Are Motorists Still Given 'Producers'?

[barry1010]

I could understand the need for it in the pre-digital years but are they still issued?
With so many police stations now closed it would be very inconvenient for many motorists to 'produce' at a later date

[ToraToraTora]

Not sure, It's not necessary, they can tell by ANPR straight away if you are taxed, insured etc so I can't see why they would.

[barry1010]

TTT, can they tell if you are insured? They know if the car is insured but what if the driver isn't the principal insured? Not the registered keeper

[davebro]

They do on some of the cop reality shows - but most of those are a few years old judging by the reg numbers of the police cars.
If your car is seized for documents irregularity you need to "produce" to recover it.

[dannyk13]

As Barry says the car may be insured for the owner of the vehicle but other people may be driving it.Also foreign cars will not be registered at DVLA.

[douglas9401]

It's a minor point but the police care not a jot if something's inconvenient for the public.

[ToraToraTora]

barry, yes they can tell if the car is insured and yes it's possible the driver is not but if they pull them over they'll check that on the spot I doubt they'll go down the old "producer" path though I think the mechanism is still there.

[barry1010]

I miss the good old days when 'any car/any driver' insurance was common and not much more expensive that standard insurance.

[dannyk13]

TTT , if the driver,who isn't the owner, cannot produce any documents when asked ten he will be asked to produce them within five days at a police station.

[barry1010]

Is it five days now? It used to be seven

[ToraToraTora]

ok but often when you see these cop shows they get the guy to do it on the spot then take the car if he can't. In reality though they won't pull someone over unless they show up on ANPR or there is a peripheral reason to.

[dannyk13]

Barry, the five days was there in the Road Traffic Act 1960.

[ToraToraTora]

I mean the car shows up on ANPR ^^^^

[dannyk13]

Barry, apologies, the seven days was introduced in the Road Traffic Act 1988..

[barry1010]

The RTA 1960 states that a driving licence must be produced within five days for an endorsement after conviction s.111(5)

[Buenchico]

This is an official site, run by West Yorkshire Police on behalf of the Police National Legal Database:
https://www.askthe.police.uk/view-category/?id=01bf981b-6ad2-eb11-bacb-000d3ad57443
Click on 'Is it an offence not to carry all relevant documents . . . ' to find information goes some way towards answering your question, Barry.

As that link indicates, the relevant legislation (s.164, Road Traffic Act 1988) remains in place. However, as other have indicated, the need for it to actually be used has been greatly reduced by advances in technology, such as ANPR cameras, immediate roadside access to the insurance database and so on.

As has been pointed out though, actually reporting to a police station is now often far from easy. Here in Suffolk, there are just three police stations open to the public across the whole of the county and with those stations only open from 9 until 5, Monday to Saturday.

[barry1010]

Thanks everyone