Rise in Untaxed Vehicles
Data from the Department of Transport (DfT) has found an increase in drivers using untaxed vehicles in the UK.
The study found unlicensed vehicles made up 1.9% of all vehicles in the UK. This roughly equates to 1 in 50 vehicles. This means the drivers are avoiding vehicle excise duty (VED) and breaking the law. These figures are up from the last study in 2019.
DFT Estimates
Estimated figures from the DfT found 719,000 vehicles on the road are driving without the proper tax.
This is up from 634,000 in 2019. This means around £119 million tax underpayment over one year.
The DfT put this increase in unlicensed vehicles down to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. They say that drivers who have been financially hit by the pandemic cannot afford to pay the tax. They also say the pandemic has affected the Department for Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). DVLA backlogs have also made it difficult to collect late payments and issue tax enforcement.
Another factor in this decline of taxed vehicles is the abolition of the paper tax disc. Drivers used to have to display their taxed status with a paper disk in their windscreen. But the DVLA scrapped this process in 2014.
Alternative Explaination
The AA claim that this increase in untaxed vehicles could also be down to drivers registering their cars as ‘off the road’ during the lockdown. Many drivers registered their cars as SORN (statutory off-road notification) status as they were staying home. The AA says many drivers could have forgotten to tell the DVLA that they were back on the road after the lockdowns.
Comment
Head of roads policy for the AA, Jack Cousens said:
“Today’s official figures show that the law is still on the hunt for car-tax-evaders. Some of those vehicles will have gone back on the road with the owners either mistakenly or deliberately forgetting to tell the DVLA.”
Penalties for Non-Payment
Penalties for untaxed vehicles vary based on how long they have been on the road. This starts with a letter and an £80 fine. But if drivers ignore this fine, it can increase to £1000 and lead to prosecution. The DVLA also has the power to clamp vehicles until the drivers pay the correct amount of tax.
Rise in Untaxed Vehicles
