Speed cameras should also check insurance, tax & MOT say 89% of drivers
March 03, 2022 by carwow staff
Car changing is a big deal
Research from UK road-safety charity IAM RoadSmart suggests drivers want existing speed cameras to check motorists’ insurance, road tax and MOT status – automatically fining those who flout the rules.
Currently, speed cameras are used to help police prosecute drivers who exceed the legal speed limit. This latest research suggests the majority of drivers would like to see the cameras used to catch people driving without valid insurance, road tax, or an up-to-date MOT.
The IAM RoadSmart charity surveyed 2,000 drivers – a whopping 89% of those asked said they’d support using speed cameras for these new law-enforcement duties.
Currently, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras are used to check vehicle registrations against national police and DVLA databases to check whether cars are being driven with all the necessary legal paperwork.
Although not currently used in this way, average speed cameras (such as those used to catch drivers speeding through motorway roadworks) could possibly be used to catch drivers who don’t have the correct insurance, road tax and MOT certificates for their cars in the future.
What is the fine for driving without insurance?
If you’re caught driving without valid insurance, you can be fined £300 and given six penalty points on your driver’s licence. If your case goes to court, you can be given an unlimited fine and you may be disqualified from driving.
The police may also seize and destroy your vehicle if you’re caught driving without valid insurance.
What is the fine for driving without road tax?
If you’re caught driving an untaxed car on the road, you could be fined £30 plus one-and-a-half times the total annual road tax amount due for that specific car.
If you refuse to pay this fine, the case may be taken to court. You could then be forced to pay an extra penalty of five times the outstanding tax for your car, or £1,000 (whichever is greater).
What is the fine for driving without an MOT?
You can be fined £1,000 if you continue to drive a car after its MOT certificate expires. This fine also applies if you drive your car after it fails an MOT test.
In this instance, you could be fined £2,500 if you drive your car after it received a ‘dangerous’ fault during its most recent MOT test. You may also be given three points on your driving licence if you are caught driving a car with a ‘dangerous’ fault.
New cars don’t require an MOT test until they’re three years old.
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