Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

[ianelliott]

Hi,

My wife has just been issued with a "notice of intended prosecution" for doing 73 mph on the A34 dual carriageway near Whitchurch. The speed limit for cars is 70 mph but I would not expect them to issue a penalty notice for 73 mph since a 10% grace is usually applied, meaning they would not normally prosecute below 77 mph.

However, she was driving our California and the police are trying to classify this as a "Goods Vehicle" and claiming the speed limit is 60 mph rather than 70 mph. In my opinion this is just factually incorrect!

I will check with the legal department of the RAC on Monday but has anyone encountered this before? We have the VW bike rack permanently fixed on the back so it is unlikely they really thought it was a goods vehicle. I must say I feel this is somewhat harsh ... in my experience you would have to wait less than 2 minutes before a vehicle passed through that stretch of road at 85 mph or more!

Thanks for any advice,

Ian Elliott

 

[Raggedroy]

I believe it comes down to what the vehicle is registered as on the V5 document.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1874

 

[cozmo1589]

Re: Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

Mine is registered as a Private Light Goods Vehicle so they may have you bang to rights - laws an ass sometimes :-/

 

[Raggedroy]

Does this help.

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

 

[Iron Van]

I just checked on the DVLA site and my Beach is registered as a M1 type. I think that if its N1 its classed as Light Goods.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/vehicletype/d ... gories.asp

 

[Gregc]

Re: Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

I think the full Cali qualifies as a motorhome not sure about the beach.
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov. ... Advice.pdf

 

[cozmo1589]

Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

I think the full Cali qualifies as a motorhome not sure about the beach.
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov. ... Advice.pdf

As I've said in earlier post, my v5 has is down as private light goods vehicle and it's a full fat California . No mention of it being a motor home or camper van

 

[Gregc]

Re: Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

I think the full Cali qualifies as a motorhome not sure about the beach.
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov. ... Advice.pdf

As I've said in earlier post, my v5 has is down as private light goods vehicle and it's a full fat California . No mention of it being a motor home or camper van

It can be a PLG for vehicle tax and have a body type of Motorhome! Not the same thing.

 

[Gregc]

Re: Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

http://mark1conversions.wordpress.com/2 ... r-caravan/

 

[WelshGas]

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/camper-tax/
This may help!

 

[Ambler]

My SE on the V5 is

Body Type : Motor Caravan
Taxation class : Diesel car

RAC helpline is a good move

 

[ianelliott]

The Taxation Class is Private/Light Goods ... but then this is the same as for my BMW 5-series!

The Vehicle Type is stated as "Motor Caravan" on the V5 which hardly suggests transporting goods (unless the children are counted in that category

It is a pity she wasn't doing 70 dead since this would force them to reconsider ... as it is, I think they can just say "Yeah but we are going to do you anyway" i.e. the 10% grace is discretionary.

I will see what the legal people say.

Cheers,

Ian

 

[Meoncoast]

I have read on some other forums that Hampshire Police are not giving any grace in the limit whether true or not I do not know -------My Cali speedo is always saying a little faster that the sat nav speed

 

[skinnywhippet]

This link seems to show that speed limits are as per cars.

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

 

[Andy]

I have read on some other forums that Hampshire Police are not giving any grace in the limit whether true or not I do not know -------My Cali speedo is always saying a little faster that the sat nav speed

Speedo always, in my experience, say faster than satnav which is a good thing.

 

[Andy]

This link seems to show that speed limits are as per cars.

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

Not so, it depends what the vehicle is classed as, which seems to be the question here.

 

[skinnywhippet]

Re: Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

Our V5 does say motor caravan which indicates same limits as a car (as I think unladen weight is below 3t). Would be interested to know view of RAC legal dept.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[andys495]

Re: Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

If your vehicle is a passenger vehicle over 2 tonne then the speed limit on a dual carriageway with a posted national limit is 60mph. I assume the police have listed it as a goods vehicle as that's the closest category they can record it as. The alternative is a pcv i.e. Minibus.
Regarding the margins for prosecution. These are national ACPO guidelines and will be adhered to.
You should be eligible to a speed awareness course as an alternative to prosecution if one hasn't been completed anywhere nationally in the last two years.

 

[andys495]

Re: Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

Further... Having just looked at Raggedroys link above I suggest you contact Hampshire Police Central Ticket and Summons Unit and point them in the direction of that website. As it's a government website they would be hard pushed to contest it and a court would have the same view. A Cali is clearly a motor caravan (fact) and just because it has been recorded on a V5 as something else is an admin error either from a dealership or DVLA! Your local VOSA office may also help here in correctly categorising your vehicle.

 

[andys495]

Re: Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

All cars are PLG. If it was a goods van it would be LGV.

 

[andys495]

Re: Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

Most speedo's aren't calibrated and will show a speed greater then that actually being driven. Any speed detection device (for example a laser), is accurate and will therefore record a speed below what the the driver thinks he's doing.

 

[andys495]

Re: Is a California really a "Goods Vehicle"?

Ian, I should have read this topic through a bit more thoroughly first.
From what you say your V5 shows that your vehicle is a motor caravan. Hants Police have access to this record and should be able to see this information. As previously stated just point them in the direction of the government website and I'm confident they won't take it any further.

 

[choplee]

So GOV site shows 70mph ....thats good enough for me .

 

[ianelliott]

I talked to the Caravan Club legal advice line this morning ... I thought they might have more specific knowledge than the RAC and would have encountered the situation before. Nothing could be further from the truth! The guy seemed clueless, had never heard of a similar case and went off searching the web (I can do that myself, thanks!).

Anyway, I have sent my evidence and a covering letter with the responce to the Notice of Intention to Prosecute so we will see how it pans out.

Ian

 

[KernowLad]

Re: Is a California really a

If your vehicle is a passenger vehicle over 2 tonne then the speed limit on a dual carriageway with a posted national limit is 60mph. I assume the police have listed it as a goods vehicle as that's the closest category they can record it as. The alternative is a pcv i.e. Minibus.
Regarding the margins for prosecution. These are national ACPO guidelines and will be adhered to.
You should be eligible to a speed awareness course as an alternative to prosecution if one hasn't been completed anywhere nationally in the last two years.

That can't be right - plenty of very fast cars are now over two tonnes - Bentleys, fast SUVs, big AMG Mercs, etc, etc. Even the big BMW M6 GC is about two tonnes.