Research has found that more drivers than ever are breaking the law by driving without valid car tax. Ministry of Justice data shows a significant increase, with 99,694 convictions issued last year—an alarming 94% rise compared to the previous year.
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The Ministry also reported a 31% increase in prosecutions for motoring offences resulting in death, totalling 467 cases in 2023. Additionally, 40,600 offenders were disqualified through penalty points, while 367,800 received points without disqualification.
Speeding offences decreased by eight percent, with over 203,500 drivers found guilty. Meanwhile, convictions for driving without insurance dropped slightly to 71,458, but keeping a vehicle uninsured hit a four-year high at 58,690.
There was a staggering 90% surge in convictions for using mobile devices while driving, totaling 13,332 cases. Drivers caught using a phone face penalties of six points on their licence and a £200 fine.
Overall, the Ministry of Justice recorded 732,758 drivers involved in motoring offences, with 672,901 found guilty. Despite efforts to enforce the law, Jack Cousens from the AA noted that drivers are still “falling foul when it comes to using a mobile phone behind the wheel”.
He emphasised “It is also concerning that driving without tax almost doubled in a year.
"While too early to tell if this rise is related to the cost of living, the high conviction rates should serve as a deterrent not to dodge paying for a virtual tax disc.”
The most frequent motoring offences in 2023 included vehicle insurance, registration, excise licence violations, and speeding, comprising 65% of all prosecutions. Overall, the Ministry reported a 6% rise in total motoring offence prosecutions, increasing from 694,000 in 2022 to 733,000 in 2023.
