Home / Crime and Justice / Cloned Cars Flood UK Roads: 11,400 Fined Unfairly
Cloned Cars Flood UK Roads: 11,400 Fined Unfairly
16 Oct
Summary
- Over 11,400 drivers faced fines for unrecognized offenses last year.
- Vehicle cloning, using copied plates, has reached record highs.
- Outdated UK number plate system needs urgent reform, says RAC.
Official data reveals that more than 11,400 drivers in the UK contacted the DVLA last year regarding fines for offenses they dispute, with most cases attributed to vehicle cloning. This involves fraudulently copying a vehicle's number plate onto a similar car to evade enforcement cameras. The number of complaints has risen by 9% compared to the previous year and nearly doubled since 2018, according to the RAC.
This surge in cloned vehicles underscores concerns about illegal number plates enabling criminals and dangerous drivers to avoid detection. Despite regulations, an investigation found numerous suppliers willing to sell cloned plates. Innocent car owners are forced to prove their non-involvement when enforcement camera images falsely implicate their vehicles. The RAC advocates for an overhaul of the outdated system, emphasizing stricter checks by number plate suppliers.
Further concerns involve "ghost" plates designed to be unreadable by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. The RAC suggests equipping more police officers with detection devices and updating ANPR technology. The government has announced a nationwide crackdown on illegal plates, including funding for a new roads policing team and a National Roads Policing Coordination Centre to share intelligence and trial new technologies for detecting unreadable plates.
