Motor Industry Calls For Tightening Of Scrap Car Regulations
7th Jul, 2017
There’s been some recent rumblings in the UK’s car industry about the enforcement of rules and regulations when it comes to scrapping cars. In its 2017 Sustainability report, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders called upon the government to tighten up their procedures for clamping down on rogue scrap car dealers, after highlighting that many End of Life vehicles (ELVs) are still disappearing from paper trails when they’re supposed to have been scrapped.
How The Scrap Car Process Works
In order to fully explain the concerns of the SMMT, we’ve got to give you a bit of background detail on how things are generally supposed to go. Under the European Union’s ELV directive (which the UK still abides by), cars and vans weighing up to 3.5 tonnes have to be disposed of in a safe, environmentally friendly way once they reach the end of their useful life. This process is free for owners, and is paid for by vehicle manufacturers.
There are a couple of rules governing exactly how scrap car breakers must behave when scrapping your car, to clamp down on dodgy dealings. Firstly, they can’t pay in cash – it has to be by BACS or bank transfer, so that every transaction is traceable by the Environment Agency (if it comes to that). Breakers also have to provide you with a Certificate of Destruction, processed through the DVLA. This is a legal document that releases you from responsibility of the vehicle, proving that it’s been scrapped.
(If the idea of being hoodwinked when scrapping your car has you a little twitchy, don’t worry! We’ve written an entire article on how to know if you’re dealing with a reputable scrap car breaker – and it lists all the documentation you’ll need to keep an eye on, too.)
What’s Worrying The SMMT?
Basically, SMMT has reason to believe that there are a fair few dealers not issuing proper Certificates Of Destruction. We’ll save a bit of time here by just quoting them directly:
“While there are no official figures, industry analysis has shown that every year there’s a large percentage of ELVs which are believed to have been scrapped but are unaccounted for.”
This is likely to be the work of rogue scrap yards flying under the radar, who pose a risk not just to the environment (it’s unlikely that they’d be following proper procedure in terms of depolluting their vehicles), but also to the general public.
You see, without a Certificate of Destruction, it’s quite easy for scrap yard dealers to do more or less whatever they want with the cars. For example, they could even claim to have scrapped them while actually selling them on. And if your car is still registered to you when it’s caught on the road, it might well be you who ends up paying the fine for it.
Looking at the wider picture, the SMMT are also concerned that the activities of these rogue operators will make it more difficult for the UK ELV industry to meeting its recycling targets. Currently, they’re working with DEFRA and the DLVA to try and close any gaps in the current regulations, but it’s not likely to be a speedy process!
Scrap Car Network Guarantees You Total Peace Of Mind
Even with all the ongoing efforts to clamp down on unscrupulous scrap car dealers, at Scrap Car Network we’re aware it’s likely to always be a running battle for the authorities. That’s why, as for ourselves, we keep the safety and security of our customers as a top priority.
Every single one of our trusted partners is an Authorised Treatment Facility, registered and monitored by the Environment Agency. When you scrap your car with us, you can bet your bottom dollar we’ll issue you with a proper Certificate of Destruction, as well as going through all the other necessary paperwork that’s required to legally, responsibly scrap your car.
In case you needed any more reasons to choose Scrap Car Network, you can find them right here. On the other hand, if you’re already raring to go, all you need to do is enter your car reg and postcode into our homepage, and within moments, you’ll be looking at an instant online quote!
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