Rise of the ‘ghost owners’: 18,000 UK vehicles in use without proper records
Summary
More than 18,000 vehicles in the UK are being used without proper records of where their owners live, which makes it hard to hold drivers responsible for offenses. The problem involves untraceable number plates, including cloned and ghost plates, and critics say the rules for registering plates are too weak.Key Facts
- Over 18,000 vehicles are registered to the DVLA’s own address, meaning the actual owner’s location is unknown.
- Labour MP Sarah Coombes says this creates “ghost owners” who cannot be held accountable for illegal driving.
- Many vehicles without an address are owned by car traders, but the real problem might be bigger.
- Between 10% and 20% of requests for vehicle ownership data to the DVLA return no results due to issues like cloned or ghost plates.
- More than 34,000 official number plate suppliers exist, with no background checks needed to register as a supplier for a £40 fee.
- Over 130 registered suppliers admitted they could sell cloned plates, according to a government investigation last year.
- Ghost plates use reflective coatings to avoid detection by police cameras, helping criminals evade penalties.
- The DVLA has not fined anyone in five years for failing to update their address on driving records.
- The UK Department for Transport plans to introduce tougher penalties and stricter checks to address illegal number plates.
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