The fact that motorists could be losing up to £40 million in the latest vehicle tax disc controversy is hiding a more sinister issue of easier car theft, reports car security enhancement specialists, DATAbloc.
Doing away with the round perforated tax disc is meant to save the Government around £7 million in printing and administration costs and to make things simpler for motorists. But there is a flaw in this move that has played right into the hands of car thieves.
Lawrence Shaw, Director of DATAblocsays thieves will very often use false or stolen number plates on a vehicle that has been stolen and laid up. This means that the registration number, false or not, cannot be visibly checked there and then against the true registration number on a visible tax disc.
He stated “When a stolen vehicle is parked on a road, in a car park or just laid up somewhere in a public area, passers-by will no longer be able to check on that vehicle and report it to the police or local authorities as being suspicious.”
According to DATAbloc the same is true if thieves then drive a stolen vehicle out of the country on a different plate. There is no direct means for customs or port officials to do a visual check. This applies to anyone having reason to check the car out visually when it is abroad.
The company says that car thieves can park a stolen vehicle in any area, knowing that a suspicious general public will only be able to contact the DVLA during the daytime, as their opening hours are Monday to Friday, nine to five.
“Electronic crime theft is easy enough for criminals with Range Rovers being stolen in around 30 seconds. Having no tax disc means they have a better chance of disposing of the vehicle and making it all the more difficult for the owner ever to see their car again,” exclaimed Lawrence Shaw.
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