to which this section applies, and as respects which no test certificate has been issued within the appropriate period before that time, is guilty of an offence.

Road Traffic Act 1988

www.legislation.gov.uk

Do you know if " uses" is defined or if there is a legal precident anywhere? Thanks

 

[Barclaybasher]

His question was...is the journey essential? So, is moving a boat essential? Probably not so a good stop

Half (or more) of the stuff delivered from ebay and amazon by UPS, Hermes, DPD etc are not 'necessary'.....

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[Jimbohorlicks]

Obviously you can understand his concerns as a lot people about taking lorries with 40ft trailers out just for something to do

We were once stopped coming out of Wales with our boat on a trailer behind the car, in the 80's.They were stopping all cars with trailers as there had been thefts of boats from the Welsh coast. So probably not that unreasonable.

 

[Silver-Fox]

We were once stopped coming out of Wales with our boat on a trailer behind the car, in the 80's.They were stopping all cars with trailers as there had been thefts of boats from the Welsh coast. So probably not that unreasonable.

Id stop you if you had a 40’ trailer being towed by a car

 

[WallyWalnut]

Just doing their job , no problem

Don’t mind those checks with so many vehicles being stolen. You can take the defensive view which I had done once before or the positive aspect you mentioned above.

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[Wildbill]

On the radio this morning there was an advert from Kwik-fit. Which stated, "Because your not doing many miles your engine battery may be on it's way out, come to Kwik-fit for a free battery check." Or words to that effect.

Now, if your car can get to Kwik-fit it probably started OK. Therefore are Kwik-fit inciting you to commit a crime, by making a non-essential journey to see if your battery is OK ?

I had the miss fortune to have a puncture my van while in the waiting room one of there technicians cam in and told me my battery was on it way out i declined his offer of a new battery that was 4 years ago and it's still going strong
bill

 

[Wildbill]

Ok guys I think this thread has been hijacked enough.

My original post was I've an MoT, a pass, whoo hoo!
As an aside I mentioned it was at 7 a.m. at local government testing centre. Also that I got stopped, for what I do not know why, perhaps it was still showing as no MoT? Who knows or cares I don't.

So please if you want to talk about house buying please take it elsewhere.

I thank you. Stay safe.

Threads on her don't get hijacked they just evolve
Bill

 

[IanFraser]

The onboard system must update at certain intervals as if it showed no mot on his system that was his authority to stop you. But you did nothing wrong as the officer said. Just doing his job to

Don’t think they need a reason to stop you. Don’t think the Scottish police are as determined as their English colleagues re physically stopping vehicles out on the road. Either got more important policing to do or the rumours about them being severely stretched to the point of not answering phones in some areas is true.

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[LesW]

Do you know if " uses" is defined or if there is a legal precident anywhere? Thanks

I would have thought that if your vehicle is parked on the road, then you are 'using' the road to park on.

 

[duane0001]

I live near Scarborough and my MOT station is in the Lake District! And as the rule is "don't drive tired" this needs an overnight stop

 

[Silver-Fox]

I live near Scarborough and my MOT station is in the Lake District! And as the rule is "don't drive tired" this needs an overnight stop

Funnily you arnt restricted to where you get your vehicle mot.

You just need to take the direct route.
I think you’re not supposed to stop either.

But if your vehicle isn’t toad worthy you can be prosecuted for each offence.

Happy to be corrected though

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[Paulypaul]

Ironically, in order for me to move an abnormal load I am legally bound to prepare and submit a notification of an intended abnormal load movement. This goes to every police force whose county my route takes me through. I have to stipulate the exact description of the load, the dimension of the load, my intended route and time of travel. I have to give at least 2 working days notice in order for the abnormal load officer/s to review the movement. They then have the discretion to impose conditions, such as escort vehicles or to stipulate a certain route etc.

In this case, Devon and Cornwall ab loads officer dictated the route I had to take out of Plymouth and I also had a pilot/escort car accompanying me.

Therefore, one would assume that the Police were fully aware of the movement? I am not an employed driver, I'm an owner driver and unless I comply to the letter with the legislation governing abnormal loads, I simply wouldn't be able to operate.

So was it a good stop? No. Was there a chance that i was on a jolly? Not likely given the parameters i have to work within? Was it an essential journey? That really isn't a question to be asked by this policeman as it is a national directive from the DfT which has been conveyed to the NPCC regarding the continuation of road transport and logistics?

Do over zealous ignorant policemen fuel distain amongst the general public? Yes. Unfortunately, a knowledgeable officer would never have stopped me to ask if the journey was essential.

