Safe Speed Forums

Driver fined for leaving engine running.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/a ... ge_id=1770

_________________
Anyone who tells you that nothing is impossible has never bathed in a saucer of water.

239
Use off-street parking areas, or bays marked out with white lines on the road as parking places, wherever possible. If you have to stop on the roadside

do not park facing against the traffic flow
stop as close as you can to the side

do not stop too close to a vehicle displaying a Blue Badge: remember, the occupant may need more room to get in or out
you MUST switch off the engine, headlights and fog lights

The Road Vehicles (Constriction and Use) Regulation 1986 (SI 1986/1078 )

Regulation 107(2)(a). This states that no person shall cause or permit to be on any road any motor vehicle which is not attended by a person duly licensed to drive it unless the engine is stopped and the parking brake is effectively set. Exemptions to the requirements of this Regulation as to the stopping of the engine include a fire brigade vehicle, the engine of which is being used for any fire brigade purpose.

If he wants to be able to warm his car up legally he needs to get the law changed, don't know why he just didn't sit in it though, it can't be that bad.

To be fair, the bloke was warned before the fine was issued. Also, a running car without occupant invites a brick through the window, especially as the alarm and immobiliser will be deactivated.

However, his insurance won’t cover his loss (so it won’t impose upon the rest of us), so it could argued that it should be his choice.

First thing that came to mind was "diesel or petrol" --being a Merc--if former - he might as well get screen clear and drive - with a few coats on - they might sip fuel ( unless its a Ford 2.4 duratorq) but they won't get warm sitting idling.

_________________
lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Until somebody does get in and have a joy ride in it down the wrong way of a motorway...


How much does the average police chase and follow up prosecution cost? hundreds of thousands I bet.

Of course it will [pay out].
The driver will just report it as a "mugging for the keys" and get paid. The insurance industry reckons that over 30% of claims are fraudulent, one more won't matter.

Got to say, the guy is pathetic "it isn't possible to sit in the car while it warms up, it's too cold" - my goodness man, get some balls and don't be such a wuss.

Firstly on this one the BiB was right because the eng. was running (although the car was locked) in an unattended vehicle on the public highway which is illegal.

Was it not possible to sit in the car for 5 or 10 minutes to de-ice the windows as (the majority) of modern cars now warm up very quickly?

I would have taken the officers advice on this and not tried to defend my corner as he was obviously in a no win position.

Secondly if the car was stolen he would then expect the police to do their best to recover said car and no doubt if they didn,t, then they would be blamed for not doing their job correctly.

_________________
"There But For The Grace of God Go I"

"He Who Ain,t Made Mistakes Ain,t Made Anything"

Spannernut

Same story appeared in the Express.

By the sound of it this is another one of those occaisions in which a simple 'OK officer, I take your point and thanks for bringing it to my attention' would have saved the guy a fine. But no, he just has to show the cop who'se boss and no doubt gave him a load of attitude.

That's a bit extreme; besides a fair few legal drivers have done just that anyway. I do see your overall point.


Or more likely: how much does it cost to give a crime number and flag the VRM on the database?


That's a good point, I didn't think of that. Now I'm in agreement.




I know German people who usually put electric heaters into their cars, the power to the heater timed to come on 30 mins before the driver wants to use the car. That'll never happen over here because they'll be too many people tripping over the power cords

What if you can only park on one side of road? Some have alternate days to park up too. So inevitably on those occasions - you would be facing the traffic flow

It being prissy Swissy

_________________
Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
Smiley guy seen when you read
Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

But he was still silly. Car warm up fairly quickly these days. I put on fleecy gloves .. with matching hat und scarf.. und I wear right sassy pair of woolly tights with fur lined boots (Am Puss in Boots ) He should buy a pair of Long Johns - thermal ones from Damart.. (they also come in suitably wussy colours ) I also fill up hot water bottle (in fleecey cover) to hold whilst I sit in car whilst it warm up for me too if car left out und not put in garage as sometimes in this family - grrrrrrrrrr! - my car should be called "Joseph" as in "no room at the inn!".

If he lippy to officer - he should have just apologised.. said he did not realise as his bits und bobs were frozen solid anyway. .

_________________
Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
Smiley guy seen when you read
Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

Well, not all cars are created equally - as you suggested with your statement "the majority". There's quite a difference in fact.

I was watching Top Gear the other day and they talked about a Fiat 500, I think it was, and JC said that it starts to pump out warm air in just 18 seconds! That, he continued to say, was quicker than the time it takes it to get to 60 mph

However, my works Octavia deisel doesn't pump out anything remotely warm until I've done a good few miles ~15 minutes!


PS. Jeremy Clarkson BTW, before anyone asks what Jesus Christ was doing in a car

_________________
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

So lets get this right - if the car is on the public highway you can get a fine? But if its on a drive it's just as available to be nicked (the whole point of the plod campaign) but the cops can only advise. That's just silly.

Having recently had to bite my lip having been threatened with a DWDCAA it really doesn't really pay to argue the toss with BiB unless you are sure of your ground. Though I can see, given he had locked the car, the cop could have left it there. That said the BiB working on this campaign had clearly been well briefed as too what to do in the case of none compliance - a law that they perhaps needed reminding off (they can't remember all the obscure ones). I don't know why that law was introduced but I can't imagine it was only to discourage theft - you don't legally have to lock your car after all - do you legally have to remove the keys? Whichever it really seems a little like misuse of the law.

Clearly in this case there wasn't a meeting of minds.

As an asides Kenlowe do a pre-heater. It has a heater/pump that fits into the cars cooling system that is mains powered. So the cars cooling system was up to operating temp before you started it. A good idea if you can park near a 240V supply - but quite expensive AIRC.

Barkstar

_________________
The difference between intelligence and stupidity is that intelligence has limits.

If it's what I'm thinking it probably is, a remote start alarm sys, they're illegal in this country anyway. Totally secure though, if an attempt is made to enter the car not via the fob the engine shuts off and immobilises & alarm goes off. Although, it won't stop the element from trying I guess...


My vans got a diesel boost heater incorperated into the heating system, it's fabulous.

_________________
Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

One of the few things I dislike about my wife's car (a diesel Zafira) is that it mists up inside at the drop of a hat and takes ages to demist. Is this a common problem with this vehicle, or is ours just a duff specimen?

_________________
Save a cow - eat a vegetarian

Well thank god for that - another maniac feels the full force of the law!!

What the Hell is happening to this country. Full of moronic idiots towing the party line saying speed kills. But try to get the police to attend a serious incident - not a hope in hell.

Does it have aircon? If so, wind the heat up and put the aircon on, even when it's cold. Aircon dehumidifies as well as cools.

Yes good answer, plus it gives the aircon a good workout and gets rid of any potential bugs inherent in the systems.