 More than 235,000 were abandoned in 2000 |
Car owners who sell up should keep a note of who bought their vehicle to help trace people driving without tax or insurance, the government has said. Car licensing is being tightened and ministers want a more complete database of vehicle ownership and taxation - which they hope will also cut the number of abandoned cars.
In London, a hotline has been launched for people to report vehicles without a valid tax disc. It is a pilot project which could be extended if successful.
There are more than a million untaxed vehicles currently on Britain's roads, many of which are being driven without insurance, the Department for Transport said.
It is estimated that this costs the economy �500m a year - or �30 on every driver's insurance policy.
 It is an expensive burden on the honest citizen  David Jamieson
Transport minister |
"It is an expensive burden on the honest citizen," Transport Minister David Jamieson said.
"By ensuring vehicles do not fall out of the registration system, we can reduce the number of unlicensed and often uninsured vehicles on the road - tackling car abandonment and bringing dishonest motorists to book,"
Everyone who owns a car will be given new registration documents - or log book - next year when they renew their tax or sell their vehicle.
The government is also encouraging owners who sell a car to note the buyer's driving licence number as a record of identity.
More people who drive without tax can expect to have their vehicle clamped by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will increase, the DfT said.
Other car crimes which the new measures aim to tackle include the use of stolen vehicles in criminal activity and the illegal restoration of written off vehicles.
Changes from January 2004 include:
Registered owners of vehicles will be legally responsible at all times for taxing their vehicle. They will be liable for penalties and fines if the vehicle is untaxed, dumped or caught up in any other criminal activity. This responsibility will now stay with registered keepers until the DVLA is notified that the vehicle has been scrapped, sold, stolen or exported, or unless a current Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN) has been declared. Motorists will face a new automatic �80 penalty if they fail to renew their vehicle tax on time. Repeat offenders could face a minimum �1000 fine if taken to court. While car crime had been cut between 1997 and 2002, Home Office Minister Bob Ainsworth warned of becoming complacent.
"Today's announcement builds on measures to regulate the motor salvage industry, control the supply of number plates and introduce compulsory vehicle identity checks.
"It is now harder for car thieves to disguise the identity of stolen vehicles and difficult for criminals to obtain new registration documents for stolen vehicles."
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