Motoring News from around the World
Number Plate News – Classics on SORN may have to be insured
A new ruling by the European Court of Justice means that Classic Car Owners may have to insure their cars even when they are being stored or repaired off the road.
The Department for Transport has launched a consultation following a ruling in favour of Damijan Vnuk, a Slovenian man who was injured when knocked off a ladder by a trailer attached to a tractor in a barn. It has set the European legal precedent that vehicles – including Classic Cars currently registered as SORN, Statutory Off Road Notification – need to be insured even when on private land. Andrew Jones MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport says he has serious misgivings about the rulings implications.
Under the current system, classic owners don’t have to insure their car or pay road tax as SORN is registered with the DVLA. Changes to the law in 2013 meant that Historic Vehicles for which owners don’t pay road tax for – must be insured even when they are off the road. But unless the Government changes its interpretation of the Motor Insurance Directive then cars that are off the road and classed as SORN will have to be covered too.
Governments Options
Every vehicle on SORN must always have insurance in place. The Department for Transport believes that this is ‘onerous’ and actually goes beyond what the Vnuk judgement requires.
Any SORN vehicle which is used on private land must have insurance in place. This meets the requirements of the court case, but the government hasn’t stipulated what constitutes ‘use’.
Amending the EU’s Motor Insurance Directive altogether, meaning a vehicle would only need compulsory insurance if its used on land to which the public has access. If a classic on SORN is being used on public land the owner would be committing an offence, as is the case now.
The Department for Transport’s prefferred option, but potentially would require a new Act of Parliament to enact it.
Dangerous Drivers who kill could face life sentences
Under new plans that have been put forward by ministers Dangerous Drivers who kill are set to face life sentences.
Dangerous Drivers who cause death by their reckless driving, speeding, street racing or distracted by using a mobile phone could now be treated in a similar way to those who are charged with manslaughter.
These plans also apply to people who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The Ministry of Justice wants your views on this proposal on whether the current maximum penalties should be increased.
You can give your views by February 1st 2017 by logging onto:
https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/driving-offences-causing-death-or-serious-injury/
Other proposals include:
creating a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving with a maximum sentence of 3 years
increasing minimum driving bans of those convicted of causing death
In 2015, 122 people were sentenced for causing death by driving with a further 21 convicted of causing death while under the influence. While the UK has one of the best road safety records in the world, deaths and injuries still cause devastation to the victims and their families.
So we wish all you Drivers a very safe Journey not just over the Christmas Festivities but at all times and remember Don’t Drink and Drive or use your mobile phone whilst driving, you can always call or text them back.
Safety First.
NEC Classic Motor Show
It is that time of the year when the NEC will hold its annual NEC Classic Motor Show. This year it is being held on 11th to 13th November 2016 at the NEC in Birmingham.
The show is hosted by Lancaster Insurance and this year they will have 2500 classic cars and motorcycles on display covering over one million square feet (about 12 football sized pitches).
Some of the attractions at this years show are
Silverstone Auctions
Meguiar’s Showcase
Wheeler Dealers Live Stage
All-Star Line-Up
Dream Rides
Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership
Star Cars and new for this year Christmas Ideas – ideas for the ‘leaded’ petrolhead
To see the full show guide go to http://www.necclassicmotorshow.com/sneak-peek-show
Don’t forget if you own a classic vehicle or motorcycle and would like to purchase your own personalised number plate we at Motor Marks offer a huge selection of Cherished,DVLA and Personalised Number Plates and are happy to help. Please contact us on 0116 235 0116
Number Plate News
Well we have just waved goodbye to another auction of cherished and personalised DVLA number plates and it just goes to show that they are becoming more and more of an investment. Property is still one of the best decisions you can make in investing your money but I have to say that Cherished Number Plates are becoming a firm second. The revenue being made by the sale of these personalised number plates is huge and the top 5 selling numbers in last weeks auction were:
5 UV £51,000
675 M £30,500
321 O £29,000
KN16 HTS £28,600
500 OOO £25,000
All these prices are on the hammer so there is also the VAT and buyers premium and £80 ct fee to be added.
We at Motor Marks have a huge database of cherished number plates and are happy to assist you with your enquiry.
Please contact one of our Sales Staff on 0116 235 0116
Personalised Number Plates – Popular than ever!
If its in the press then its got to be right hasn’t it. Personalised and cherished number plates are now more poplular than ever and even rank up there with ‘Fine Wine’ and ‘Rolex Watches’ as a way of investing your money.
The sale of Personalised and Cherished car number plates raised a record £102million for the Treasury and us Britain’s are turning into a nation of show offs and what better way than to invest in a cherished number plate.
Last year saw around 335,000 personalised and cherished number plates sold in the UK and the DVLA brought in £15million more in sales of cherished and personalised number plates compared with the previous year.
The most expensive cherished number plate sold to date in the UK was ’25 O’ which fetched £400,000
Don’t just take my word for it see these stories in the national press
Search our extensive database with millions of cherished, personalised and DVLA car number plates or call one of our experienced sales staff on 0116 235 0116 now and purchase your future investment.
No Exemption for Classic Cars entering London
Classic Car owners will have to pay a whopping £21.50 a day to drive into the centre of London from next year.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London has announced the introduction of an additional £10 ‘T-charge’. The measure is being set up to reduce emissions, bringing the figure up to £21.50 which includes the original £11.50 congestion charge. From 2017, it will tax vehicles registered before 2005 and the levy will apply to all vehicles with pre-Euro IV emission standards and will operate in the same area as the congestion charge zone between 7.00am and 6.00pm Monday -Friday.
Speaking from FBHVC communications the Director Geoff Lancaster says ‘Policy Makers have not taken classic cars into account, it is nonsense!
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said that there were no current proposals to exempt classic cars from the new ‘T-charge’ but were prepared to listen to feedback from the classic car industry.
Historic vehicles are already exempt from a separate low emissions area the ULEZ ( Ultra Low Emissions Zone) which is due to be extended form central London to cover the North and South Circular roads from 7th September 2020.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says with nearly 10,000 people dying early every year in London due to exposure to air pollution cleaning up London’s toxic air was now an issue of life and death.
Historic Vehicles – Drop MoT for all Historic Vehicles
Sir Greg Knight, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group, says he would like to see cars being spared both road tax and annual roadworthiness tests when they reach 40 years old.
There are 2 different date classes of historic vehicle. Those that are both tax and MoT exempt manufactured before 1960 and those that have to undergo a modern MoT but are nevertheless exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty and which were made 40 years ago, which is a rolling exemption. He sees no reason for this distinction and is urging the government to merge the two dates. All vehicles manufactured 40 years ago should be both exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty and MoT as part of the historic vehicle classification and that both dates should be a rolling exemption he says.
The government has already proposed exempting tax-exempt vehicles from roadworthiness tests – as it’s done with pre 1960 classics – when it implements the EU Roadworthiness Directive into UK Law in 2 years time.
The Classic aware campaign says it is still working to make sure classics are given safety inspections if the MoT system is replaced by a new roadworthiness test in 2018.
What is the EU Roadworthiness Directive. – It will abolish the current MoT and replace it with a new testing regime and must be implemented in the UK by May 2018, however it is up to the UK governement how it happens.
The FBHVC and the All Party Historic Vehicle Group want to ensure ‘no safe and roadworthy historic vehicle’ is banned from being used as a result, and have proposed a system where vehicles that reach tax-exempt status are also exempted from roadworthiness testing, similar to the arrangement for pre 1960 cars which was introduced 3 years ago.