Latest news with #DVLA
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
DVLA Scam
Here are some useful links that Rav and Dr Punma mentioned on today's show discussing a recent DVLA Scam:Scam information for Police Scotland here, external. For England, Wales and Northern Ireland, contact action fraud - their details can be found here, external. Report any phishing scams you come across here, external. More information available from the National Crime Agency here, external.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Britain's most stolen cars: We reveal the 100 models targeted most by thieves
Lexus and Abarth owners are being warned to keep a close eye on their motors because their cars are statically most likely to be stolen. Analysis of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data has discovered which brands and models are typically being targeted most by thieves, based on the volume of thefts per cars registered in Britain. While Ford's Fiesta was earlier this year named the nation's most pinched car based on the 4,719 examples reported stolen in 2024, some 69 other models are statistically more at risk, the new data shows. This is because with over 1.5million Fiestas on the road, owners statistically have a one-in-312 chance of falling victim to car crime. The most targeted car, a luxury model from Lexus, however, is statistically far more at threat, with a one-in-30 theft rate based on the number pinched versus total registrations. In fact, Lexus, along with Fiat's sporty division Abarth, is one of the brands most commonly targeted by organised car theft gangs going equipped with advanced technology to pinch the latest high-value models. Scroll to the bottom of this page to see if you car is in the top 100 most targeted motors - and what proportion of examples on the road were nicked in 2024. Analysis of car theft record for 2024 shows which models and brands were targeted most commonly. While Ford has the highest volume if thefts, proportionally its not among the 10 most-pinched marques... Last year on average, 168 cars were pilfered per day by criminals - that's seven every hour. And new analysis of DVLA records by automotive agency Loop found Abarth is the marque most at risk of being taken by thieves. One-in-116 Abarths were stolen in 2024, the data shows, with criminals identifying the sporty version of the Fiat 500 one of the key targets to go after last year. One-in-87 registered were stolen last year, according to the report. But the brand that really came a cropper in 2024 was Lexus. At brand level, one in every 120 Lexus cars registered in Britain were stolen last year. But digging deeper into the list of models most at risk proportionally shows that five of the top 10 targeted vehicles were from the Japanese luxury arm of Toyota. In fact, thefts of the ES 300 premium saloon were so prevalent that owners faced a staggering one-in-30 chance of theirs going missing last year, putting it in first place of models most tempting to car thieves. Last year there were 6,587 ES 300s registered, and 221 thefts recorded, Loop found. And the Japanese brand's RX 450 didn't fare much better. One in ever 39 examples of the popular SUV were taken in 2024 - that's 717 thefts out of 27,837 registered examples in Britain. The other three Lexus models targeted include the LC 500 luxury sports coupe, UX 250 compact SUV and NX 300 mid-sized SUV. These have a one-in-55, one-in-62 and ine-in-75 chance respectively of being stolen, DVLA data shows. This put them sixth, seventh and ninth on the list of 100 most likely to be stolen models. A Lexus spokesman told This is Money: 'For the past few years, there has been an industry-wide issue of vehicle theft of almost epidemic proportion in the UK, affecting the most popular models first. 