Millions of drivers could face steep fines under tougher DVLA rules, including higher penalties, wider use of debt collectors and vehicle clamping.
The DVLA has confirmed that it will launch tougher action against motorists who fail to tax, insure or correctly register their vehicles.
At the centre of the crackdown is Vehicle Excise Duty mispayments, with the DVLA warning that any vehicle kept or used on a public road must be taxed, unless it has been officially declared off the road through a SORN.
Drivers who forget to renew their car taxes face an £80 fine, reduced to £40 if paid within 33 days. If the fine is ignored, the DVLA can pass the debt to a collection agency.
The update detailed how penalties rise sharply if a vehicle is caught on the road without tax, an offence that has been growing across the UK.
The DVLA can issue a "settlement demand" of £30 plus "one-and-a-half times the unpaid tax", although if the case goes to court, fines can reach £1,000.
Meanwhile, drivers who declare their vehicle off the road but are then spotted driving it face even tougher action, including a £30 plus twice the unpaid tax, and court fines of up to £2,500.
The DVLA said it uses several methods to catch untaxed vehicles, including the greater use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, police checks, local council officers, clamping contractors and reports from the public.
The DVLA can clamp vehicles if they do not pay their car tax, with drivers facing hefty retrieval fees
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Motorists who fail to inform the DVLA when they sell a car or change keeper details can be slapped with a £55 fine, although this can be reduced to £35 if paid quickly. But if ignored and the case goes to court, drivers could be issued £1,000 penalties.
Foreign-registered vehicles have also been included in the crackdown. Drivers who fail to meet UK rules risk having their vehicle clamped, removed or even destroyed.
Drivers without insurance are first sent a warning letter, which, if ignored, can result in a £100 fine, although this can be reduced to £50 if paid promptly.
The DVLA said: "Continuous insurance enforcement makes it an offence to be the registered keeper of an uninsured vehicle."
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| DVLAUnder the recently announced Road Safety Strategy, drivers caught without car insurance could soon face even tougher penalties.
At present, the penalties for driving without car insurance can be a fine of up to £1,000 as well as between three and six penalty points on a licence.
Angus Eaton, CEO at Motor Insurers' Bureau, said: "We're encouraged that the Government's Road Safety Strategy announcement includes a consultation on stronger penalties for uninsured driving, failure to stop and the use of ghost plates.
"This is a major breakthrough for MIB's vision to make roads safer by ending uninsured driving for good.
The Road Safety Strategy will look at increasing the penalties for driving without car insurance
| PA"We have worked closely with the government throughout this process and appreciate their commitment to tackling the issues of uninsured and hit-and-run driving. This is a significant problem.
"There is another victim every 20 minutes, thousands of lives are wrecked every year, and the economic cost to the UK runs into billions."
He said the Bureau would continue to call for the penalties to keep pace with the times and remain an effective deterrent.
"We know that three-quarters of the British public agree with our recommendation that the uninsured driving penalty rises to double the average premium," he added.