DVLA Criticised for Selling Motorist Details

Two MPs have voiced their concerns over the DVLA selling motorist details to "shady operators and crooks".

Their concerns have been backed up by the Association of British Drivers (ABD) who said that car owners should not have to worry about their personal information being passed on to "extortionists", especially as all motorists must register their details with the DVLA. Effectively there is no way to "opt out" of a scheme that could involve the re-sale of personal details: including name, address, and registration number.

A spokesman from ABD, Nigel Humphries said: "They (motorists) expect such information to be retained by the government for official purposes only." Mr Humphries has suggested that government leaders work towards closing this loophole in the law.

Number Plate Rules Threaten Validity of MOT's

Thousands of motorists this week look set to fail their MOT due to new DVLA rules designed to catch drivers who deliberately "doctor" their number plates.

The new rules will see the vehicle fail the test if its number plate uses reflective paint, or uses an altered background, with the aim of obscuring the registration number. This is typically done to make the registration impossible for a speed camera to read.

According to The Department for Transport, there are about 40,000 motorists with such a registration plate.

A DfT spokesman said: "The MOT test already includes a basic check of registration-plates – primarily to ensure that characters are properly formed and recognisable, and also to ensure that the plates are complete and not in danger of falling off the vehicle."

"The main purpose of this modification to the MOT test is to detect registration-plates which have an illegal background that can prevent identification of the plate by traffic enforcement cameras."