Lies, damn lies and Government statistics

[Gromit]

January:
Four in 10 motorbikes 'not taxed'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7200066 .stm

Today:
Britain's motorcyclists were unfairly accused of dodging tax because the Department for Transport counted them incorrectly, a committee of MPs said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2151029 /Motorcyclists-wrongly-accused-of-tax-evasion% 2C-say-MPs.html

Should the Government cough up to its untruths more often, or does this kind of thing undermine its authority?

[jake-the-peg]

Excuse by ignorance but why is an untaxed driver a threat to road safety?

[tigerlily11]

He's not. He's a threat to the goverments pocket.
H pays his way and so do all the bikers on my road and there has got to be at least 12 of them. It's a long road.
So up the goverments statistics.

[jake-the-peg]

Well let's be straight here

It's not really government statistics is it? It's civil servant's at the DOT being careless.

I think Gromit's use of the word untruths is a bit strong in this context - mistakes is nearer the mark.

Unless you think these were deliberately misleading and I don't see any evidence of that.

[Gromit]

Possibly the admission of this mistake was itself an error.

This news item has been pulled from the telegraph website, and the link no longer works.

So sssshhh!... Don't tell anyone.

[andrea81]

An untaxed driver probably has no MOT and his/her car is not necessarily safe for the public! Just a though!

[RevFunk]

For your insurance to be valid doesnt the vehicle need to be taxed?????

MIne only costs 15 quid so hardly worth avoiding

[tigerlily11]

My apologise. Not Goverment.
Up the statistics.
It may very well lead that no tax means no insurance but having known so many bikers past and present it seems a lot.
Polls like these are not a good reprsentaion of the population in general.

[RevFunk]

Most bikers are poofs anyway

[jake-the-peg]

With numberplate regognition systems it shouldn't be too hard to identify cars that are untaxed / uninsured / un-MOT'd at petrol stations

Then make it an offence to serve such cars or bikes.

Then you'd just be left with the hardcore of the criminally cloned number-plate brigade and those filling up from cans.

[tigerlily11]

Realy Rev.
Lmao You don't know any then?

[RevFunk]

I did Tigerlily lol

Ohhhhhh the nasty Hells Angels dont make me laugh, like the cub scouts on motorbikes. I saw a fight many years ago involving football fans and the Hells Angels ran out the pub because it was "too violent" for them.

[R1Geezer]

Oi funk, outside!

[RevFunk]

Bikers V Scooterists
lol

No contest Geezer lol

[Theland1]

That's a really good idea of Jakes. So simple, it's no wonder the govt never thought of it!
That's worth a letter to your MP Jake.

[Twenty20]

Except most numberplate recognition systems can't read motorcycle number plates because theyre
a) on the rear of the vehicle and
b) not a standard size