DVLA reveals cities facing campaign to crack down on car tax evasion

The DVLA has announced a targeted campaign aimed at cracking down on car tax evasion, singling out the towns and cities around the UK with the worst records.

The campaign is targeting drivers in the 20 regions of the UK where vehicle tax evasion is higher and where more than half a million enforcement actions were taken last year.

The publicity drive is aimed at warning tax dodging drivers of the potentially expensive consequences of being caught breaking the law. It comes as new figures reveal that the number of enforcement actions over untaxed vehicles has doubled since the abolition of paper tax discs.

Using an image of a giant wheel clamp at its centre, the campaign warns that drivers who fail to tax their vehicle or make a statutory off road declaration risk fines of up to £1,000, and their vehicle being clamped or even impounded and crushed.

Worst offenders

Announcing the regions it will be targeting, the DVLA revealed the towns and cities where drivers are most likely to avoid paying car tax. In total it took nearly 590,000 enforcement actions in 2019.

Top of the table is Belfast, where the licencing body took 78,501 actions in 2019. It was significantly busier there than anywhere else, with just over 61,000 actions taken in Birmingham, the city with the second most offences.

Glasgow (34,375), Manchester (34,106) and Sheffield (30,467) complete the top five areas for actions.

UK's biggest car tax offenders

Area

Total Enforcement Actions in 2019

Belfast

78,501

Birmingham