If an officer stopped me to question drivers hours or because of a construction and use issue then I would have no problem with that. But this officer wasn't interested in any of that and just demonstrated his ignorance.

So there are clearly officers who act according to their remit and officers who just want to get off on a power thing. I wonder, given some of the responses to my post, which camp the said posters were in when they were or still are, serving officers?

 

[Despicable]

A large problem in rural areas is the theft of livestock and machinery. Squeezing three sheep into a Mondeo while towing a JCB backhoe is not practical nor cost effective. What is required are purpose built HGVs. And that is, largely, what is used. So why not stop a vehicle carrying a tractor, caravan, boat, or, even, heaven forbid, YOUR motorhome?
Well done, Mr Plod, 95 times out of 100 you will find nothing illegal, however, ....

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Ironically, in order for me to move an abnormal load I am legally bound to prepare and submit a notification of an intended abnormal load movement. This goes to every police force whose county my route takes me through.

Funnily enough, years back I purchased a large excavator from a firm in Bristol.
The lorry had to have a movement order that took ages to sort it then got diverted about 70 miles out of its direct route due to road works.

I turned up on site but a month or so later got stolen at about 3-4 am in the morning never to be seen again

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[duane0001]

Funnily you arnt restricted to where you get your vehicle mot.

You just need to take the direct route.
I think you’re not supposed to stop either.

But if your vehicle isn’t toad worthy you can be prosecuted for each offence.

Happy to be corrected though

I own a Transport Consultancy, I can update and downrate vans and HGV's including STGO, Log abnormal movements on ESDAL2 which is what I imagine Paulypaul does, I Hold international qualifications and I am supposed to know all about weights and dimensions but there are a lot of rules and yes, sometimes I have to look at my bible to be sure, I wouldn't push the MOT thing obviously, but I do wonder how it would play out in court, I would imagine the judge wouldn't be on my side!

 

[gus-lopez]

Copper swanned up to the motor, opened the passenger door and asked "morning drive, can I ask where you have been, where you are going and is the journey essential?"

You're far more polite than I would have been & I'd lived there for 20 years

His question was...is the journey essential? So, is moving a boat essential? Probably not so a good stop

Anyone working legally is exempt. "essential " journeys are only for the peasants. If working it's exempt otherwise no deliveries for tat bought by the plebs would be allowed.

I had the miss fortune to have a puncture my van while in the waiting room one of there technicians cam in and told me my battery was on it way out i declined his offer of a new battery that was 4 years ago and it's still going strong
bill

I was about to ask on another thread whether anyone had seen you Bill 6 hoping you were alright ? I hope that is the case.

But if your vehicle isn’t toad worthy you can be prosecuted for each offence.

& unless they have, as likely changed the rules, all offences in court on the same day counts as one & only the largest amount of points would count.

 

[Tombola]

As said before. Different laws in different parts of the uk.

The police have the power to stop and search you and the vehicle you're travelling in.

If the police stop and search you, they must follow the rules set out in the Stop and Search Code of Practice.

The Code of Practice says that the police must have 'reasonable grounds' to stop and search you. This means reasonable suspicion that you have committed, are committing, or are about to commit a crime. Or that you're carrying an illegal item

nuff said

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[David and Sally]

Some people are questioning if motorhome hab checks or servicing is essential even if it does help keep the industry going. But my question still stands. Is moving a boat essential? What is the owner going to do with it when it gets to where it’s going? What can’t wait until covid is over?

 

[duane0001]

& unless they have, as likely changed the rules, all offences in court on the same day counts as one & only the largest amount of points would count.

If you are pulled up and found to have 4 defective / bald tyres you could lose your licence, 3 points per tyre

 

[Silver-Fox]

I wouldn't push the MOT thing obviously, but I do wonder how it would play out in court, I would imagine the judge wouldn't be on my side!

He may not be on your side but at the end of the day it’s what’s down as law.

I’d love to know if there is a distance restriction

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[Silver-Fox]

& unless they have, as likely changed the rules, all offences in court on the same day counts as one & only the largest amount of points would count.

I don’t know about that I have to say.

 

[Barclaybasher]

What can’t wait until covid is over?

and when will that be?.......................never?

 

[duane0001]

He may not be on your side but at the end of the day it’s what’s down as law.

I’d love to know if there is a distance restriction

There is no restriction, You could live at John o groats and have your MOT at lands end, but that's taking the P**s
This is of course in a non covid world, Its all bit up in the air right now

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