police + insurance/modified cars

[Martin_172]

hi, do the police have the power to look up what mods are declaired on someones insurance, and if so what happens if they find out you have a mod that isnt declaired? does this apply to all mods, engine conversions?

basically trying to find out what would happen if you were pulled with an engine conversion that wasnt insured?

before anyone says it im not going to do it, just always wondered.

 

[Anonymous]

They cannot find out iirc

Its only if you have an accident and the insurance assessor realises you have a different engine

 

[makavelli]

a few of my mates have been pulled and the coppers have got their insurance details off them and checked their mods so i assume they have got the power to do it

 

[Racy Jace]

I think the most that would happen is a big fine and your insurance cancelled.

They could probaly do you for fraud. Your insurance would be invalidated too so its a big risk to take but I have heard of people doing it and never getting done.

To be honest though the Pigs wouldnt know what to look for and you could always say you put a cosmetic kit in the engine bay making it look like its got a twin turboed V6 where in fact its just a 1.2 16v.

 

[Gareth Rallye]

They cannot find out iirc

Its only if you have an accident and the insurance assessor realises you have a different engine

Ive been involved in police operation's where they have taken pictures of people's mod's and sent them direct to their insurance companies. Also all police control rooms have direct lines for most insurance companies so can contact them direct at the roadside to discuss your insurance policy, it's done quite alot in respect of names drivers on insurance policies.

So yes it can be done, however would it be done, would be very rare..police are police not mechanics so most dont have a clue regarding technical mods.

 

[makavelli]

its ok if you get pulled by a clueless copper but most round my area know their shizzle with motors and would know exactly what to look for

 

[Martin_172]

and what happens if your bonnet cable is disconnected/snapped?

 

[AlexS]

and what happens if your bonnet cable is disconnected/snapped?

You've thought this through I can tell
Get a V6 conversion and then tell them its a boot build

 

[Has]

Yes they can check.

Many many random police checks here in coventry.

Been stopped a few times, each time they come back to me with a print out of all my mods i have declared!

And a comparison picture of a standard Dynamique range.


After a few chats to them, he told me there new system allows straight checking on mods etc as there cracking down on it all.

A car that was also stopped, had his car inpounded until he sorted insurance.

 

[Martin_172]

fukin hell better phone norwich union lol

 

[CJ]

Car with undeclared mods = uninsured = illegal, so they will check if they think something's dodgy. Such as their t5's struggling to catch a clio 1.2 lol

 

[Dave]

Not to mention the other Vehicle Registration and Excise offences.

Bonnet cable snapped? Jack it up and look underneath.

I like giving the old insurance companies a bell and telling them that their customers have lined about there Peco Big Bore 4 and there 19" alloys on Fiestas.

 

[16v_jon]

this happened to me 2 weeks ago, pulled me gave him my ins cert with mods on it only all were not on the cert, everything is declared though. decent copper knew what he was looking for but they are clamping down on it. this coppers reason was an influx of modded cars being un road worthy due to mods not being fitted properly/poorly or the wrong stuff.

 

[Timmay]

hmm so would be beter if i declared my 182 anthracite wheels then!

 

[BrianR]

To be honest though the Pigs wouldnt know what to look for .

:lolup: WRONG. There are a very substantial number of Police traffic officers who are highly trained vehicle examiners. Trained way beyond the competence of an MOT tester, for example.

One of their prime functions is accident investigation and reconstruction, matters relating to construction and use regulations and detection of vehicle defects at the roadside.

They are regarded as expert witnesses by the Courts, and are rarely challenged. They are VERY knowledgeable on matters related to car modifications and undeclared changes to a vehicles insurance cover. All car manufacturers will disclose vehicle data to them on request.

You would be living in cloud cuckoo land if you believed that they were not able to check anything they found on your car, with your insurers.

As another post points out, un-notified mods = uninsured car = offence.

I can’t even follow the logic that says they would only wait till you have an accident to check; the primary job of any road Policing unit is accident prevention.

There was someone ranting on about being pulled for blacked out windows, too right mate, I don’t want to share the road with someone who’s vision is impaired by their desire to look “cool” or someone who’s brakes have been fitted by a mate who once had a Saturday morning job sweeping up at Quick Fit. Get real.

 

[sh33n]

Like Brian says there's a lot of know how on some coppers.

I was speaking to one last night quite in depth about cars, he has a cossie, so was quite clearly into modded cars for a start, so I certainly wouldn't take that naive risk.

 

[Turkish]

Trained way beyond the competence of an MOT tester, for example.

Let's be fair the offspring of the local village idiot and a turnip has more mechanical competence than an MOT tester.

If they are clamping down it can only be a good thing. I'm sick and tired of seeing rusty old heaps of s**t that are blatantly unroadworthy. Yet the owner has clearly got the money to fill it with big amps and subs and cover it with lights and fit huge alloys to it.

 

[AlexS]

My only mod is my alloys and they are declared and Admiral were very good about it. It annoys me when company's look down on / assume everyone that modifies their car fits in to the boy racer camp.
I think its a good thing, the amount of sheds I see with bald tyres, universal backboxes pointing at the sky with the rest of the system sagging.

 

[rob192]

You wouldn't have to worry about if you just insured it. Nothing beats peace of mind.

 

[J203425]

To be honest though the Pigs wouldnt know what to look for .

:lolup: WRONG. There are a very substantial number of Police traffic officers who are highly trained vehicle examiners. Trained way beyond the competence of an MOT tester, for example.

One of their prime functions is accident investigation and reconstruction, matters relating to construction and use regulations and detection of vehicle defects at the roadside.

They are regarded as expert witnesses by the Courts, and are rarely challenged. They are VERY knowledgeable on matters related to car modifications and undeclared changes to a vehicles insurance cover. All car manufacturers will disclose vehicle data to them on request.

You would be living in cloud cuckoo land if you believed that they were not able to check anything they found on your car, with your insurers.

As another post points out, un-notified mods = uninsured car = offence.

I can’t even follow the logic that says they would only wait till you have an accident to check; the primary job of any road Policing unit is accident prevention.

There was someone ranting on about being pulled for blacked out windows, too right mate, I don’t want to share the road with someone who’s vision is impaired by their desire to look “cool” or someone who’s brakes have been fitted by a mate who once had a Saturday morning job sweeping up at Quick Fit. Get real.

hmm so the police can check internal engine mods by stripping the engine to pieces at the roadside?? I think not:rasp:

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

hmm so the police can check internal engine mods by stripping the engine to pieces at the roadside?? I think not:rasp:

How are those new camshafts working out for the 16v ???

One thing to remember, who the fook, is going to get internal engine stuff done without having anything visible outisde?? I.e. SS exhaust/intake

 

[J203425]

hmm so the police can check internal engine mods by stripping the engine to pieces at the roadside?? I think not:rasp:

How are those new camshafts working out for the 16v ???

One thing to remember, who the fook, is going to get internal engine stuff done without having anything visible outisde?? I.e. SS exhaust/intake

They are working out fine, obviously you would declare the things that can be seen!
Im not declaring anything internal tho

 

[Ryan]

When I had my first Clio a few years ago I had alloys and a S/S exhaust on it, undeclared. I crashed the car and the police came and just checked my details and the cars details and said everything was fine. Didnt even question my alloys lol and they were 17's so its kinda obvious there were not standard lol!

But I wouldnt do ti now, I have heard of so many people getting done for it even by normal bobbies, not traffic's!

Thankfully my car is now 100% standard!