STOPPED BY POLICE. Slight wheel protrusion from wheel arch - What's the law?

[tentonhammer 10]

I got stopped by the Police whilst stuck in traffic this morning so they could perform a vehicle check that lasted over half an hour! They gave it the whole good cop bad cop boll*cks as usual and admitted there was nothing wrong with my driving and that it wasn't a drugs stop, just routine yadda yadda

 

They measured the size of my number plate and size of number plate lettering etc front and rear - All legal. Slight issue with the front plate as it is located just under the bumper (front bumper smoothed off), it's clearly visible and is within the letters of the law, it just wasn't for the copper when he was standing 2 feet in front of the car, idiot. Measured ride height - Legal. Measured tyre wall height width and tread depth - legal, although I have a slow puncture on one front tyre which may be causing uneven tread wear. It seems to rub for some reason as well when turned fully outwards which I believe to be adding to the problem. The other side is fine though which is abit strange. They checked my exhaust which I believe to be a stainless steel direct replacement of the original I think (installed by previous owner) - Legal. Although they said they will be informing my insurance company of the modification which will push my insurance premium up. How the blo*dy hell is anybody meant to know what's stock and what isn't if it looks IDENTICAL? I don't think you can even buy the original exhausts anymore? They then went on to say that they were going to charge me with driving without valid insurance as a result ptentially adding 3 points onto my license... Luckily they came to their senses.

 

Then, they wanted to do me for my rear wheels. Apparently my alloys were protruding out of the rear wheel arches by 6mm on each side. Yes you heard me - 6 f*cking mm!??! Said that they could do me for driving a dangerous and unsafe vehicle (endorsable) and that my rear alloys could take sombody’s shins off. I thought this a tad excessive eh... Funny really because bad cop stood with his shins up against the rear wheels trying to show me how potentially dangerous it is - I pointed out that his shins would be the last of his worries as I pointed at his feet under the damn car! I calmly asked them what the law was about wheels and wheel arch protrusion only for them to say if the wheels protrude from the wheel arches in any way it is illegal - Full stop. Really? While I agree that most cars these days have wheels within the wheel arch (with no wheel protrusion etc) what about older muscle cars, pickups, 4x4's, tractors, quad bikes etc? They too, not all, use the roads and have wheels that protrude away and out of the main body of the vehicle. Are you telling me the police are going to pull these vehicles over too and charge them with driving a dangerous and unsafe vehicle??? F*ck off no way. I asked the old bill and they couldn't give me an answer, only to repeat what they had originally said. I don’t buy it.

 

Is there a law that states wheels should not protrude from a wheel arch in ANY way or if so what is required by law etc? Definately a first for me...

 

… 6mm for Christ's sake!

 

Ten Ton

Edited April 20, 2012 by tentonhammer

[emu 0]

What a nightmare :(

[Portent 0]

Terrible experience. I do recall there being something about them not protruding arches though.

 

So did they just give you a verbal rant or are they charging you with anything?

[dragon green 5]

All parts of the TREAD must be covered,

Sounds like they were bored to me,

What colour is your car ?

They were probally playing car snooker !

[Supercharged 2]

I'm fairly sure that's an MOT failure too, hence people go for flared arches.

[robo22sri 10]

You are allowed 30mm (or something like that) of wheel sticking out but no tyre!

 

But they are changing the amount sticking out under new MOT regs

[coullstar 0]

I think its a grey area, hence why people fitted stretch tyres for get the tread within the arch. Get wheels that fit properly and they wont have a reason to pull you over and potentially do you for other things.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah as Dragon Green said, sounds like they just didn't like the look of you and / or the car and pulled you.

[Critical_Mass 10]

i also thought it was 30mm you were allowed and aslong as the tread was under the arch - hence people run stretched tyres. Sounds like a nightmare mate.

[tentonhammer 10]

Terrible experience. I do recall there being something about them not protruding arches though.

 

So did they just give you a verbal rant or are they charging you with anything?

 

They wanted to charge me for 2 offenses equaling in 6 points on my license and a fine... Thank god they didn't. Got a verbal in the end.

 

For 6mm of wheel protrusion (alloy not tyre as these have been mildly stretched on by the looks of it by previous owner) deeming the car to be "dangerous and unsafe" and a direct replacement stainless steel exhaust that wasn't declared as a modification on my insurance - The whole thing was ridiculous, I knew it and they knew it.

 

Could literally see my license being torn up in my head though, what a horrible feeling

 

---------- Post added at 3:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 3:34 PM ----------

 

I'm fairly sure that's an MOT failure too, hence people go for flared arches.

 

Passed it's MOT no problem. The car's in bloody good nick, even the garage said so!

 

---------- Post added at 3:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 3:36 PM ----------

 

I think its a grey area, hence why people fitted stretch tyres for get the tread within the arch. Get wheels that fit properly and they wont have a reason to pull you over and potentially do you for other things.

