CRACK DOWN ON ILLEGAL FOREIGN REGISTERED VEHICLES: MULTI-AGENCY APPROACH PROVES A BIG SUCCESS

Foreign-registered vehicles being used illegally on Britain’s roads are now being seized by some police forces using powers devolved to them by DVLA.

This has resulted from growing concerns about the number of foreign registered vehicles staying longer than the 6 month period allowed for temporary visitors to the UK.

DVLA, Department for Transport (DfT), Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Motor Insurance Bureau, UK Border Force & Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have been working together to gauge the scale of the problem and put together more efficient intelligence & enforcement processes. This led to a ‘hot list’ of overstaying foreign registered vehicles being passed to the police.

A pilot exercise with 4 police forces started in April 2014 & resulted in 123 foreign registered vehicles being seized and impounded over 6 weeks. Because of the positive feedback from the police forces involved, this information is now regularly provided to police forces for use on their Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras – including Thames Valley, Hampshire, West Midlands, Northamptonshire, West Mercia and Staffordshire Police.

Any vehicle overstaying the period is impounded.  The keeper can retrieve their vehicle by paying the release fee and surety payment (around £260) but cannot use the vehicle on the road until it is correctly registered and licensed in the UK. The only exemption is if the vehicle is being driven to a pre booked MOT appointment or any other testing appointment.

The keeper has 56 days to reclaim the surety payment once the vehicle is licensed. DVLA will also issue the vehicle keeper an out of court settlement. The amount will be £30 plus 1.5 times the outstanding vehicle tax rate for the time the vehicle has overstayed. Failure to pay could result in the keeper being prosecuted.

Highlights of the crack down include:

• over 1100 vehicles have been seized since DVLA changed its enforcement process
• over 2500 offence reports have been sent to DVLA by the police
• over 1300 out of court settlement letters have been issued to foreign vehicle keepers who have not complied
• DVLA has successfully prosecuted 120 offenders

REPAIRED WRITE-OFFS: BBC1 INSIDE OUT NORTH-WEST MONDAY 02/02/2015

Articles appearing on this site are for information only & do not necessarily represent the views of the MVDA

On Monday 2nd February 2015 (7.30pm) the Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer, will appear on the BBC programme "Inside Out: North West" which will feature a short story about vehicle write offs, and the risks drivers are unwittingly taking when purchasing second hand vehicles.

Modern day cars have to be efficient and lightweight. In order to achieve this, manufacturers had to step away from using mild steel – which could be repaired using skills honed from the time the first coaches were constructed – to high strength metals. 

These developments mean that new techniques, materials and skills are required when repairing structural damage.

Seemingly cars that were once classed as vehicle write offs have been given a second lease of life and are finding their way back onto our roads. 

Unless these vehicles have been repaired by an approved body shop, the chance that they are structurally safe is brought into question.

This is due to the fact that the four categories used to class a vehicle as a write off, is part of a voluntary code and can be interpreted in different ways.

John Dwyer said:

“I discovered that many structurally damaged vehicles were being repaired by people who didn’t possess the necessary skills, materials or equipment to carry out these repairs.

“Currently, there are four categories of vehicle write offs. 

- If a car is classed as a category A or B, it should be crushed
- If it is classed as category C and D it can be repaired and returned to our roads.

"I think that if a car is structurally damaged it could either be a write off or not.  If it is a write off, the car should be crushed so it can never see the light of day. If it’s not a write off, it should be repaired by a British Standard PAS125 approved body shop and nowhere else.”
But Category B cars can be found on many online auction sites and sold second hand. 
 

A car or any other type of vehicle helps many of us get from A to B. We rely on them to get us there safely, and hope that if we are involved in a collision the vehicle acts as it’s meant to in order to protect its passengers.

John Dwyer added:

“I urge people to check the history of the cars they are buying. For instance, in some circumstances sellers are putting the cars up for sale specifying they’re vehicle write offs. 
If you see these markers please ensure they have been appropriately repaired by a qualified body shop. The British Standard PAS125 is a good indicator of this.

“I hope the program that’s aired on the BBC gives everyone food for thought when it comes to buying second hand cars.”

BBC Inside Out: North West airs on BBC One at 7.30pm on Monday 2 February.

DIY MECHANICS DWINDLING ?

