Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Commissioner launches Operation Reclaim
| COMMISSIONER Bernard Hogan-Howe today (Wednesday 19 October) launched a major new sustained campaign to crack down on uninsured drivers, improve the safety of London's roads and disrupt criminal activity.
The Commissioner marked the Met-wide day of activity by attending a public photo call at 1pm with Mayor of London Boris Johnson in front of a display of previously seized cars and a pyramid of crushed cars on Horse Guards Parade in London, SW1. Uninsured drivers are five times more likely to be involved in collisions and less likely to have vehicles in a road-worthy condition.
|
Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "This is the first of the operations I have asked for where officers across the Met will spend a dedicated day on a regular basis targeting uninsured drivers and those believed to be connected to crime.
"We know from experience approximately eighty per cent of uninsured drivers are criminals. They're also more likely to be involved in crashes and have unsafe cars so we're taking this action to make London's roads safer.
"Driving without insurance is an offence and this operation will seize the cars of those who ignore the law, while reclaiming the roads for London's responsible and law abiding drivers."
Leading today's operation, Commander Steve Watson from the MPS said: "The majority of uninsured drivers are also habitual criminals. Those engaged in criminality will use vehicles to transport themselves across London and beyond to commit crime. They will also use vehicles to carry weapons, drugs and stolen property. This initiative brings our officers into contact with criminals and, through the robust enforcement of the law, disrupts their offending and enables us to bring them to book.
"Uninsured drivers are also five times more likely to be involved in collisions and so this initiative will also help to make the roads safer. Driving without insurance is an offence which actually affects everyone. The reality is that everyone who does insure their vehicles has to pay a significant premium to cater for those who can't be bothered - this is simply unacceptable.
"Our message to uninsured drivers is to get it sorted immediately. Otherwise we will seize your vehicle and prosecute you - it's just a matter of time."
Today's activities come under the MPS Operation Reclaim initiative which was originally launched in 2007. The operation will be a sustained campaign to target uninsured drivers to disrupt criminal activity and improve the safety of London's roads.
Operation Reclaim intends to do similar pan-London operations approximately every four weeks from now.
Roadside check points using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) will be deployed at a number of locations, while officers across the capital will be actively pursuing uninsured drivers using fixed cameras or routine number plate checks.
Uninsured vehicles will be immediately seized and potentially destroyed, while offenders will be prosecuted. In 2010 the MPS seized 34,000 vehicles and prosecuted thousands of people.
According to the Motors Insurers' Bureau uninsured drivers increase other drivers' insurance premiums by £30. They are also five times more likely to be involved in road collisions.
In 2010 the MPS seized 34,000 vehicles of which 11,000 were destroyed.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
-
Any comment on this article Jono? I know I'm not dressed as a policeman so people do not hide what they're doing from me but pretty much every third car I see on Wightman Rd is being driven by someone seemingly texting or updating facebook. As long as they're not trying to organise a riot I suppose that's not too bad.
-
Permalink Reply by John D on
-
Every other vehicle on Wightman is doing more than 20mph. I have video to prove it.
-
Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on
-
Both Johns are right, but then it is in the very nature of any auto-propelled metal & glass container that the contents will regard themselves as lords of the universe. Bring back the horse & cart.
-
Permalink Reply by StephenBln on
-
the nanny (nearly fascist) state again.. destroying cars - my arse.. the authorities have lost the plot and are showing total negativity..
of course if you lived in Germany.. you'd be required to register your home address.. the authorities would then follow you up if the vehicle registered in your name wasn't included in the direct debit from the finance dept every year.. Your MOT etc., would also be clearly shown on the number plate therefore could also be checked by the local safety officers 'in passing'
but it isn't Germany, therefore the whinging continues about who do or don't - a right 'royal' mess :o)
-
Permalink Reply by Maddy on
-
I agree about insurance - mine is almost £1000 this year because I accidentally backed very slowly into a Mercedes while parking, damaging the number plate. The driver sent me a bill for £840 so I had no option but to put it through my insurance. So I lose my NCD and my premium goes up - OK that's my fault for being careless - the insurance company shells out for a whole new front bumper for the other car instead of just a number plate, so some garage is making a killing, plus I have received three calls asking me if I was injured in my recent accident and want to make a claim, so someone is making money out of selling the information on. It's a complete mess and can only get worse.
-
-
@Billy - then do without your car..
I can't believe it is impossible to live in N15 without owning a car.. Perhaps that has something to do with not wanting to interact with the world outside your front door? Moving from one 'bubble' (home) to the next bubble ' (car) to take you on to the next 'bubble'..
Vehicle ownership in my city has been declining for the last ten years and is now the lowest per head of population in the country. That is due to good public transportation - cheap and available for all!
I do accept that those who live in the country need vehicles.. but certainly not townies..
-
-
What assumptions are those then?
So you take a hire car for the weekend.. what's the problem? Certainly a lot cheaper than owning one.. or use a car share..
Look, threatening people with scrapping their cars is an indicator that the regulatory system isn't working.. I actually think it is an outrageous thing to do, thought up by nasty minded people. Not something I'd expect from a decent government..
It 's quite easy to set up a system where it is 99% possible that people can't drive without insurance. I don't see where the problem is ..? Do you still have a driver based system? We have a car based insurance system, which of course allows for safe driving of the owner - but also includes all other legitimite drivers of that vehicle.
-
-
So you are saying that there are still places in the British Capital City that haven't been reached by car-sharing? If I may say - how old-fashioned!
If you've got the time take a look at this shot
http://www.flickr.com/photos/isarsteve/5166913488/in/set-7215762446...
There are self-explainitory notes on the photo about the stickers.. I could imagine a compulsory sticker like the one on the left for insurance - with an insurance number and company contact.. problem solved?
-
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
