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UK Plan Would Use CCTV To Stop Uninsured Drivers From Refueling

Mr_Blank writes "Cameras at UK petrol stations will automatically stop uninsured or untaxed vehicles from being filled with fuel, under new government plans. Downing Street officials hope the hi-tech system will crack down on the 1.4 million motorists who drive without insurance. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras are already fitted in thousands of petrol station forecourts. Drivers can only fill their cars with fuel once the camera has captured and logged the vehicle's number plate. Currently the system is designed to deter motorists from driving off without paying for petrol. But under the new plans, the cameras will automatically cross-refererence with the DVLA's huge database."

5 of 691 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Correction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    be used to calculate average speed over a section of road (to enforce speed limits)

    As someone who has been up and down the motorways of the country at quite a lot faster than would activate your regular speed camera I can state that, unless they are marked as used for speed enforcement, they aren't used for speed enforcement. Yes, the kit is there, and it might be possible, but it isn't done.

    Hmmm... Should probably check that "Post Anonymously" box.

  2. Re:ground effects lighting by GuldKalle · · Score: 4, Informative

    I assume you want to block the ANPR.

    Drivers can only fill their cars with fuel once the camera has captured and logged the vehicle's number plate.

    --
    What?
  3. Re:Gee, why not just send the police then by jo_ham · · Score: 4, Informative

    There already is a black market for gasoline and diesel. You can buy it tax-free from all sorts of places if you know where to look, and it's a huge, huge source of revenue loss for the government because fuel is so expensive here (you yanks whine and moan about $4 per gallon, I would be ecstatic for prices that absurdly cheap). The most common offenders are cab drivers running their cars on red diesel bought from black market fuel stations. (red diesel is so called because it is for farm and construction vehicle use and not for use on the road and thus sold tax free. It is dyed red to make it easily identifiable.)

    And yes, we do have seat belt laws, and baby/car seat laws.

  4. Re:gas can by egamma · · Score: 4, Informative

    The UK is an island to the rest of the world, how are you getting your foreign car there? you know they drive on the opposite side as most of the rest of the world too right?

    I have seen Hawaii license plates in Texas. How do you think those cars got here? Freight ships carry more than just toys and bananas. Also, you are forgetting about the Chunnel

  5. Re:ground effects lighting by Richard_at_work · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sorry, no, its required to be unobscured to all reading methods - many people have tried what you are suggesting already and ended up with fines or imprisonment, it's not a new thing at all as people have been suggesting such things to avoid speed cameras for decades in the UK.

    I saw this story posted a few hours ago with no comments and wondered how long it would take for someone to try and make the distinction between human readable and readable - again, sorry but no such distinction exists in UK law.