A survey by a vehicle leasing firm has highlighted the lack of basic mechanical knowledge that today’s drivers have.

Flexed.co.uk found that:

• 49% of drivers did not know how to change a wheel

• while 63% were  unaware of how to check a vehicles oil level

suggesting that many break downs are caused by the owner’s ignorance of basic vehicle checks.

The company asked 3,000 drivers if they knew how to carry out basic maintenance tasks. Other findings included:

•  31 % didn’t know how to check tyre pressures

• 29% couldn’t fill up the washer bottle

• and most surprisingly 1% of respondents didn’t know how to fill up with fuel

A Flexed spokesman said: “The fact that the major breakdown organizations now have specialist patrols to help people who have run out of fuel just goes to prove how little people know about their own cars. Ever older vehicles have bells and whistles to tell you your fuel is low, so how come people still manage to run dry?”

Another survey also suggesting that motorists are not taking care of their vehicles comes from the NFDA which revealed that:

• 62% of drivers are unaware of the legal minimum tyre tread depth

• while 12% haven’t checked their tyres in the last 12 months.

According to figures released by the DVLA, more than 2.2 million cars failed their MOT test last year due to the condition of their lyres. Whilst figures released by the Department for Transport showed that more than 958 UK road casualties in 2013 were caused because of illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres.

FELIX ROSAS-PEREZ (KEYMASTER SYSTEMS) DIES

We are sad to have to report that Felix, of Keymaster Systems, passed away at the end of December 2014.  He was suffering from cancer.

Felix was one of the pioneers of IT in used vehicle parts and was widely known, liked & respected in the industry.  His system has been used by the likes of MVDA members Autospares & Salvage, Mitchell Dismantling & Willingham Car Spares, and in fact is still being used by Overton Garage, Car Components & Nis-Spec amongst others.

The funeral takes place tomorrow (Friday 23rd) in Northampton.

He will be sadly missed

DISPOSAL TO THE MOTOR TRADE – NEW DVLA SERVICE

DVLA has just launched its new on-line ‘Disposal to Trade’ service.  It allows motor traders to notify DVLA on-line that they have received a vehicle from a private individual (e.g. part-exchanges).  This replaces the need for the previous owner to notify DVLA that they have sold the vehicle by sending the yellow V5C/3 ‘Disposal to Trade’ slip through the post.  Once on-line notification has been completed the previous owner will automatically be sent an acknowledgement in the post.

Currently it does not allow traders to notify DVLA of the sale of vehicles, including within the trade (although we hope both will happen eventually).  It is also currently not available to private individuals.

This new service will also automatically trigger road tax refunds to the owner (you will recall that since October 2014 car road tax is no longer transferable) where there is at least 1 complete month outstanding.

Strangely, at the moment this service is only available Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm

For more details or to see how it works, follow this link

https://www.gov.uk/motor-traders-sale-vehicle

WANTED – CAR FLATTENNER

MVDA member Albert Looms Ltd of Derby is looking for a good reliable car flattener to replace its current ageing model.

If you have anything available, please contact:

Ray Kirk on (01332) 673 663 opt 6 or ray@albertlooms.com

CAR BREAKERS YARD FOR SALE OR RENT: SCOTLAND

There is currently an opportunity to buy or rent a very large car breakers yard located in central Scotland (Bonnybridge,  Falkirk,FK4 2ER).

There is at least 8 acres available, possibly more, with 1 acre of concrete & the rest hard standing.

The yard is fully equipped, with a large (165 ft x40 ft) building, complete de-pollution plant, 3 fork lifts, 3 recovery vehicles etc.

There is a large stock of spare parts on shelves and over 1500 cars in stock.

For more information, please contact 0034 670545430 or email arlenesroka@aol.com

MVDA NEGOTIATES 30% DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS BUYING WAMITAB REVISION GUIDES

MVDA has now been able to negotiate a 30% discount on the forthcoming WAMITAB ‘Revision Guides’ for Continuing Competence.

The discount is available only to MVDA members & applies to complete sets (4 or 5 Guides depending upon what you need) purchased directly from the MVDA office.  The Guides are expected to be available at the end of January.

These are highly recommended to all members.

