Thousands of drivers face £2,500 fine after 'failing' to pay DVLA tariff

The number of drivers being prosecuted has hit an all-time HIGH as 100,000 road users and motorists fail to pay DVLA tariffs on time. The Ministry of Justice recorded 99,694 convictions of drivers not having car tax in the country, new figures show.

Data by the Ministry of Justice revealed that 99,694 convictions were issued to drivers without vehicle tax, representing a year-on-year increase of 94 per cent. 40,600 offenders were disqualified by the penalty points system, the data also shows.

And the figures, released this week, show 367,800 offenders received points on their licence without disqualification. But in better news, the number of motorists found to be driving a vehicle without insurance fell to 71,458 last year from 76,390 in 2022.

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Keeping a vehicle without insurance rose to aa four-year high at 58,690 in 2023 compared to 40,392 in 2022, as the Cost of Living crisis continues. Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, explained that despite a high-profile change in the law, it seems many drivers are still “falling foul when it comes to using a mobile phone behind the wheel”.

He warned: “It is also concerning that driving without tax almost doubled in a year. While too early to tell if this rise is related to the cost of living, the high conviction rates should serve as a deterrent not to dodge paying for a virtual tax disc.” Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) - also known as vehicle tax, car tax or road tax - must be paid on most vehicles registered in the UK, and any motorist caught driving without it could be fined up to £2,500.

According to the Government’s latest vehicle excise duty evasion statistics, there are 719,000 unlicensed vehicles (excluding motorcycles) in the UK. And this represents an estimated annual road tax revenue loss of £119 million.