'Toyota GB has invested millions of pounds in a variety of solutions that help protect cars from theft. These include protective plates, immobilisers, blockers and trackers. 'As a vehicle manufacturer, we can never completely eliminate the risk of vehicle theft and, in order to further reduce the theft risk, we regularly collaborate and share information with insurance associations, police and law enforcement authorities, theft prevention experts and other key stakeholders around the world. 'This enables us to understand new threats and techniques used by thieves and develop more secured systems.' Lexus tells us that it spent more than £10million last year fitting tracking devices - supplied by Tracker - to some UK-registered vehicles. 'Unfortunately, some of those customers were targeted by criminals and their cars were stolen,' the spokesperson explains. 'As a result of the installation of tracking devices, though, a 96 per cent recovery rate was achieved. 'We have subsequently rolled out Tracker installation as an option for buyers of certain models, to help add a level of customer reassurance.' They added: 'Our anti-theft measures form part of a nationwide customer care offering. Owners can contact their local dealer to establish whether or not their model would benefit from additional security devices and to discuss options and fitment.' When it comes to non Lexus models, the Mercedes' GLS Class is also popular with criminals, with a one-in-39 chance of being nicked - 91 thefts were recorded last year out of 3,584 model. This places it in fourth overall. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio was the other model sandwiched between the uber-stealable Lexus cars, with the Italian family SUV in fifth place with a one-in-54 chance of being pinched. The Kia Stinger coupe sits in eight place in the stolen model rankings with a theft proportion rate of of one-in-65. The Abarth 500 took 10th place with a rating of one-in-87, contributing to its overall brand position as the car maker proportionally most likely to be stolen. Outside the top 10, Audi had three placings followed by Mercedes with two. The Alfa Romeo Giulia took 11th with one-in-88 likelihood, followed by Audi's RS5 in 12th with a one-in-96 chance. The Audi RS3 and RS7 were the other models from the German marque that ranked in the top 20; the RS3 has a proportional one-in-105 likelihood of being stolen (16th), while the RS7 had a one-in-110 chance (18th). The Mercedes G-Class (which typically costs over £140,000 new) scored one-in-98 putting it in 14th, while its sibling the GLE Class scored one-in-109 to put it in 17th. The Kia EV6 was the first of only two EV-only models that ranked in the top 20 cars most likely to be stolen, taking home 13th with a theft rate of one-in-98 registered. The Hyundai Ioniq in 15th is the other EV - it also had a one-in-98 chance of going missing. The Maserati Levante and Abarth 595 (a derivative of the Abarth 500) rounded out the list of 20, both scoring a one-in-111 proportional rating. Car brands proportionally most likely to be stolen - is your favourite maker a risky purchase? Overall, behind Abarth and Lexus, Land Rover is the brand most commonly targeted by thieves, with one-in-210 registered cars stolen last term. The British car maker - now owned by Indian giant Tata - has been the focus of the car theft epidemic for the last few years, but statistically owners are less vulnerable that drivers of cars from its premium rival, Lexus. It comes after JLR invested a massive £15million upgrading the security systems of some of its older cars in the last 18 months - and also provided £1million in funding to police at ports to tackle illegal vehicle exports out of Britain. Alex Kefford, head of editorial at Loop, said: 'Last year, the spotlight was on Range Rover as customers struggled to find insurance in the face of soaring theft rates. But when we look at the figures in proportion, we discover that it's Lexus owners that are at a far greater risk of having their car stolen. 