 

Agreed. Never thought it would be an issue before seeing as it sailed through it's MOT(s)

[Portent 0]

How do they know what's been declared to your insurance company? Surely it just shows whether you're insured or not?

[dragon green 5]

It never used to be an MOT requirement to cover the tread !

It's a legal requirement !

It's only been the last few years that you had to even start the engine up !

MOT testing doesn't cover all legal requirements

[job705 10]

Thay got nothing better to do then hassle driver why not do a days work and catch the twat who have no got a licence or tax or mot or the drug pushing mugging twat around,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, sorry guy i hate this i am 55 and have this nearly every month , likeyou drive quiet but get hassle

[craigowl 0]

I can't help laughing, tentonhammer, thinking about you with steam coming out of your ears while these two orifices of the law sniff around your car looking for stuff to find fault with.

Glad I'm an old git and that you got off free! lol!

[captainredeye 0]

It's the luck of the draw with the plod some are out to interrogate and catch you out others have a more human touch and want to help and point you in the right direction.

As a policeman mate says traffic cops are vermin and sadly its true a higher proportion of them are dicks.

[Craig 0]

As said it sounds like they must have been having a bad day and just wanted to make themselves feel important and took it out on you. Honestly you pay your tax, mot etc and the cars in a good condition but they still find fault.

 

I bet the scum that never have tax or insurance get taken to the station, then because they don't have a license they just go back out and reoffend. why don't then concentrate more of these idiots and realise you love your car and are taking care of it.

 

Also I work in insurance and they have no right to tell you you're not covered! Its not their decision to make whether you would be covered or not, their opinion means F.A! I hate it when customers phone me at work, albeit in household claims to say "oh the police said I could claim for this etc" the police know nothing about insurance.

 

Glad they finally came to their senses. They've probably been getting stick off the mrs at home and felt they needed to recoup their manhood ;)

[KIPVW 0]

Cant beat standard none stretched non lowered police friendly Corrado's :)

 

Think you were lucky with this one though!

 

And if they find anything not legal IE strectch tyres or sticking out wheels they do have a right to tell you you are not covered. coz bet your bottom dollar if you were in an accident and your asscessor thought there were problems with your mod's your insurance would be void making you a whole lot more of ****e to deal with.

[Southie 10]

Hate it when the police act like this... if they genuinely thought your 6mm poke to be "dangerous and unsafe" then they wouldn't have allowed you to drive the car, if they genuinely believed you didn't have valid insurance they would have seised the car there and then...

 

Just bad luck... :(

[subcool 0]

when i was a little boy i wanted to be a police man then my parents got married!!!

[tentonhammer 10]

Cant beat standard none stretched non lowered police friendly Corrado's

 

Think I'm starting to agree with you! Although, I have to be honest - I'm not a fan of the stock height on Corrado's at all. Mines on coilovers an inch or two lower than stock (car isn't slammed in any way) and man the improvement you get on cornering is amazing.

 

Can handle non-stretched tyres, my stretches were on the car when I bought her

 

---------- Post added at 9:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:03 AM ----------

 

Hate it when the police act like this... if they genuinely thought your 6mm poke to be "dangerous and unsafe" then they wouldn't have allowed you to drive the car, if they genuinely believed you didn't have valid insurance they would have seised the car there and then...

 

Totally agree. Glad they didn't tho eh. Clearly their allegations were not deemed serious enough to warrant any follow through

 

---------- Post added at 9:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:08 AM ----------

 

I bet the scum that never have tax or insurance get taken to the station, then because they don't have a license they just go back out and reoffend. why don't then concentrate more of these idiots and realise you love your car and are taking care of it.

 

Craig - Funny actually because I said this. Even the old bill admitted my car was in great shape and that I clearly looked after it! Think it helps to know a thing or two about cars too, I knew more than they did anyway which put me in a very strong position.

 

---------- Post added at 9:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:17 AM ----------

 

How do they know what's been declared to your insurance company? Surely it just shows whether you're insured or not?

 

Portent - Exactly. They could only check if I was insured so when they discovered I actually was - They tried to find as many mods as they could (which is hardly any) and then threatened to call my insurer to make sure I had declared them all. If they discovered I had not declared all mods on the car they wanted to do me then and there for driving with "invalid" insurance. Since when do the Police work for insurance companies?

Edited April 24, 2012 by tentonhammer

[dingo 0]

well done on staying calm - i'd like to think i'd do the same, but it's just not true.. RRRRAAAGE :@

[Christopher Burn 10]

what a tw@,coppers eh!nowt better to do !!

[dr_mat 0]

Have seen some docs that point to this 30mm number, but it's an obscure one, most people probably wouldn't know it.

[VW_OwneR_85 2]

my rears stick out by an inch 1/2, all my treads is within the arch, havnt been stopped yet but i think given the oppurtunity it will happen, so i'll make my deffence now lol

[TanVr6 0]

Police ain't got nothing else better to do than to terrorise enthusiasts!

Pull innocent drivers!

Why don't they get the crap off the road? Because that would involve real police work!

I Hate The Police!!!