RE: Untaxed vehicle tally soars
Friday 26th January 2007
The number of untaxed and uninsured motorists has almost doubled to over two million in the last year, according to official figures.
Untaxed vehicle tally soars
Lack of trafpol lets drivers off the hook
Groups such as the RAC Foundation have described the phenomenon as a motoring underclass, which consists of one in 15 vehicles in the UK.
As well as costing the Exchequer some £217 million, the 2,193,000 owners who failed to pay vehicle excise duty in 2006 were involved in accidents which killed 150 and injured a further 12,000 in 2005. Additionally, such vehicles are 10 times more likely to be involved in hit and run crashes, according to The Telegraph.
Why such a huge jump? The Institute of Advanced Motorists blamed cuts in the numbers of traffic police, its road safety trust's head Kevin Delaney saying that more people on low incomes were tempted to drive illegally because the chances of being caught were slim.
Ex-head of the Met Police traffic division, Delaney said that those on lower incomes thought it was worth taking the risk. He said that if there were more trafpol on the streets, those who decide to evade taxes and insurance might come to a different conclusion.
The Department for Transport said that it was bringing in punitive measures such as wheel clamping, and that the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) scheme currently being rolled out across the country would help.
Related stories
Discussion
It's hardly surprising given the ever-rising cost of road tax. Plus, with the government's camera obsession, it must be tempting to by a cheap car and not register it, thus removing the worry of the cameras; deciding not to pay for tax is the simple next step. The government could remove the "problem" of untaxed cars at a stroke by doing what the French did: abolish road tax and add it to the fuel cost. Of course, that would remove an excuse for the government to increase surveillance to "stop these untaxed menaces". 
More to the point, now that insurance details are all on a central database, MOT details are all on a central database and road tax is on an improved database it's increasingly difficult to drive "almost legal". The only choices left are "fully legal" or "totally illegal". Hence anyone who's in the least bit dodgy might now just as well go the whole hog and ignore everything.
Next will come an all-out ANPR blitz to remove illegal vehicles. Easy as pie with the new mobile ANPR units and especially once congestion charges are rolled out nationwide.
Naturally this will lead to an epidemic of number-plate cloning..........so get ready for chip technology as well.
Next will come an all-out ANPR blitz to remove illegal vehicles. Easy as pie with the new mobile ANPR units and especially once congestion charges are rolled out nationwide.
Naturally this will lead to an epidemic of number-plate cloning..........so get ready for chip technology as well.
I have only ever seen the ANPRs during the day, never on the daily commute or at the weekend. good though the cameras are surely they could just mount some on major roads and leav them running like they do with speed cameras.
Bear in mind that, as regards to not registering the car, the previous owner is responsible for all fines and so it is in his interest (not to mention legal obligation once the car is sold) to notify the DVLA.
Bear in mind that, as regards to not registering the car, the previous owner is responsible for all fines and so it is in his interest (not to mention legal obligation once the car is sold) to notify the DVLA.
james_j said:
The government could remove the "problem" of untaxed cars at a stroke by doing what the French did: abolish road tax and add it to the fuel cost.
It would also collect contributions from visitors to this country who use the roads, and would provide an incentive for people to drive more efficient vehicles. It would be very difficult to evade.
Despite that, when I suggested it years ago to my (Conservative) MP he dismissed it as unworkable.
Ozzie Osmond said:
Next will come an all-out ANPR blitz to remove illegal vehicles. Easy as pie with the new mobile ANPR units and especially once congestion charges are rolled out nationwide.
Naturally this will lead to an epidemic of number-plate cloning..........so get ready for chip technology as well.
What are the ANPR going to do? Either record the plate and send a fine to god knows who, or leave the 50 trafpol officers left in the country to try and arrest all the 2million untaxed cars, then what will they do with that many cars?
Still, might as well go illegal, the money you save would more than offset any fine you pay if you did get caught, and you could even refuse to pay, then get sent to jail, only to be let out because they are full!
What disincentive is there for not committing this crime?
In fact what incentive is there for obeying the law?
dickieandjulie said:
This proves that all the adverts for the 'You cant escape the DVLA computer' are complete nonsense then!
A 'mate' of mine narrowly avoided having his car impounded one night a few years back, when he parked on his drive for the first time in weeks.
Later that night Skelmerdale police came round and clamped and/or took away hundreds of cars parked on the road. He'd been driving around for months with no tax. Apparently in his cul de sac 12 cars were Towed away.
pasthim said:
Bear in mind that, as regards to not registering the car, the previous owner is responsible for all fines and so it is in his interest (not to mention legal obligation once the car is sold) to notify the DVLA.
