AndyBaker

Just got pulled for the front numberplate. "I suppose your going to tell me it's an import" says he. "Correct" says me. Anyway he measures and sure enough it's legal for an import, next he says because of the numberplate I'm going to breathalyse you. Anyway it was zero so no problem but I thought you had to have committed an offence or been involved in an accident before they could bag you.

specialx

They can "bag" you whenever they please I think this time was more of an inconvinence more than anything.

pacenote

Out of interest what is the minimum size for the front number plate on an import

AndyBaker

67mm instead of the normal 77mm. The height of the letters that is not the actual plate size

stipete75

Unfortunately the motorist is an easy target, fortunately for you you were legal to drive on her majesty's highways, would of been a fine else.
It's all about money, not safety.

neil-h

It's adherence to the law... If the law says the letters have to be 77mm tall, then they have to be 77mm tall.

nik52wrx

I read somewhere last week police were going to be doing morning road side stops looking for drink drivers during the World Cup. I'm not a fan but assume games are mainly late into the evening.

As for the plate, rules are rules and some plates take the pish, barely legible in some cases.

ReallyReallyGoodMeat

Maybe he thought you were intoxicated based on your driving

AndyBaker

Nice one

AndyBaker

Mine is legal at 67mm

scunnered

iTrader: (1)

Size and spacing of characters: special cases

14A. (1) This regulation applies in relation to any vehicle imported into the United Kingdom which—

(a)does not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval; and

(b)is so constructed that the area available for the fixing of the registration plate precludes the display on the plate of a registration mark in conformity with the requirements of regulation 14.

(2) In relation to a vehicle to which this regulation applies—

(a)each character in the registration mark must be 64 millimetres high;

(b)the width of each character of the mark, other than the letter “I” and the figure “1”, must be 44 millimetres;

(c)the width of every part of the stroke forming a character in a mark must be 10 millimetres;

(d)the spacing between any two characters within a group must be 10 millimetres;

(e)the vertical spacing between groups of characters must be 5 millimetres;

(f)the width of a margin between the mark and the top and lateral sides of the registration plate must be not less than 5 millimetres;

(g)the space between the bottom of the mark and the bottom of the registration plate must be not less than 13 millimetres; but, within that space, the space between the bottom of the mark and the top of the name and postcode of the person by whom the plate was supplied must be not less than 5 millimetres.”(1)

stipete75

It's another excuse to penalise the general motorist.
The OP's plate was legal, so the revenue officer tried it on with the breathalyser, also legal, I'm surprised the revenue officer didn't check every tyre for tread depth also.
If a law has not been broken you do not have to comply! name??non of your buisness.

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

Plod can ask the name address and date of birth of any driver they stop..........its in the road traffic act and not linked to any other legislation.

Shaun

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Where's Felix?

I thought you ONLY had to give out your details if you were under arrest/broken a law. If an Officer asks for your details and you haven't broken a law, then you can politely refuse and be awkward.

stipete75

Only if a law is believed to have been broken by the individual. This is England in 2014 not **** occupied Poland.

ScoobyWon't

Are you sure?

Are you willing to place a wager against all those SN members who believe the opposite?

Nowhere does it state that a plod must believe a law has been broken.

On a side-note, I have seen student officers wave down vehicles at random, just because their instructor tells them to. One HGV driver even took time to show them how his tachograph worked and offered to take a couple for a spin in the wagon, so they could see what it's like for a HGV driver to drive through a city centre. These professional drivers know the law, just as well as the police, not like the average scooby owning pleb who only believes half-truths and ill-informed myth.

ScoobyWon't

Yep, that's where it goes wrong. You need to know the law, not just think you do.

Police officers have powers in order to determine who you are. You could be awkward, but how awkward would a trip to the custody suite be to you, when you could have just told them your name etc? It works both ways.

I would suggest that being awkward would invite failing the attitude test, followed by a fishing trip and finding yourself falling foul of The Ways & Means Act 2014

scunnered

iTrader: (1)

Section 163 of the road traffic act only applies if a police officer requires you to stop in the execution of their duty. Meaning they must have a reason to do so. They can't just stop you for no other reason than if they feel like it. In practice though, they'll make something up if they have to. I was stopped once simply to ask if I was lost, and if I require directions. Then I found out the real reason for stopping me; they breathalysed me just because it was 10mins after pub closing time and I had a car full of drunks.

