antlists@youngman.org.uk
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2018 19:29:39 +0100
It always amazes me not many countries follow the UK approach, where in normal circumstances the licence plate stays with the vehicle from manufacture to destruction.
And I'm sure plenty of people will scream about the risks of ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) but it works well - mostly - for us where a computer in a police car scans neighbouring plates, then checks them against an online database for tax and insurance. Traders have a special plate which allows them to drive vehicles that are otherwise not registered, taxed or insured.
This does, however, bring another risk into play. So many bills are paid monthly now, including insurance, so if you aren't alert it's far too easy - as happened to my daughter - for the insurance debit to bounce, the insurance company cancels the policy, the ANPR picks up your vehicle, and you get stopped for driving the vehicle without insurance. And the insurance company normally does NOT notify you that the payment bounced! In those circumstances, you are supposed either to re-insure your vehicle, at the roadside, by (smart)phone or the police will seize the vehicle. My daughter was lucky - the police let her proceed when she couldn't contact her insurers but many people have had their vehicle seized and it usually costs about