Vehicle
crime reduction initiatives
One
of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agencys
(DVLA) key aims is to reduce vehicle related
crime. The Agency achieves this by a number
of measures they have put in place.
Emphasising
the importance of the registration certificate
The
law requires someone selling a vehicle
to pass the relevant part of the registration
document to the purchaser and notify
DVLA of the change. DVLA and the police
strongly recommend that prospective
purchasers have sight of the registration
document V5 or registration certificate
V5/C and physically check details contained
on it against the vehicle prior to purchase.
In order to tax a used vehicle with
form V10 (or V85 for heavy goods vehicles)
it is necessary to produce the appropriate
section of the registration document
or certificate. Thus making it essential
that the appropriate part of the registration
certificate is passed on to the buyer
when a vehicle is sold.
Vehicle
identity checks (VIC)
The
VIC scheme, operated by the Vehicle
and Operator Service Agency (VOSA) is
a means of deterring criminals from
disguising stolen cars with the identity
of those written off or scrapped. DVLA
is notified of all cars that are declared
as written off or scrapped due to substantial
accident damage by the insurance industry.
Following notification of the successful
completion of the VIC test a new registration
certificate will be issued and annotated
to show that the vehicle has been seriously
accident damaged or repaired.
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Certificates
of destruction
The
End of Life vehicles directive allows a certificate of
destruction (COD) to be issued for a vehicle taken to
an authorised treatment facility (ATF) for destruction.
The COD will be issued to the last owner or holder of
the vehicle and will end the keepers financial responsibility
by updating the record held at DVLA. To process end of
life vehicles, the ATF must be licensed by the Environment
Agency or Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Registration
of number plate suppliers
The
Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001 requires all number plate suppliers
in England and Wales to register with DVLA. The registration
of number plate suppliers (RNPS) scheme ensures that number
plates are only sold by registered suppliers and to a
purchaser who can show entitlement to a particular registration
mark and can provide verification of personal details.
Number plate suppliers are required to keep records of
sales and make them available for inspection by the police
or local authorities.
Continuous
registration
In
January 2004 a new system of continuous registration was
introduced. Under this system, the registered keeper of
a vehicle remains financially responsible for the vehicle,
until DVLA is formally notified of its transfer or disposal.
This makes it possible to carry out enforcement from the
record, instead of relying on a sighting on the public
road and encourages individuals to notify DVLA of any
changes in keeper details.
Name
and address checks
To
improve accuracy DVLA has introduced new measures to check
name and address details to be entered onto the vehicle
record. From 1 January 2004 documentary evidence is required
to verify name and address with forms V55/4 and V55/5
used mainly to register imported vehicles, re-builds and
kit built vehicles.
Since
October 2004 more thorough measures are being taken to
establish the true address when registration documents
are returned undelivered.
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