'Jaguar Land Rover has taken the issue very seriously, developing a software update for existing vehicles, rolling-out new ultra-wideband keys, and even going as far as to provide funding to police units dedicated to cracking down on organised gangs. 'Now it seems that more brands need to follow their example if they are to reverse this worrying trend.' In fourth place overall was Mitsubishi - a brand that disappeared from the UK in 2021 - with a one in every 298 cars registered stolen last year, slightly ahead of Jaguar with a one-in-318 theft statistic. Placed in fifth and sixth for proportional thefts respectively are luxury marques Maserati - with a one-in-325 pinched - and Mercedes, with owners facing a one-in-381 chance of falling victim to car crime. BMW, Alfa Romeo and Bentley rounded out the top 10, with theft statistics of one-in-381, one-in-388 and one-in-435 respectively. Alex Kefford, Head of Editorial at automotive PR agency loop commented: 'Jaguar Land Rover has taken the issue very seriously, developing a software update for existing vehicles, rolling-out new ultra-wideband keys' Contrastingly Ford, despite being the manufacturer that had the most cars stolen overall last year, is 13th based on proportional theft rates against the volume of registrations. In fact, owners of Ford models will welcome the news that their cars have a risk factor of one-in-460 chance of being nicked. And as you can see from the top 100 stolen cars (listed below), Ford doesn't have a single model in the top 50. Good news finally for Tesla owners: Tesla's are the least likely cars in production to be stolen with just a one-in-7,031 chance of being taken by thieves The cars least likely to be stolen – the ones to own if you want peace of mind Tesla owners finally have some good news because the Elon Musk-created electric cars are the least likely to be stolen, Loop's deep-dive into DVLA data shows. There is just a one-in-7,031 chance of owners of a Tesla opening their curtains in the morning to find an empty driveway. Only 33 thefts were reported for the EV brand last year, with the Model 3 recording as many losses as all other models combined. Once vehicles out of production are included however, Tesla loses the accolade to British brute-manufacturer TVR. Despite nearly 11,000 registered vehicles scattered across the country, only one was reported stolen during the whole of 2024 – a T350. Ferraris also fared well, with owners of the luxury Italian supercars only facing a roughly one-in-4,000 chance of a falling victim to car thieves. Below is the list of 100 cars most likely to be targeted by thieves based on volume of reported stolen models versus the number registered in the UK... 100 CARS MOST LIKELY TO BE STOLEN BASED ON THEFTS VS REGISTRATIONS (2024) Rank Make Model Thefts Registered Proportion stolen 1 LEXUS LEXUS ES 300 221 6,587 1-in-30 2 LEXUS LEXUS RX 450 717 27,837 1-in-39 3 MERCEDES MERCEDES GLS CLASS 91 3,584 1-in-39 4 ALFA ROMEO ALFA ROMEO STELVIO 87 4,734 1-in-54 5 LEXUS LEXUS LC 500 11 601 1-in-55 6 LEXUS LEXUS UX 250 335 20,625 1-in-62 7 KIA KIA STINGER 34 2,226 1-in-65 8 LEXUS LEXUS NX 300 383 28,539 1-in-75 9 ABARTH ABARTH 500 69 6,015 1-in-87 10 ALFA ROMEO ALFA ROMEO GIULIA 95 8,326 1-in-88 11 AUDI AUDI RS5 30 2,887 1-in-96 12 KIA KIA EV6 174 17,006 1-in-98 13 MERCEDES MERCEDES