Official figures show that around 13 percent of the 635,445 wheel shackles fitted on cars were “gone on arrival” when Government contractors returned to an untaxed vehicle. This means they had been “removed, damaged or missing”, according to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
The main “age of rage” was 2019, when a staggering 21,387 clamps locked into place by the DVLA’s contractor NSL Ltd were damaged or removed.
Graham Conway, managing director of Select Car Leasing – who obtained the data via the Freedom of Information Act – warned that the destructive behaviour could land drivers behind bars.
He said: “Removing a lawful wheel clamp is an offence under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, as well as ignoring the important fact that you haven’t paid your road tax.
“Owning a car can be expensive, especially at the moment with the high cost of fuel and the shortage of second-hand models on the market.
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If a motorist is unable to re-tax the vehicle, a refundable surety fee of £160 must also be paid with the £100 release fee.
If the vehicle is removed 24 hours after it’s clamped, the release fee increases to £200 with an additional £21 per day storage fee.
The surety fee allows road users to drive the vehicle for 24 hours to move it off the highway and onto private land or a driveway.
Any untaxed vehicle not on a driveway or a SORN vehicle not on driveway or private land, can be clamped again after 24 hours.
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In February, the DVLA launched its “tax it or lose it” campaign, aimed at getting drivers to pay their car tax.
The DVLA also urges drivers to ensure they meet all the legal obligations before they tax their vehicle and use the roads.
This includes having the correct licence, meeting minimum eyesight rules, and having their vehicle registered, taxed and with a current MOT certificate.
Mr Conway added: “While there are no doubt some innocent mistakes in these figures – drivers who’ve simply forgotten to renew their road tax – there are many more who are flouting the law.
“But what they also show is that the authorities are determined to catch out those unwilling to pay their way.
“And if you do think about removing a clamp, you could be facing a criminal damage charge and plenty more trouble.”
According to the data, the total number of clampings peaked in 2019, with 154,575, while they understandably dipped to 53,000 during the height of the pandemic in 2020.
Birmingham was the capital of car tax dodgers, with England’s second city seeing 21,378 cars clamped between the start of 2017 and the end of 2021.
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