Polish people and their cars, question pls

[Bluecray]

I have Polish people living two doors away from me, I'm sure they've been there more than a year.

Their car is still Polish registered does that mean they can blast past speed cameras without being caught????

Or any other traffic offences??

How does the law stand on this, anyone know?

[mickvp]

you can only use a car/bike on foreign plates for a period of upto 6 months in a 12 month period. if they are living here permanently, the car should be registered in the uk with uk tax paid on it

some info on it here:

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/temporary-imports

I had bother with this before when a polish driver who moved here crashed into me, but all their docs/reg no/tax/insurance was still polish!

[Torque]

I am also Polish driver with Polish reg car, but I plan to sell my car before I reach 6 months.

@mickvp What you mean by saying Polish tax?
We and possibly most countries do not pay additional road tax. Government says that road tax is inside of fuel price.

[mickvp]

Oh right. Never knew they didn't pay RFL in Poland. Just assumed that you did

[rustyrider]

No, most of Europe has their road tax included in the price of fuel, so the more you use the roads the more you pay.  So why is it that fuel in all the other EU countries is the same price or cheaper than ours which doesn't have the road tax element added?

The 6 months in any 12 apply if someone has moved here permanently but if they are working here on a fixed term contract, or are a student doing a fixed term course, and have a date in the future when they will return, it doesn't.  But yes, it does mean they can ignore speed cameras and parking tickets, just the same as we can if we go abroad.

There were plans a couple of years ago to link all the EU vehicle databases so if you got flashed by a camera in one country they could still trace you back to your home address and demand money.  Unfortunately, it seems that the UK data protection laws don't allow DVLA to swap data with their counterparts in other countries......

[robby boy]

One of my "British" customers got done for having metal pressed plates (made to look kind of foreign) on his Focus, he thought the cops would not stop him if the car looked like it wasn't registered in this country.
 

[His Dudeness]

twitching curtain brigade out in force

[pilgo]

twitching curtain brigade out in force

you wont think that when you get knocked off yer bike by someone from the e.u and it turns out they aint insured/legaly on the road and you lose thousands of £ 

[midden]

I am also Polish driver with Polish reg car, but I plan to sell my car before I reach 6 months.

@mickvp What you mean by saying Polish tax?
We and possibly most countries do not pay additional road tax. Government says that road tax is inside of fuel price.

Exactly they sell it on, more likely just keep swapping to dodge the laws. Although I imagine selling the vehicle in this country cancels the requirement to change the plates and tax it. But hey the law is probably scared to do anything about it

[stevierst]

Yep, I can tell you from experience, traffic offences committed by foreign drivers in foreign vehicles is an absolute nightmare!
It would take a very dedicated and knowledgeable cop/insurance co. to bring them to 'justice'. Most of them will tend to leave the UK sharpish if they cause serious collisions, or the cars tend to vanish into thin air!:-\

[VNA - BMW Wank]

you wont think that when you get knocked off yer bike by someone from the e.u and it turns out they aint insured/legaly on the road and you lose thousands of £ 

So all vehicles with UK plates are driven by sober licensed drivers, with proper insurance and road tax who will stop and hold their hands up if they knock you off your bike.  Umm, just maybe not- eh?

[midden]

you wont think that when you get knocked off yer bike by someone from the e.u and it turns out they aint insured/legaly on the road and you lose thousands of £ 

So all vehicles with UK plates are driven by sober licensed drivers, with proper insurance and road tax who will stop and hold their hands up if they knock you off your bike.  Umm, just maybe not- eh?

Nope. There is however better chance of catching that bastard driving the UK registered vehichle, after all he/she is unlikely to have another country to run to

[midden]

Personally I think law should be charged to make any vehicle entering the country pay  our road tax and claim it back if leaving before the 6months and if vehicle comes back with in the year pay without refund.  Also they should register address in UK

[midden]

Infact they should have to pay for time here no refund. Doubt we get discount on fuel when driving on the continent in ratio to what is added for road tax 

[DILLIGAFF]

and why are all Polish drivers named Prawo Jazdy?????????


Many years ago, way back in the 80s, I imported a Golf GTi from Germany on foreign plates.


I remember being parked in Staines high street (wiv me massiv.) and watching a traffic warden eyeing me up from the other side of the road.


We had a bit of a staring stand off and he crossed over and very menacingly got out his little book and looked at me as if to say "go on, off you go"


I watched him bemused as he went through the booking procedure until he looked at the number plates.................DOH


He slunk off, all dejected at missing his quota.

[Torque]

and why are all Polish drivers named Prawo Jazdy?????????

That's not true. Prawo jazdy literally means driving license.

Exactly they sell it on, more likely just keep swapping to dodge the laws. Although I imagine selling the vehicle in this country cancels the requirement to change the plates and tax it. But hey the law is probably scared to do anything about it

I don't think so. If yes it would mean that I can sell it to my girlfriend and she would be able to sell it back to me after 6 months or something like that. It still obeying law even if it works. Of course I am against it.

Bear in mind that you need to have valid Polish MOT each year also you need to change your registry document (something like V5) within one month and I am pretty sure that you can't do it by mail (like DVLA works). That does not make things impossible, but at least harder.

BTW. I am not going to sell my car. I drive back to Poland on Christmas and going to leave my car there. If it changes anything for you...

Infact they should have to pay for time here no refund. Doubt we get discount on fuel when driving on the continent in ratio to what is added for road tax 

Yes mate, but when your car visit Poland we will tax your untaxed fuel that you bring to
Some one invented a law that there is 6 month limit and that's how it works. If someone exceed that, he is doing that at own risk. Same like British driver could drive without valid MOT.