G CLASS 20 1,955 1-in-98 14 HYUNDAI HYUNDAI IONIQ 644 62,979 1-in-98 15 AUDI AUDI RS3 71 7,427 1-in-105 16 MERCEDES MERCEDES GLE CLASS 358 39,093 1-in-109 17 AUDI AUDI RS7 8 882 1-in-110 18 MASERATI MASERATI LEVANTE 30 3,328 1-in-111 19 ABARTH ABARTH 595 192 21,309 1-in-111 20 BMW BMW X6 162 18,053 1-in-111 21 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER 635 72,761 1-in-115 22 TOYOTA TOYOTA RAV4 1452 167,095 1-in-115 23 LAND ROVER LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER VELAR 361 46,236 1-in-128 24 AUDI AUDI RSQ3 27 3,569 1-in-132 25 JEEP JEEP WRANGLER 70 9,403 1-in-134 26 AUDI AUDI RSQ8 9 1,289 1-in-143 27 TOYOTA TOYOTA CAMRY 15 2,200 1-in-147 28 LAND ROVER LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER SPORT 1032 155,902 1-in-151 29 BMW BMW I8 15 2,309 1-in-154 30 JAGUAR JAGUAR F-PACE 440 70,535 1-in-160 31 JAGUAR JAGUAR XE SERIES 282 45,344 1-in-161 32 MERCEDES MERCEDES GLC CLASS 573 93,894 1-in-164 33 AUDI AUDI SQ5 82 13,446 1-in-164 34 MERCEDES MERCEDES S CLASS 189 32,207 1-in-170 35 AUDI AUDI S5 68 11,618 1-in-171 36 BENTLEY BENTLEY BENTAYGA 25 4,286 1-in-171 37 AUDI AUDI S4 65 11,188 1-in-172 38 TOYOTA TOYOTA C-HR 745 130,964 1-in-176 39 PORSCHE PORSCHE MACAN 266 46,822 1-in-176 40 BMW BMW M4 115 20,365 1-in-177 41 AUDI AUDI S3 220 39,014 1-in-177 42 BMW BMW 7 SERIES 142 25,480 1-in-179 43 JAGUAR JAGUAR F-TYPE 92 16,659 1-in-181 44 BMW BMW M1 184 33,694 1-in-183 45 AUDI AUDI SQ7 23 4,214 1-in-183 46 LAND ROVER LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER EVOQUE 1189 221,953 1-in-187 47 AUDI AUDI Q7 302 57,062 1-in-189 48 LAND ROVER LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 1698 324,059 1-in-191 49 JAGUAR JAGUAR E-PACE 190 36,340 1-in-191 50 BMW BMW X5 613 118,704 1-in-194 51 BMW BMW X4 104 20,344 1-in-196 52 LAND ROVER LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER 586 118,546 1-in-202 53 TOYOTA TOYOTA PRIUS 614 125,006 1-in-204 54 BMW BMW M2 109 23,871 1-in-219 55 FORD FORD ECOSPORT 506 113,411 1-in-224 56 BMW BMW M3 163 36,832 1-in-226 57 TOYOTA TOYOTA ESTIMA 16 3,628 1-in-227 58 BMW BMW 4 SERIES 489 115,798 1-in-237 59 KIA KIA NIRO 514 121,869 1-in-237 60 KIA KIA PROCEED 45 10,737 1-in-239 61 BMW BMW 6 SERIES 102 25,045 1-in-246 62 AUDI AUDI A7 70 18,115 1-in-259 63 AUDI AUDI RS4 29 7,528 1-in-260 64 MERCEDES MERCEDES CLS CLASS 101 26,265 1-in-260 65 BMW BMW M5 34 9,054 1-in-266 66 MERCEDES MERCEDES E CLASS 892 262,110 1-in-294 67 MERCEDES MERCEDES GL CLASS 13 3,836 1-in-295 68 AUDI AUDI R8 14 4,287 1-in-306 69 FORD FORD MUSTANG 44 13,706 1-in-312 70 FORD FORD FIESTA 4719 1,474,134 1-in-312 71 MASERATI MASERATI GHIBLI 12 3,788 1-in-316 72 BMW BMW X7 15 4,760 1-in-317 73 AUDI AUDI S1 9 2,870 1-in-319 74 TOYOTA TOYOTA LANDCRUISER 91 29,806 1-in-328 75 MERCEDES MERCEDES C CLASS 1233 406,102 1-in-329 76 VOLVO VOLVO S90 23 7,884 1-in-343 77 NISSAN NISSAN JUKE 1136 390,844 1-in-344 78 AUDI AUDI Q8 44 15,234 1-in-346 79 BMW BMW 5 SERIES 708 247,846 1-in-350 80 MERCEDES MERCEDES CLA CLASS 287 10,0762 1-in-351 81 AUDI AUDI RS6 18 6,463 1-in-359 82 BENTLEY BENTLEY CONTINENTAL 46 16,565 1-in-360 83 PORSCHE PORSCHE CAYENNE 118 43,041 1-in-365 84 CUPRA CUPRA LEON 29 10,674 1-in-368 85 AUDI AUDI A8 36 13,494 1-in-375 86 VOLVO VOLVO XC90 248 95,933 1-in-387 87 BMW BMW X3 320 124,198 1-in-388 88 DS DS DS4 17 6,668 1-in-392 89 KIA KIA SORENTO 114 44,775 1-in-393 90 LAND ROVER LAND ROVER DEFENDER 147 58,117 1-in-395 91 JAGUAR JAGUAR XF SERIES 252 99,731 1-in-396 92 HYUNDAI HYUNDAI TUCSON 580 234,077 1-in-404 93 HYUNDAI HYUNDAI SANTA FE 106 43,371 1-in-409 94 FORD FORD TOURNEO 99 40,521 1-in-409 95 CHEVROLET CHEVROLET CAPTIVA 15 6,195 1-in-413 96 PORSCHE PORSCHE PANAMERA 22 9,226 1-in-419 97 BMW BMW 3 SERIES 1415 611,302 1-in-432 98 DS DS DS3 87 37,677 1-in-433 99 AUDI AUDI A5 305 134,190 1-in-440 100 BMW BMW 8 SERIES 17 7,758 1-in-456 Source: Loop analysis of DVLA data