If you are stopped, you are required to provide your name and address, and the name and address of the vehicles owner. You are also required to produce your license and insurance details. Failing to do so is an offence. You may also be required to take a breath test if the officer suspects you have been drinking, or if you've been involved in an accident.

stipete75

Don't own a scooby anymore, Iv grown up
Say that again......did you say the police know the law? Surely that's the myth.

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

I got stopped once for corning too quickly in a Corsa .. she asked me if I'd been drinking, I said no, she asked me to breath on her ... er .. I couldn't do it for laughing. Trying to breath into the face of a lady policeman

She laughed and sent me on my way.

neil-h

Why do people struggle with this so much if you play silly buggers the police will fuc you about, they have the legal backing to do it. If you play the game and humor them. (assuming all is legal) they'll run out if steam and you'll be on your way.

As for being an excuse, hardly. There is a piece of legislation stipulating the font size/spacing/etc on a number plate, people will and do take the **** with illegal number plates. So why should it not be enforced?

Graz

I got breathalysed once as the copper witnessed me driving out of a pub car park shortly after closing time. Bloody cheek. (Luckily I'd only had a half )

Remember getting followed once whilst getting a lift back from a mates with my brother (I was pissed then as I wasn't driving), we dropped someone else off who lived on a busy road where it was easier to drive a few hundred yards further, do a U turn on the mini-roundabout and then drop him off in the bus stop. Safer than turning right. But to the coppers behind must have looked like we were trying to lose them.

They must have waited a bit further down the road as the picked us up again and followed us all the way home. We were just about to get out the car and go in when they come over:- "Driving slightly erratically sir, have you been drinking", Me: "No he hasn't, just come back from a holiday India and is on antibiotics for a stomach bug". This was a true fact. They didn't know how to answer that so just said have a good evening an buggered off Lucky really as we'd also all been smoking quite a bit of skunk that night. I know, bad of my brother to smoke a drive but we were young and reckless, wouldn't do it now

Felix.

I'm here.......



Statement of date of birth
83.—(1) The circumstances in which a person specified in section 164(2) of the Traffic Act shall, on being required by a police constable, state his date of birth are—
(a)where that person fails to produce forthwith for examination his licence on being required to do so by a police constable under that section; or
(b)where, on being so required, that person produces a licence—
(i)which the police constable in question has reason to suspect was not granted to that person, was granted to that person in error or contains an alteration in the particulars entered on the licence (other than as described in paragraph (ii)) made with intent to deceive; or
(ii)in which the driver number has been altered, removed or defaced;
©where that person is a person specified in subsection (1)(d) of that section and the police constable has reason to suspect that he is under 21 years of age.
(2) In paragraph (1), “driver number” means the number described as the driver number in the licence.

Felix.

Ah well done.

Glad you think driving whilst drugged is acceptable and a 'bit of a laugh'

romford-boy

Yep, I've experienced this.

Chelmsford police pulled me once, no problem with the breathysler but when they asked for my insurance documents they stated that my documents were photocopies rather than originals so took me down the station and cited me for a failure to produce documents.

CrisPDuk

How come you never see them pulling over all the weekend pikeys with cardboard & marker pen numberplates (usuall one that doesn't match the towing vehicle) duct taped to the back

I have a similar issue when being pulled over on my bike. They always single out sportsbike riders, never the ****** on Harleys with illegally loud straight through pipes and American style plates

billythekid

Moving traffic offence is required as grounds, OR sus. of drink or drugs due to reasonable suspicion followed by road side breath test or FIT or arrest under s.4 RTA.

All grounds should be explained to the customer.

You, in theory, had a right to refuse the test on the info you have given. Although not many people have the ***** to refuse.

HTH!

Miniman

iTrader: (2)

So what are the circumstances where a licence must be produced?

AndyBaker

So if there was nothing wrong with the plate, tax, tyres (and yes he checked each one of them) insurance, mot and I was very cooperative why the breath test

stipete75

Power