A third of car registration details could be wrong
A new report from the National Audit Office into car crime has concluded that 32 per cent of car registration details are inaccurate.
The NAO said that car crime, notably thefts from vehicles, are down 30 per cent from 1999. Whilst this is a “significant achievement” this should be reduced further, considering that Home Office research estimates the cost of thefts to and from vehicles to be £2.1 billion a year.
But, as many as 32 per cent of the DVLA’s vehicle records contain some degree of inaccuracy. This must be improved, the NAO say, if automated systems are to be put in place.
On the positive side, the data is sufficient for the police to trace the registered keeper in 90 per cent of cases.
Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, said that whilst the Home Office was on track to meet its targets, “the continuing number and impact of these crimes means that momentum needs to be maintained once the deadline for this target has expired.”
He added: “Many of the initiatives to tackle vehicle crime that are in place have yet to be fully implemented. Local authorities, car park operators, the Police and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships can all do more to tackle the problem, and progress will be helped by the Home Office and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency improving the information and advice it provides these organisations.”
Home Office Minister Hazel Blears, said she was “pleased” with the report, adding: “We are targeting the 5,000 most prolific and persistent offenders in the country responsible for the most crime, sharing good practice through the crime reduction website, highlighting to motorists the steps they can take to reduce their risk of being a victim of car crime and working with police forces to identify ways of increasing the recovery of forensic material to assist detections. “
