Car Insurance (OT)

Thing is it depends on all sorts of variables. I used to have the SD1 on a classic policy, but after checking with the various specialists, now have it on an ordinary one.

Maybe its where you live then? I was constantly pulled over for nothing. They made excuses and one even admitted it was just random because my car was old! After that ( three cars ago) I got a new car and they stopped doing it.

Have the 'new rules' actually come into force - or are they still arguing about it? All

says is "In early 2011, the vehicle insurance law will change."

What's the minimum period you can SORN vehicle for?

Andy Burns gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

You can SORN it today, then tax it tomorrow.

The SORN declaration needs renewing after a year, but you can tax it whenever you want, so cancelling the SORN.

In message , Adrian writes

But we're taking insurance. Is the 'must be insured or SORNed' law actually in force?

Actually for the last 14 years, DL or Privilege (who seem to be DL in disguise) have either been the cheapest for me (by considerable margins) or have matched or come within £5 of cheaper deals I've found on the comparison websites and the specialist brokers ...

Ian Jackson gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Most sources just say "early" or "expected to be". But there seems to be a bit of a consensus saying "April".

That's unclear, and crazy. And I don't mean the date.

I have insurance covering me 3rd party only for any vehicle not mine. My neighbour has an old MG; my insurance will let me drive it legally. Is this law really saying that he has to have some kind of insurance on the vehicle or he gets fined - and yet if I drove it I wouldn't be using the insurance?

Andy

Andy Champ gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Yes. That's precisely what it is saying.

Don't forget that it's very unlikely that the vehicle would be insured if you parked it up and left it. And, of course, he would never have been able to get a tax disc for it if whilst it was uninsured (and, yes, pre-73 cars still need a valid tax disc, even if it is free). You'd also pop up on any ANPR.

Fully agree. I initially used a broker for my buildings[1] and liability insurance[2] mainly because I was lazy, but now use them for everything.

JGH

Yes. It doesn't really make any difference since he'll either have to have SORNed it in which case you couldn't be driving it, or he has a tax disc - for which he will have to have provided proof of insurance.

Check the wording - several have just changed to say your 3rd party cover only applies if the owner also has valid insurance cover for the vehicle for themselves - you can't use it to drive an otherwise uninsured car.

In article , Skipweasel wrote: }In article , } snipped-for-privacy@nospam.invalid says... }> I have insurance covering me 3rd party only for any vehicle not mine. }> My neighbour has an old MG; my insurance will let me drive it legally. }> Is this law really saying that he has to have some kind of insurance on }> the vehicle or he gets fined - and yet if I drove it I wouldn't be using }> the insurance? } }Yes. It doesn't really make any difference since he'll either have to }have SORNed it in which case you couldn't be driving it, or he has a tax }disc - for which he will have to have provided proof of insurance.

To get a tax disc it is only necessary to have insurance to cover the first day of the period to be taxed, so it's quite possible to have a taxed and uninsured vehicle for just under a year.

Which you will now have to SORN, so (leaving aside classics) you might as well claim the unused portion of the tax disc back from them too ... have they really thought this through ?

Nick

Of course not. The only people this will catch is the absent-minded but otherwise law-abiding middle classes. The chavs who didn't tax or insure their cars will carry on as before.

Huge gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Unfortunately, you're right about that second - although I'd argue that you're being a bit pessimistic about the first, and it'll be wider than that.

So...

What DO you suggest?

About the only thing I can think of off the top of my head is to have the physical plates issued officially and renewed every year.

Which is, of course, the point of the new rules.

I was watching one of those cops with cameras type shows last night.

Woman had 3rd party insurance but the vehicle she was driving had no insurance. Apparently her 3rd party only allows her to drive insured vehicles.

They confiscated the vehicle.