Owning a car or other vehicle can give the owner a lot of freedom that public transportation simply doesn’t offer. In addition to this, many rely on their motorcycle or car to get to work, take them home with family and friends, and even take them on vacation.
Despite these positive aspects, the cost of owning and operating a vehicle in the UK can be very high, and there are a number of obligations that must be met when driving or traveling in the UK. These are the main things to remember when operating a vehicle in the country to stay on the right side of the law.
First of all, any driver or cyclist in the UK must meet certain standards before they can be on the roads. One of them is having the correct driver’s license for the vehicle they are operating. If you are unsure about this, the DVLA is the best source of information, as the department’s team can explain everything about your vehicle license and what exactly it allows you to do.
You must also have reached the minimum driving or driving age to drive a vehicle on UK roads, and you must also meet the minimum vision requirements to operate a vehicle. This is to ensure the safety of the driver or passengers, as well as all other road users.
Beginning drivers also have legal rules and obligations that must be followed in order to use the UK’s roads. In addition to the above points, any student must have clearly visible L plates on the vehicle or alternatively D plates if she is learning to drive in Wales.
Automotive students must also be accompanied by a qualified driver when in the vehicle, although this rule does not apply to students learning to ride motorcycles for obvious reasons.
There are also many obligations that apply to the vehicle itself, which is one of the main reasons why driving a car or motorcycle in the UK can be so expensive. One of them is the vehicle tax, which must be paid every year in order to use the roads legally.
Since vehicle tax is now managed online via an internet database, it can be easy to forget that a vehicle tax has to be paid due to the physical absence of a tax disc on the vehicle. With this in mind, tax disc reminder services now exist to help people remember their due dates.
These tax disc reminder services often work by printing a “tax disc” with details of the dates the renewal is due. This can then be placed inside the car’s windshield for easy reference, eliminating problems like forgetting vehicle tax is due.
Tax disc reminder services often cost around £3, making them very affordable for everyone, even those on a tight budget. A tax disc reminder can be a great preventative measure, keeping you from paying too much in penalties if you don’t renew your car tax in a timely manner.
In addition to having the vehicle tax in force, every motorcycle car must have a valid ITV certificate. How often this must be obtained will depend on the age of the vehicle, and many require a new MOT each year to prove the vehicle is roadworthy.
In addition to the tax disc reminder, many companies now provide ITV reminder services that work on the same principle as the tax one. This again allows the person using the service to avoid paying fines for having an expired ITV certificate.
On top of all this, the vehicle being driven must be registered with the DVLA in order to be allowed to be used on the road. The car or motorcycle should also carry a minimum of third party insurance to protect other road users from any damage caused by your vehicle and your driving.
There are certain minimum legal obligations that must be met in order to use a vehicle on UK roads. These range from having the correct license to having a valid car tax and adequate insurance. In all cases, services like tax disc reminder and MOT reminder services can ensure that you stay on the right side of the law and avoid expensive fines.