The problme is there are so many cars out there that are not registered and if you give me incorect info when I sell you the car I have done my duty?
The DVLA spend thousands on advertising the fact that they will catch you and yet when I 'grassed up' some local scumbags that always have their uninsured, untaxed crap all on the roads - they don't even bother paying them a visit (this was almost 5 months ago and the cars are still being used and parked on the public highway).
Nevermind though, this pay-per-mile scheme will be really good, as it means all us honest motorists can subsidise these illegal scumbags even further.
Of course, the New Labour spin machine would have us all believe that this Country is in its best ever condition.
Nevermind though, this pay-per-mile scheme will be really good, as it means all us honest motorists can subsidise these illegal scumbags even further.
Of course, the New Labour spin machine would have us all believe that this Country is in its best ever condition.
Surely ANPR needs a police presence to work effectively. Otherwise I drive my (hypothetical) un-taxed car past an ANPR camera and because I registered it to a false address (or didn't send back the V5C when I bought the car) someone else gets all the grief.
If we must continue with the present system then it needs the police presence to enforce it. Harsher penalties are no deterrant when there is no danger of being caught in the first place.
If we must continue with the present system then it needs the police presence to enforce it. Harsher penalties are no deterrant when there is no danger of being caught in the first place.
pasthim said:
I have only ever seen the ANPRs during the day, never on the daily commute or at the weekend. good though the cameras are surely they could just mount some on major roads and leav them running like they do with speed cameras.
Bear in mind that, as regards to not registering the car, the previous owner is responsible for all fines and so it is in his interest (not to mention legal obligation once the car is sold) to notify the DVLA.
Bear in mind that, as regards to not registering the car, the previous owner is responsible for all fines and so it is in his interest (not to mention legal obligation once the car is sold) to notify the DVLA.
There are fixed ones about. I'm told, for example, that the cameras on Thelwell viaduct are just that - allegedly to catch criminals using the motorway to escape (or, as I am sure someone will add, scousers on the way home after doing some robbing down south.... :-^) ).
Andrew Noakes said:
james_j said:
The government could remove the "problem" of untaxed cars at a stroke by doing what the French did: abolish road tax and add it to the fuel cost.
It would also collect contributions from visitors to this country who use the roads, and would provide an incentive for people to drive more efficient vehicles. It would be very difficult to evade.
Despite that, when I suggested it years ago to my (Conservative) MP he dismissed it as unworkable.
It is very easy to make "workable", surely?? HMRC are already very well set up to rake off the duty on fuel, so just need to pass on a bit of it to the DfT. What goes on twixt the ears of politicians is hard to believe sometimes!
Like another member here I have grassed on a couple of neighbours and the DVLA simply dont want to know. I know one thing, If I am ever in the unfortunate positon of having to deal with an uninsured, they had better be prepared for retribution on a huge scale. Uninsured drivers and untaxed vehicles are driven by scumbags and pond life to high up the food chain.
A female family member is being harassed by such an amoeba, I am onto this brain cell and he will know who he is dealing with this weekend - I think they will be going by bus to work on Monday or on crutches if he wants to argue!
Barstewards
A female family member is being harassed by such an amoeba, I am onto this brain cell and he will know who he is dealing with this weekend - I think they will be going by bus to work on Monday or on crutches if he wants to argue!
Barstewards
The rates have risen for several reasons, 'visitors' from abroad, cheaper second hand cars making it more tempting to buy a banger and not bother with anything at all to make it legal, punitive costs and a more stringent MOT. ANPR is pretty useless when you think about it as it will only punish those who are known and 'mainly' legal.
Surprising how these are the people most targeted isn't it, nothing to do with the fact that these are the most likely to stump up for a fine I suppose.
Which is why, dear readers, you will never see this bunch of thieves adding it to fuel duty, not enough profit, redundancies at the DVLA, less opportunity to control and interfere and less voters for teflon tony.
Apparently there are a thousand untaxed cars lifted per day in Hertfordshire alone, think of all those lovely fines
Surprising how these are the people most targeted isn't it, nothing to do with the fact that these are the most likely to stump up for a fine I suppose.
Which is why, dear readers, you will never see this bunch of thieves adding it to fuel duty, not enough profit, redundancies at the DVLA, less opportunity to control and interfere and less voters for teflon tony.
Apparently there are a thousand untaxed cars lifted per day in Hertfordshire alone, think of all those lovely fines
Edited by apache on Friday 26th January 13:17
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