Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Wed 7 Jul 2010 18:11
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Honestjohn

You've all heard of Nick Clegg's initiative tro dump bad laws, rules and regulations.

We've decided to pick between 6 and 10 bad motoring laws, rules and regulations and actively campaign for them to be abolished, so any requests to Mr Clegg cannot simply be brushed under the carpet.

So what should those bad laws, rules and regulations be?

I can suggest the 'rule' made up by the DVLA that allows it to prosecute former keepers for 'non notification' of a change of keepership when the keeper did, in fact, post the V5C but the DVLA lost it. (Sensible JPs throw out these DVLA cases anyway.)

Number 2 on my list would be London Congestion Tax fines. Tfl make it hard to pay your congestion charge when the deduction could simply be made from a card account whenever you enter the zone. Tfl does this because it gets more income from the fines for non payment. Not so much bad law as law gone beserk. And Boris hasn't stopped it.

Number 3 would be speed humps and speed cushions, which are governed by their own separate sets of rules and regulations: The Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1999, and Speed Cushions, of which you can find the severely flawed trial results here: www.dft.gov.uk/print/pgr/roads/tpm/tal/trafficmana...s

What else?

Obviously not ideas like 'abolish all speed limits' because that's never going to happen. But there must be many laws, rules and regulations applied over the past 13 years that really get your goat.

So please discuss them here, and later we will decide which to make our campaign issues.

HJ

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Wed 7 Jul 2010 18:13
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Honestjohn

(Please note, if you compose on line and it takes a while, you need to copy your post before posting just in case you run out of time. If you've copied it you won't lose it.)

HJ

Edited by Honestjohn on 07/07/2010 at 18:13

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Thu 8 Jul 2010 09:38
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - dieseldogg

I may need to copy then as I find it difficult to type while driving without spilling my pint in the process.

Hic

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Thu 8 Jul 2010 15:22
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Mick Snutz

Introduce a 'passing on the left' rule for motorway driving.

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Thu 8 Jul 2010 17:23
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Dutchie

Take the speed limiter of lorries.

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Thu 8 Jul 2010 20:57
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - daveyjp

Make clamping illegal.

PPC parking invoices should result in criminal charges against Directors for fraud/obtaining money by deception/obtaining money by menaces with threats of court appearances, CCJs and Bailiffs etc

Abolish the BPA who are a legitimate front to PPCs invoicing motorists, but in the House of Commons have admitted PPCs have no legal right to the money they ask for.

Only public authorities can have access to DVLA data.

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Fri 9 Jul 2010 14:46
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Glenn 42

Make clamping illegal.

PPC parking invoices should result in criminal charges against Directors for fraud/obtaining money by deception/obtaining money by menaces with threats of court appearances, CCJs and Bailiffs etc

Abolish the BPA who are a legitimate front to PPCs invoicing motorists, but in the House of Commons have admitted PPCs have no legal right to the money they ask for.

Only public authorities can have access to DVLA data.

Hear, hear, I did hear of a disgraceful case where a woman U turned into a car park, was blocked in by the clampers who would not let her drive out, forcibly wheel clamped her car and then demanded £ 180 to have the clamp removed. It is time this was banned.

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Thu 8 Jul 2010 23:31
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Westpig

Take the speed limiter off lorries.

I'll second that. If not got rid of completely, increase it to 65mph.

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Thu 8 Jul 2010 22:23
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - yeoman

Let's get this ridiculous move to compulsory DRL's overturned, and while we're about it why not ban the blinding Zenons too.....

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Fri 9 Jul 2010 02:35
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - rtj70

Removed original comment.... sorry.

Edited by rtj70 on 09/07/2010 at 02:36

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Sat 10 Jul 2010 00:24
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Berisford

Yes, at least stop aftermarket fitment of the ultra bright Xenon lights.

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Fri 9 Jul 2010 09:42
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - nick62
.............................. But there must be many laws, rules and regulations applied over the past 13 years that really get your goat.

....................

So it can only include laws passed during the time of the last Labour government? I presume our Conservative leaders of the past have never been guilty of such "crimes" then?

Edited by nick62 on 09/07/2010 at 09:44

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Fri 9 Jul 2010 11:20
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Ben 10

Confine all lorries above 7 ton to lane one of the motorway. Their hogging of lane two ( appearing to be overtaking) creates much of the congestion on our motorways.

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Fri 9 Jul 2010 14:12
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Rats

Confine all lorries above 7 ton to lane one of the motorway. Their hogging of lane two ( appearing to be overtaking) creates much of the congestion on our motorways.

