UK SORN... ;'(

[PLan]

I fill in a SORN for a couple of vehicles each year. I do it online and it probably takes a few minutes in total. It is very, very, quick and simple.

[guy]

IMHO the registration and insurance of vehicles in the UK must be extremely complicated. There seems to be plenty of examples on TV and in the news of illegal vehicles in the UK. It sounds like it needs a total rethink on the whole process.

That's another silly. Plenty of people are determined to ignore road safety, personal recompense and taxes just because it suits them.

Of course, if you have a just and practicable way to combine taxation (as in "nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." - Benjamin Franklin, 1817), 3rd party insurance (for compensation of the innocent) and the MOT (for road safety and environmental friendliness) in a single framework, I am sure the Coalition government would love to hear from you. But I have a suspicion that you'd rather pay a few pennies for a SORN than pay a simple lump sum covering all that lot.

[ollie]

Of course, if you have a just and practicable way to combine taxation (as in "nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." - Benjamin Franklin, 1817), 3rd party insurance (for compensation of the innocent) and the MOT (for road safety and environmental friendliness) in a single framework, I am sure the Coalition government would love to hear from you.

It's combined in Australia. You pay, for cars older than 5 years to have a "Pink Slip" which is a road worthiness certification at authorised testers. That costs about $35. You go to an authorised "Green Slip" insurer for 3rd party insurance, this covers 3rd parties (ie people), in car accidents. Anywhere from $250+ depending on age and history. Then you go and pay a registration fee, about $300 again, where you either show the "Pink Slip" & "Green Slip" or they have been received by the Roads & Traffic Authority electronically. You get the coloured sticker to go with the registration plates and stick it on your car. It's pretty simple actually.

You have the option of fire/theft/other party or comprehensive insurance which also covers your vehicle.

The 3rd party insurance "belongs" to the registered vehicle for the duration of the registration, so other people are protected if involved in accidents.

[nelz]

It's combined in Australia. You pay, for cars older than 5 years to have a "Pink Slip" which is a road worthiness certification at authorised testers. That costs about $35. You go to an authorised "Green Slip" insurer for 3rd party insurance, this covers 3rd parties (ie people), in car accidents. Anywhere from $250+ depending on age and history. Then you go and pay a registration fee, about $300 again, where you either show the "Pink Slip" & "Green Slip" or they have been received by the Roads & Traffic Authority electronically. You get the coloured sticker to go with the registration plates and stick it on your car. It's pretty simple actually.

How is that combined if you are going to three different sources?

It sounds exactly the same as here apart from the nomenclature

Pink slip = MOT certificate
Green slip = Insurance certificate
Registration fee = vehicle licence
Coloured sticker = tax disc

A SORN is simply a statement that the vehicle is off the road and not liable for any of these.

In fact, our system is less confusing because we give things proper names instead of colours

[guy]

Nelz, you are being far too literal-minded. Go to the lingerie department of a large store and ask for a pink slip. But I confess, not being Australian I am unsure how the result would make my car safer. Tie the exhaust on with it perhaps?

To be fair, the UK system may not be known so well to our Antipodean friends, but it is pretty much the same as ollie describes - right down to the "may or may not be computerised".

Perhaps "combined" has some alternative meaning Down Under.

[nelz]

Nelz, you are being far too literal-minded. Go to the lingerie department of a large store and ask for a pink slip.

Shall I tell them you sent me?

To confuse things further, isn't a pink slip what you get when you lose your job in the US?

[lok1950]

To confuse things further, isn't a pink slip what you get when you lose your job in the US?

And here north of the 49th parallel as well

Enjoy the Choice

[MartyBartfast]

To confuse things further, isn't a pink slip what you get when you lose your job in the US?

According to the Beach Boys "Little Deuce Coupe" it's a registration doc for a car.

"And if that aint enough to make you flip your lid
There's one more thing, I got the pink slip daddy"


As for the Aussies having weird names for stuff, don't forget that over there sheilas and blokes wear thongs, and they wrap their Chrissie pressies with Durex.

[guy]

Nelz, you are being far too literal-minded. Go to the lingerie department of a large store and ask for a pink slip.

Shall I tell them you sent me?

Yes. Explain that I want you to look your best.

[guy]

Of course, if you have a just and practicable way to combine ...

In reply to my own challenge:

The only transaction tied to a physical location is the MOT inspection. How about making the MOT counter an insurance agency and license issuing point? The license is conditional on both MOT and insurance, and there is no point having one or two without all three (but see SORN below).

You just take your motor along. They test, insure and license it, then take your cash in a single payment (or easy terms, grin) and issue a single mot/lIcense/cover note document, "credit card" sized. (Well, maybe two copies, one marked "display in vehicle", the other "keep in a safe place. Not valid on vehicle."). They pass cash back to the insurance provider and to the taxman as required. Job done.

If your car is off the road like Bazza's, you would still need to make a SORN declaration - paper, personal visit to MOT centre, or online. That would void its MOT and 3rd Party accident insurance too (but not fire/theft/comprehensive cover). Voiding an existing MOT means it needs retesting before going back on the road - which I think is reasonable but not currently required - and voiding existing 3rd Party insurance should mean a small cash refund, just like voiding an existing license today. Optional to keep up fire/theft/comprehensive cover while off the road.

[towy71]

It might be easier if your MOT certificate is the number plate, no MOT, insurance or tax no number plate

[guy]

It might be easier if your MOT certificate is the number plate, no MOT, insurance or tax no number plate

The registration number belongs to the vehicle for its lifetime (unless deliberately and somewhat laboriously changed). If a vehicle goes on-off the road a few times, keeping track of the "MOT plates" would be a nightmare.

Also, the SORN is useless unless you have a quick and easy external identification of vehicles that have been declared off road.

[Rhakios]

That would work for private motors, but not for company vehicles on bulk insurance policies, where insurance renewal dates are not the same as MOT test/tax dates.
In fact, due to the fact that once-upon-a-time my car was insured for me by my employer, my MOT and insurance renewal dates do not coincide.Rather handy really as it spreads the cost out a little and means I didn't have to rush to get a cover note when my tax needed renewing. Which is pretty much irrelevant now as it is so easy to get it all done automagically on-line.

[guy]

That would work for private motors, but not for company vehicles on bulk insurance policies, where insurance renewal dates are not the same as MOT test/tax dates.
In fact, due to the fact that once-upon-a-time my car was insured for me by my employer, my MOT and insurance renewal dates do not coincide. Rather handy really as it spreads the cost out a little and means I didn't have to rush to get a cover note when my tax needed renewing. Which is pretty much irrelevant now as it is so easy to get it all done automagically on-line.

Yes there would need to be some changes to the way we do things, but nothing drastic. I suggested the MOT centre be the insurance agent, not the actual insurer. It would not be hard for example to take a company vehicle for its MOT and hand over the corporate policy number. Vehicles drop in and out of such policies all the time, this would be no different in that respect - just, the points at which a given vehicle drops in or out would change. Spreading the cost? I did mention easy terms. IMHO a monthly direct debit would be sensible - same way we pay for most services these days. In fact my current insurer offers just that.

[Rhakios]

In fact my current insurer offers just that.

So does mine, but with a surcharge
Interest rates being at an all-time low, it's cheaper to pay the lump sum.