There are 5 booklets of potential interest to members:

• Generic: Health & Safety
• Generic: Legislation
• Generic: Environmental protection
• Activity specific: ELV
• Activity specific: Metal recycling (for those members that are also metal recyclers)

The RRP for the generic guides is expected to be £8/ booklet, and £10/ booklet for the 'activity specific' guides.  Postage & packing is extra.

So for MVDA members a set of 4 (3xGeneric + ELV) is expected to cost £24 + P&P (£34+P&P for non-members).  The cost for a set of 5 Guides (including the metal recycling booklet) will be £30+P&P

To order your copies, please contact Tracy at the MVDA office on (01543) 254 254 or mail@mvda.org.uk

CAR TRANSPORTER FOR SALE

Due to fleet replacement, Autospares & Salvage of Raunds (Northamptonshire) is offering for sale a 1999 Volvo FM7 multi-car transporter.

It’s been owned by Autospares from new & was built by TFL Engineering Bedford.  It is LEZ compliant having been fitted with Eminox Filter System. 

Spec includes: 7284cc diesel engine, 240 BHP, mileage 617502,   G.V.W . 18,000 kg   2 axle,  R.H.D., manual,  ABS, disc brakes, driver airbag,  immobiliser, Ramsey top and bottom remote control winch.

It is MOT’d until September 2015  & is ready for work

For more details & price phone Autospares & Salvage on (01933) 627111 or 07840112960

METAL RECYCLERS PROSECUTED FOR H&S FAILINGS

Lincolnshire-based metal recycler BW Riddle has been landed with an £88,000 bill (fine of £70,000 & costs of £18,000) after one of its workers suffered broken ribs in an incident at one of the firms sites.

A maintenance worker was carrying out work on the firm’s sloping conveyor belt, when the power was switched back on and the whole of the line reactivated.  This caused the man to fall from the belt onto a heap of scrap metal below, and then onto the concrete floor, breaking ribs on both sides of his body.

A subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the conveyor belt had not been isolated, & as a result the company was prosecuted by HSE for breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.  The HSE had previously taken enforcement action for the same problem in 2010 & 2011.
EMR has also recently been fined £150,000 (plus £80,000 costs) for a much more serious accident that resulted in the death of a contractor at its Kingsbury (Warwickshire) depot.

The man was killed when part of a 33-tonne metal barge he was dismantling collapsed on top of him.  He had been working alongside others to cut and dismantle two large steel barges & had moved inside the unsupported structure after cutting through the outer skin of the barge’s hull.  The side collapsed in on him, resulting in catastrophic crushing injuries & he died at the scene.

The HSE identified serious inadequacies in the method of work used to dismantle the barges, & EMR were found guilty of failing to ensure contractors on site were competent and working safely.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCE TRAINING GUIDES

WAMITAB is just about to release a series of ‘Revision Guides’ for Continuing Competence candidates for the period up to mid-March 2016.

There are 5 booklets of potential interest to members:

• Generic: Health & Safety
• Generic: Legislation
• Generic: Environmental protection
• Activity specific: ELV
• Activity specific: Metal recycling (for those members that are also metal recyclers)

At the time of writing they are not yet available but should be by the time you read this.  We have seen the ELV Revision Guide and think that it is very useful.

The cost is likely to be £6/ booklet, plus postage & packing, so a set of 4 (3xGeneric + ELV) is expected to cost £24 + P&P.

Copies will be available to purchase from MVDA.

FALLING OIL PRICE PUTS PRESSURE ON PLASTICS RECYCLERS

While a lower oil price is welcome to most people, as it results in smaller energy bills for households & businesses (due to lower petrol/ diesel & heating bills) the implications go far beyond ‘energy’. In recent weeks we have heard about the effects of reducing oil price on world stock markets & economies (& in turn on things such as pensions).

Naturally, the continued drop in the price of crude oil is also leading to concerns by plastics recyclers about the demand for plastic recyclate.

The declining value of oil is resulting in a corresponding reduction in the cost of ‘virgin’ polymers, which in turn puts downward pressure on the value of recycled plastics, because there is less of a cost advantage for using recyclate.

Last week Brent Crude was trading at less than $50/ barrel, less than ½ its value 12 months ago & the lowest since 2009.

This is already starting to have an impact on local government authorities collecting household plastic scrap (such as bottles).  And it could well have implications for the use of recycled plastics in automotive applications and for plastics recovered from shredder residue.