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Drivers risk fine of £2,500 if their car is in a 'dangerous condition'
DVLA urges drivers to perform three essential checks before getting on the road to reduce this risk Drivers should conduct three essential checks on their vehicles before embarking on any trip. Failing to maintain a car in a safe condition may result in fines reaching £2,500, a possible permanent driving ban and three penalty points on the driver's licence. Although it seems straightforward, the latest advice from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) reminds drivers to verify that their windscreens, windows, and mirrors are clean before driving. Additionally, it's crucial to check that the lights and brakes are functioning properly to prevent any hazardous situations. "You're responsible for making sure your vehicle is always safe to drive ('roadworthy')," the DVLA has warned. "It can be unsafe even if you have a current MOT certificate." In addition to these three checks, the DVLA stated that a vehicle's handbook should contain information on the frequency of checking the following attributes: Water level in the radiator or expansion tank Engine oil Windscreen and rear window washer bottles Tyres Car battery Brake fluid level Light vans, cars, and trailers must always maintain a tyre tread depth of at least 1.6mm. In contrast, larger vehicles, motorcycles, and passenger-carrying vehicles should have a minimum tread depth of at least 1mm. However, it is important to acknowledge various other potential driving hazards too. Recent research by the RAC indicates that common behaviours, such as talking with passengers and daydreaming, are the leading causes of driving errors, surpassing more obvious distractions. The study found that over 60% (63%) of participants admitted to making a driving mistake due to distractions, whether internal or external. Over 40% of drivers (43%) confessed that conversing with passengers led to driving mistakes. Additionally, distractions from daydreaming were identified as the second most common cause of errors, with more than a third (37%) of drivers admitting that this type of distraction resulted in mistakes. Amidst this, RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: "Talking to passengers or daydreaming are so common that they aren't perceived by drivers to be big distractions, but our research has revealed they are in fact responsible for most of the errors drivers admit to, whether that's missing a turning, exceeding the speed limit or ending up in the wrong lane. "While dropping an item or applying make-up are clearly extremely distracting and dangerous, they're fortunately far less common than everyday things like talking to another passenger, an interfering thought or spotting something interesting outside the vehicle. Although your eyes are on the road, it's easy for your mind to wander behind the wheel, especially on long journeys. "Distractions can have catastrophic consequences for both drivers themselves and other road users, especially in extreme instances like failing to stop at a junction or at a red light or crossing. "The practice of driving is second nature for many of us, but our research suggests things we do without thinking in the car have far more potential to cause us to make errors than we might realise. "Driving is still a very mentally demanding task, especially as we need to be able to react to what's in front in a split-second, so it's important we do everything we can to stay alert and minimise distractions."
