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."

Comments

ground effects lighting

[nten]

what are the laws in the UK on nearband IR ground effects lighting?

Re:ground effects lighting

[cayenne8]

disguising your number plate is an offence, and rightly so.

As long as it is human readable...what's the problem.

I'm wanting to experiment with putting a bunch of hi powered infrared LEDs all around my license plate, and see if that will blind out the stupid cameras...while leaving it nicely readable to the human eye.

Re:ground effects lighting

[Theophany]

I wouldn't bank on it :(

My premiums have actually been rising over the last 2 years despite having a totally clean license, never had an accident and never been convicted of a motoring offence. £800 went up to £850 the following year and that became £1,000 the year after when I moved house to an area with *lower* car crime rates.

The whole system is corrupt as can be. Insurance is mandatory (fair enough), but they charge so much that it is out of reach for people who genuinely *need* it, so they drive uninsured. Insurance companies then raise prices, blaming uninsured drivers, forcing yet more people who want to abide the law out of the market.

And what's even worse? People who would struggle with the exorbitant rates are shafted YET AGAIN because paying monthly is A LOT more expensive than paying annually.

And then what happens if you do have an accident? The insurance company goes out of its way to make sure it doesn't have to pay you a penny. The whole thing makes me feel physically and violently ill. (apologies for the rant!)

Re:ground effects lighting

[Anne Thwacks]

but it is very easy to correct genuine mistakes.

Have you tried? We bought a car which had been cloned - after the clone had crashed into school gates and the driver locked up. We spent more than 6 months dealing with police and local authorities damanding payment for things that happened to the other (clone) car, before we owned the original. The people running this system cold not run a bath, they are so incompetent.I am in favour of compulsory insurance, but only when the same degree of regulation applies to the insurance companies as applies to the insured. (I am also in favour of public lynchings for the people running some of the insurance companies at present).

As for the clown that said "if you can afford a car, you can afford to insure it" you do realise that you can by a perfectly usable three year old car for about £2,500, but the (3rd party) insurance for someone under 25 is likely over £5,000 in London.

Can someone at /. explain why my pounds have mysteriously become Australian or something?

Re:Riiiight

[GameboyRMH]

Makes you think, you could make good money as a fuel reseller with a pickup truck modified to act as a stealth fuel truck. Charge a delivery fee on top of the gas price (or get creative if you're an evil bastard...poor people are easy to screw for extra cash, ask telecoms) and you're set.

I'd say put a turtle top with blacked-out windows on the pickup, hiding a massive fuel tank (use a Serious Business pickup with plenty of hauling power like a Hilux or Dodge 3500). Set up en electric fuel pump that fills the carrying tank from the vehicle's stock tank, and a pump coming from the carrier tank to fill vehicles with. To take on massive amounts of fuel discreetly, transfer most fuel from stock tank to carrier tank, fill up, drive to next gas station and repeat. Maybe run the transfer pump for a set amount of time during fill-up to take an extra 10gal of gas or something, and say you "got the extended tank option" if anybody asks.

Flawed.

[CountBrass]

The flaws in your argument.

We have free health advice 'phone lines provided by our NHS and manned by qualified nurses.

Most people live in walking distance of their surgery. And pavements so, unlike many US cities, you can get there by walking.

We have free emergency ambulances, provided by the NHS.

We have people who drive people to where they want to go, we call them taxis.

We have bus services that will likely get you to a free clinic or an A&E if you don't think you should call an ambulance.

You really didn't think through your silly strawman at all did you?

Re:Riiiight

[stabiesoft]

Yes, not good to underestimate the unintended consequences. Here in TX, they boosted the penalty of drunk driving especially when hitting someone. Now, when people hit someone drunk, they run if the car is still mobile, and then quickly go to a bar. Why? Because the penalty for hit & run is so much less. By going to a bar, a blood alcohol test can't be used to determine if you were drunk when you hit them. So now you are just charged with the lessor offence of hit & run.

Wow

[CountBrass]

We do that already UK (and you can't a certificate of roadworthiness, MOT, without insurance).

Guess what that means...