Can I get reported for working on my own cars on the drive?

[xsport]

just to pick up on repairing cars on the road has always been illeagal . if so does that mean that mobile car mechanics / tyre fitters/ aircon repairers and tha AA and RAC are all breaking the law ? im puzzled as to the reality of this ? … it bothers me as I have no off road parking. thanks.

[coolguy]

Even worse, do you realise that technically it is illegal to wash a car on the road - never been enforced fortunately !
On repairing, professionals are allowed, the public are not.

[clf]

Originally Posted by coolguy

Even worse, do you realise that technically it is illegal to wash a car on the road - never been enforced fortunately !
On repairing, professionals are allowed, the public are not.

surely this would be governed by bye laws? Also who gets to decide what determines professional or not? Is it just those getting paid, and/or with public liability insurance?

I actually thought it would be the other way about with certain provisos. I would have imagined you could not repair on the road if you were being paid (especially in the course of a business), unless it was to remove (or enable removal) after an accident or failure. Or if it were to cause an obstruction or annoyance/danger to others (breaching the peace). Using an angle grinder at 2am would fall under that lol.

Just found a link, from a site purporting to be an official site 'Ask the Police' - refers to England and Wales, NI and Scotland will possibly different (NI there are a lot of bye laws when it comes to roads and pathways)

[coolguy]

Originally Posted by clf

surely this would be governed by bye laws? Also who gets to decide what determines professional or not? Is it just those getting paid, and/or with public liability insurance?

I actually thought it would be the other way about with certain provisos. I would have imagined you could not repair on the road if you were being paid (especially in the course of a business), unless it was to remove (or enable removal) after an accident or failure. Or if it were to cause an obstruction or annoyance/danger to others (breaching the peace). Using an angle grinder at 2am would fall under that lol.

Just found a link, from a site purporting to be an official site 'Ask the Police' - refers to England and Wales, NI and Scotland will possibly different (NI there are a lot of bye laws when it comes to roads and pathways)

To clarify, you cannot run a business on the public highway, professional or not. Professionals are allowed to repair broken down or damaged vehicles, although even they prefer to do it offroad for safety reasons. However, different Councils take a variety of views on what may constitute a nuisance.

[clf]

Originally Posted by coolguy

To clarify, you cannot run a business on the public highway, professional or not. Professionals are allowed to repair broken down or damaged vehicles, although even they prefer to do it offroad for safety reasons. However, different Councils take a variety of views on what may constitute a nuisance.

So I cannot repair my car at the side of the road? Broken down or not? According to the uk police site above it says I can?

Sent from my SM-A600FN using Tapatalk

[mileshawk56]

Broken down Yes. otherwise No.Chris.S.

[xsport]

i would like to know where the icecream man fits into all this. he is running a business from the roadside as such self employed. so if my car is broken down with a flat battery or similar I cant repair it. is the "professional " someone who is currently a car mechanic or was years ago .. with or without qualifications ? i suspect these laws may be enforced more rigourousely on council estates … understandably so in certain areas , but private areas im not sure. many times during a repair of mine at the roadside I have looked up to see a police car driving very slowly by me looking at what I was doing but none have ever stopped or said a word. there are many cowboys repairing brakes etc without a clue as to what they are doing even at garages mainly backstreet who work without qualifications. surely the law needs to be clearer as this law effects a big part of this website which encourages people to make their own repairs be that of financial or other driven reasons. I always do a job to the utmost safety standards afterall I don't want to die yet or indeed kill anyone else. is actually repairing your vehicle on or off the road without qualifications legal or not ?

[xsport]

so be carefull gents. next time your car fails an mot because the brake light failed during a test like what happened to me … you must go immediately to a rip off centre to have it changed … its a repair .. not broken down if you don't have offroad parking. and watch out for plod on the way home ! anyway what is a repair what is broken down ? …. talk about grey areas !!!

[coolguy]

The Ice Cream van man needs a permit issued by the local Council to operate. Police powers are often delegated to Councils as they don't have the manpower or inclination.

[clf]

Originally Posted by coolguy

The Ice Cream van man needs a permit issued by the local Council to operate. Police powers are often delegated to Councils as they don't have the manpower or inclination.

errr, this is where byelaws come into force surely rather than any lack of manpower.

I know there are laws on car sales which state certain distances between more than one car 'privately' for sale by an individual.

Referring to car repair, I am still not convinced it is illegal to work on a car providing you are not causing an obstruction, a nuisance, nor causing environmental damage. If this was to be the case, you would not then be allowed to fit/repair a broken fence if your home was roadside, and you were required to repair it on that road (ie not in your garden). Ditto for plaster/brick work on the side of a house.

There are simply too many grey areas to make this an issue for the police to deal with. What charge could they bring for replacing a driveshaft?

I am speaking from my own position and locale. I live in a housing estate, where there is a square at the back of the houses, and where we all park - ie off the main thoroughfares, but still a public space with a right of access to all. There are no assigned spaces, and a block of 4 garages owned and rented out by the council (with no right to buy).

Running a business roadside, is an obvious no no in my eyes, since the road/path is a public space. Permits and byelaws would prevail on this one.