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Drivers could be fined £640 this summer over missing three documents in car
Motorists are being warned that they could be fined hundreds of pounds if they don't carry three essential documents in their glovebox this summer when driving abroad - and two of them are new Motorists are being warned that they could face fines of up to £640 this summer if their vehicles lack three essential documents. A holiday warning has been issued to drivers over the hefty fines they could incur while driving abroad in July. British drivers venturing overseas need to ensure they are fully equipped with the necessary items when motoring in Europe. Essentials such as a warning triangle, a high-visibility jacket, and a first aid kit should not be overlooked. Also, on the list is a magnetic UK sticker. Brits need to display a UK sticker clearly on their vehicle if the number plate has a GB identifier with the Union Flag, a Euro symbol, a national flag of England, Scotland or Wales and numbers and letters only – no flag or identifier. Simple airport duty free trick to bag cheaper beauty and alcohol before arriving In Europe, if Brits drive without the correct sticker, they will be given a €140 or £120 fine while on the continent. And every driver should double-check their paperwork before heading overseas. A valid driving licence, car insurance details and vehicle registration documents are needed at all times. Missing any of these could significantly disrupt your plans and result in fines up to €750, which works out at £640. It's better to be over-prepared than to face any delays, they say. Experts BigWantsYourCar say: "As of April 1, 2024, the DVLA requires that anyone seeking an International Driving Permit must visit a participating PayPoint location, equipped with their full valid photo-card licence, a standard passport photograph, and possibly a valid passport if they have an older paper version licence. "This new procedure is a departure from the past and underscores the need for drivers to be thoroughly prepared before heading to their PayPoint location. "Not every country requires an International Driving Permit, but for over 140 countries that do, including key destinations like Turkey, Mexico, Canada, and Australia, being prepared with the correct type of IDP is crucial for lawful and hassle-free driving." And while using sat-navs, drivers must be aware of restrictions. In countries like France and Cyprus, sat-navs are prohibited and can lead to fines as high as €1,500 as they make drivers aware of speed cameras. It may be worth looking into whether you can turn the speed camera detection feature off, too, motorists have been told. Remember, speed limits can differ significantly across European countries and are strictly enforced, too. Understanding and adhering to these limits is vital. The penalties for speeding can be severe, so it's important to research and respect the speed regulations of each country you visit.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
When you can get £2,500 fine and ban 'for not even starting engine'
Many drivers might think that the threshold for being prosecuted for drink-driving must involve the engine running and the car moving, but this isn't always the case Drivers could face a fine or even a driving ban for being drunk in their car without even starting the engine. Many motorists could be under the misconception that they must be driving their vehicle in order to be prosecuted under drink-related driving laws. However, Section 4 (2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 declares it an offence to be "in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle which is on a road or other public place" while being "unfit to drive through drink or drugs". Typically, the police categorise this as a DR50 driving offence, convicting someone for being in control of a vehicle while unfit due to alcohol. Data obtained by Select Car Leasing via a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request from the DVLA reveals that 288 people were successfully prosecuted under DR50 charges between 2021 and 2024. The FOI request also reveals that 2,178 motorists were successfully prosecuted under a DR40 charge, which is the offence of being in control of a vehicle while over the legal alcohol limit. Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, said: "If you're inside a vehicle with the keys you could be prosecuted under the DR50 offence. "That means if you've had a few too many and fancy sleeping it off in the back seat, you may still end up with a fine and ban." Fine for DR40 and DR50 convictions The DVLA and police use offence codes to categorise driving offences, setting fixed penalties for each one. For those caught under the DR50 or DR40 offences, fines can soar up to £2,500 alongside a haul of up to 10 penalty points. Both of these convictions will also remain on your driving record for four years, either from the date the offence was committed or from the date of conviction which which resulted in a driving disqualification. Drink-drive limit Strict limits for the level of alcohol allowed in the body while operating a vehicle are set out through government guidelines. Police will generally use a breathalyser test to measure the amount of alcohol in a person's body. However, they may also decide to test this with either a blood or urine test. The legal limit for all of these can be found below, with separate limits allowed in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK. Graham added: "Obviously, the best approach is not to drink any alcohol if you're going to drive your car. 'Although there are some rough guidelines out there, there's no way of knowing how a few pints or glasses of wine could affect your ability behind the wheel, as factors such as age, weight, gender and the amount of food you have consumed all come into play. 'It's also important to bust the myth that drinking a coffee or having a shower will sober you up quickly enough to drive safely - it can take hours for alcohol to leave your system. A mistake many people make is to believe they are fit to drive the morning after, no matter how much booze they consumed the night before. 'It is very possible to be still over the limit and as a result be a danger to other road users and risk losing your licence.'
