Why don't people with no Tax, NCT and/or Insurance get fined/towed on the spot?

barura

It's a simple question and so is the answer (or so it should be).

Why is this not the case in our fair country?

I pay my tax, insure my car and it is NCT'd, for the record.

ABajaninCork

AFAIK, the Gards CAN take the car on the spot if no NCT/insurance. In my experience, most of the time they don't, they'll usually give you the chance to produce later. You can also be fined/summonsed for the same.

At home (UK), the police aren't so forgiving. They take the car on the spot! How you get home is your business!!

Duiske

Not sure about the situation regarding no NCT, but a car untaxed for more than 2 months can be impounded. It actually happens alot. As for insurance, if a Garda believes that the driver is not insured the car will be impounded. Also happens quite often.

Voodoomelon

barura wrote: »

It's a simple question and so is the answer (or so it should be).

Why is this not the case in our fair country?

I pay my tax, insure my car and it is NCT'd, for the record.

Because the Gardaí would then become a recovery service; there is a colossal amount of vehicles on the road that do not meet these criteria in some form or another.

challengemaster

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Because the Gardaí would then become a recovery service; there is a colossal amount of vehicles on the road that do not meet these criteria in some form or another.

So what you're saying is it's an inconvenience to enforce the law?

Voodoomelon

Not an inconvenience, an impossibility to lift every car.

barura

I can't see how that could be a problem in fairness. You just crush/sell on the cars if the owner doesn't claim the cars. That is how it works in England, I thought?

ABajaninCork

It does. But the owner is still liable for the storage fees.

Voodoomelon

If you have no insurance only, in the UK, you have 28 days to produce proof of insurance to get it back. If you do not, it is crushed. You can also sign it over to the police on the spot and its crushed. As you might imagine, its usually shtboxes less than the price of a policy that end in the crusher.

DundalkDuffman

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Not an inconvenience, an impossibility to lift every car.

It's a chicken and egg scenario though. If the boys in blue started lifting these cars the amount on the road wouldn't be long dropping off making it easier. Lack of enforcement leads to the volumes of issues.

slimjimmc

barura wrote: »

I can't see how that could be a problem in fairness. You just crush/sell on the cars if the owner doesn't claim the cars. That is how it works in England, I thought?

And that's how it works here too.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2006/en/act/pub/0023/print.html#sec19
Car can be seized for
a)No insurance
b)No tax after 2 months
d) drink driving
e/f) No NCT/DOE

Once seized it can be disposed by the State if not reclaimed by the owner after a defined period.

keithsfleet

Gonna put myself on the chopping board here.
I only taxed my car yesterday, it had been out of tax since the end of may. So I had been driving around with no tax for maybe five months. I went through 4 checkpoints and each time I said I had only just gotten the car back on the road (its 17 years old) and each time I was told to get it done and then I was sent on my merry way.

I've also not had a valid nct since june 2011. Reason for this is that I can't get a wheel arch liner, the rest of my car is without a doubt in better nick, visually and mechanically than most other 4 or 5 year old cars on the road.

keithsfleet

My reason, and I know most people will argue over this is I genuinely couldn't get the money together to tax it. I have a mortgage and I've taken a hit in wages blah blah blah we've all heard rest...

ljpg

keithsfleet wrote: »

Gonna put myself on the chopping board here.
I only taxed my car yesterday, it had been out of tax since the end of may. So I had been driving around with no tax for maybe five months. I went through 4 checkpoints and each time I said I had only just gotten the car back on the road (its 17 years old) and each time I was told to get it done and then I was sent on my merry way.

I've also not had a valid nct since june 2011. Reason for this is that I can't get a wheel arch liner, the rest of my car is without a doubt in better nick, visually and mechanically than most other 4 or 5 year old cars on the road.

would the nct fail your car for the lack of a wheel arch liner??

keithsfleet

ljpg wrote: »

keithsfleet wrote: »

Gonna put myself on the chopping board here.
I only taxed my car yesterday, it had been out of tax since the end of may. So I had been driving around with no tax for maybe five months. I went through 4 checkpoints and each time I said I had only just gotten the car back on the road (its 17 years old) and each time I was told to get it done and then I was sent on my merry way.

I've also not had a valid nct since june 2011. Reason for this is that I can't get a wheel arch liner, the rest of my car is without a doubt in better nick, visually and mechanically than most other 4 or 5 year old cars on the road.

would the nct fail your car for the lack of a wheel arch liner??

Yes

ljpg

keithsfleet wrote: »

Yes

well thats a new one on me,what make of a car is it? it cant be that hard to source one for it.

George Dalton

I have seen loads of cars pass the NCT with missing and/or broken arch liners.

slimjimmc

keithsfleet wrote: »

Yes

Can you tell us under which section it's a fail?
Here's the test manual (.pdf)

scooters

My next door neighbors car has not been taxed since 11/11 and no nct sine 2010 and he drives it every day and has clearly never been stopped at a checkpoint.

Really pisses me off!

the_syco

scooters wrote: »

Really pisses me off!

Check if it's insured. If it's not, shop them!