That would be great, then all the poor truckers who are delivering 90%+ of what we consume will be stuck behind all the cars and cars + caravans doing less than 56MPH, what a nightmare that would be.

I am a car driver, but have driven a 7.5 tonner once and was constantly stuck behind cars & caravans going far too slowly, I would personally introduce a minimum speed limit of 55 MPH for solo cars with a hefty fine and points for non-compliance.

I also tow a horse box on occasions and again have been stuck behind cars & caravans going far too slowly, I'd much rather be on the road with truckers who are in the main professional and courteous.......

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Mon 12 Jul 2010 00:29
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Ben 10

"That would be great, then all the poor truckers who are delivering 90%+ of what we consume will be stuck behind all the cars and cars + caravans doing less than 56MPH, what a nightmare that would be."

Well what about everyone else stuck behind the NON overtaking lorries in lane 2 that CAN go above 56. I still say get them over.They are a pain. Be honest, how many vehicles, including caravans do you see doing under 56. Very few. More than enough stuck behind the lorry in lane 2 that can go faster than 56. It would make the motorways flow freely.

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Fri 9 Jul 2010 23:29
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - slowdown avenue

get rid of no cycling signs.

allow cyclists to ride on pavements , slowly.

dont allow private car parks to lock their gates at night time. make them share with the public when not in use.

allow pavement parking

allow red light jumping when blue lights and sirens are heard behind

stop wheel clamping

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Sat 10 Jul 2010 00:07
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - OG

get rid of no cycling signs.

allow cyclists to ride on pavements , slowly.

allow pavement parking

I take it you have some sort of grudge against pedestrians?

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Sat 10 Jul 2010 00:21
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Berisford

Lift the speed limit for lorries on 'A' roads to something more reasonable than 40mph!

........and make sure ASDA drivers are made aware.

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Tue 13 Jul 2010 21:14
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - chorleyjeff
"allow cyclists to ride on pavements , slowly."

They already do. And fast as well.


"allow pavement parking" The police take no action about this around here even when a car blocks the whole pavement and people with children have to walk in the busy road. Heaven knows what happens to wheelchair users. The people who pavement park outside my house must damage their tyres/suspensions by bumping up the kerb on full lock - but that's another story.

I would suggest a law wherby those motorists who hammer past the nearby primary school at way way more than the 30mph limit are suspended from the school railings by their testicles foe 24 hours.
And another. Ban all children from riding in cars within a mile radius of the school they attend to stop streets getting cloggged with their mums' cars and give the hoorors a bit of exercise.
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Sat 10 Jul 2010 00:49
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Avant

"Introduce a 'passing on the left' rule for motorway driving."

Seconded, although it should perhaps be limited to situations where the driver 'undertakiing' doesn't change lanes in order to do it.

Also raise the speed limit for cars to 80 mph and for lorries to, say, 65 mph.

And I agree wholeheartedly with HJ about speed humps.

I think we should also campaign against cutting the alcohol threshold for drink-driving: this is attacking completely the wrong targets.

Against the grain for a moment - one law I'd like to see added is that it should be compulsory to fit UK cars with a spare wheel.

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Sat 10 Jul 2010 13:44
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - carr

Abolish the annual palaver of buying road tax, sack the DVLA staff and reclaim any loss in fuel duty. Make it compulsory to display stickers for MOT and insurance in the windscreen.

If you want to further punish polluters make the buyer pay a transfer of ownership premium whenever a gas guzzler changes hands.

Works in France

Edited by carr on 10/07/2010 at 13:45

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Sun 11 Jul 2010 14:32
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - slowdown avenue

repel. you must go round a mini rounabout

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Mon 12 Jul 2010 00:27
Bad Law, Bad Rules, Bad Regs - Sofa Spud

I would raise some speed limits:

LGVs on single-carriageways to 50 mph - which they all do anyway - but enforce that limit more strictly.

Light vans up to 3.5 tonnes raised to be the same as for passenger cars - which they all do anyway.

Cars or vans towing light unbraked trailers under 750 kg raised to the same as solo cars.

I would also ban wheel clamping. If a car is causing an obstruction or taking up a parking space, clamping it is only going to make that situation worse.

I would lower the drink / drive threshold to 40mg, but with 6 penalty points for a first offence. I'd keep the 80mg threshold for a compulsory 1 year ban.

Edited by Sofa Spud on 12/07/2010 at 00:32

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