Not everyone is here to work&live. Some of us are seasonal workers, some of us are just tourist. Should all of them pay the road tax?
BTW. I would be happy to pay the road tax for my PL reg car and drive legally all the time. But it's not possible.
Not every Pole decided that wants stay here for longer...then buy a car, tax it, insure (for 1 year) and pay cancellation fees if declined.

[cable tie]

If they come visiting ie on holiday than fine, but if they come to the UK to earn money or to jump on the benefit system and regardless if its a seasonal job than they should be made to pay exactly what everyone else does ie have UK tax insurance and registration and not drive around for 6 months foc, and taking the pi55 ignoring speeding and parking fines.

I don't blame these people i blame the nob ends in parliament for letting all this happen.

We're a fooking soft touch, some area's of my home town have a high population of Eastern Europeans that sign on, so they claim they live here, but they drive cars that are still registered in there own country WTF is going on.

We're fooked.

[taylor]

ALL DOOMED

[pitternator]

Cable ties point is very valid, because our government is so weak,this growing problem  is creating  vast dissent against foreign workers. Hatred even. Its quite frightening , and not at all what the EU policy is about. Clearly in a country like ours it just doesnt work to have free and open borders/ labour markets.We are at over saturation point with foreign workers/ benefit claimants. Meanwhile, UKip is picking up very easy support simply because they say they will do something.
The issue is simply the quantity of immigrants , and the almost ghetto like development of immigrant only areas. You do have your head in the sand if you cant see this.Cameroon and his toff squad probably never even drive through our towns to witness this happening. Thers parts of brum which are becoming a third world shopping street for instance...how can this be beneficial to britain ? Theres little integration.
Reading this thread where police do nothing for foreigners breaking our laws and causing havoc on the roads, just makes it even worse. You wont get away with it abroad- you are marched at gunpoint to a cash machine !! Maybe we should have some sort of bail bond scheme for foreign cars like spain had..? I dunno, but this sort of daft situation just cant go on.
 
Probably action will be taken when its too late,as usual in our country.

[lew600fazer]

Never been marched at gun point to cash machine here in Spain, trust me I know 550 fecking €€€€€ since March this year, oh if you pay within 21 days you get 50% so  they are only into me for € 225.
Concerning foreign plates on cars bikes etc! you can keep either in Spain on British plates for as long as you like. You have to get it back to Britain get it MOT'd and ensure it is taxed every year. The DVLA and the Spanish authorities have a reciprocal agreement so they will find you. Having said that unless you have been a complete knob more often than not the Guardia  Civil will give you a bollocking, if on foreign plates, but if they know you have an address in Spain you will get done, speaking from experience.
Lew

[caretaker]

i'm saying nuffink. my grandad was polish, my gran romanian and my mum was born in germany. and my dad was welsh.

[Pat]

and why are all Polish drivers named Prawo Jazdy?????????

That's not true. Prawo jazdy literally means driving license.

Exactly they sell it on, more likely just keep swapping to dodge the laws. Although I imagine selling the vehicle in this country cancels the requirement to change the plates and tax it. But hey the law is probably scared to do anything about it

I don't think so. If yes it would mean that I can sell it to my girlfriend and she would be able to sell it back to me after 6 months or something like that. It still obeying law even if it works. Of course I am against it.

Bear in mind that you need to have valid Polish MOT each year also you need to change your registry document (something like V5) within one month and I am pretty sure that you can't do it by mail (like DVLA works). That does not make things impossible, but at least harder.

BTW. I am not going to sell my car. I drive back to Poland on Christmas and going to leave my car there. If it changes anything for you...

Infact they should have to pay for time here no refund. Doubt we get discount on fuel when driving on the continent in ratio to what is added for road tax 

Yes mate, but when your car visit Poland we will tax your untaxed fuel that you bring to
Some one invented a law that there is 6 month limit and that's how it works. If someone exceed that, he is doing that at own risk. Same like British driver could drive without valid MOT.

Not everyone is here to work&live. Some of us are seasonal workers, some of us are just tourist. Should all of them pay the road tax?
BTW. I would be happy to pay the road tax for my PL reg car and drive legally all the time. But it's not possible.
Not every Pole decided that wants stay here for longer...then buy a car, tax it, insure (for 1 year) and pay cancellation fees if declined.

The 6 month limit is for tourists/visitors only, if you're living and working in the UK then legally you are classed as a UK resident and it is illegal for any UK resident to drive a non-UK registered vehicle within the UK.

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk

Driving with a foreign registration numberUK residents aren’t allowed to use non-UK registered vehicles on UK roads. The only exceptions are if you:

• work in another European Union (EU) member state and use an EU-registered company car temporarily in the UK
• lease an EU-registered car and use this temporarily in the UK

I do know of people in London that have had their bikes impounded for ignoring this law.

[darrsi]

i'm saying nuffink. my grandad was polish, my gran romanian and my mum was born in germany. and my dad was welsh.

Blimey........YOU are the EU. 

[rayburn600]

i'm saying nuffink. my grandad was polish, my gran romanian and my mum was born in germany. and my dad was welsh.

I fort you said " i'm saying nuffink.. That is an arwful lot of familee history there.....LOL

[andybesy]

So on a related note, this morning I was watching a vid about a dude who's spending 5 years on the road, touring about the place on his bike.

How would that work within the EU? Would you have to head home for an MOT/Tax/Insurance once a year?

Or would you be able to get it done in whatever country you happen to be in when it becomes due, even though your bike isn't registered there?

Andy