Record number of complaints over cloned plates in Britain — The Guardian
In the United Kingdom, more than 11,400 drivers contacted the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) last year after receiving fines for offences they did not acknowledge. Most such cases are likely related to number plate cloning — the fraudulent copying of a registration number for a similar vehicle to avoid being detected by cameras. This was reported by The Guardian.
More complaints
According to the motoring organisation RAC, which analysed information obtained through data access requests, the number of complaints about offences being incorrectly attributed was 9% higher than in 2024. Compared with 2018, the figure has almost doubled.
RAC stressed that illegal number plates allow criminals to avoid detection and dangerous drivers to stay out of law enforcement’s sight. Vehicle owners whose plates have been copied have to prove that they were not responsible for an offence recorded by cameras on another vehicle with the cloned registration plate.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The problem of unreadable plates
Particular concern surrounds so-called “ghost” number plates, which are deliberately made unreadable for 18,000 British automatic number plate recognition cameras. These cameras, among other things, monitor compliance with speed limits and lane closures on motorways.
RAC called for the outdated and insufficiently regulated number plate system to be updated. To purchase number plates, buyers must provide suppliers with a V5C registration document and proof of identity. At the same time, an investigation last year found more than 130 official suppliers in the United Kingdom willing to sell cloned number plates.
Last month, the government announced a nationwide crackdown on illegal plates and funding for a new roads policing unit. The new National Roads Policing Coordination Centre will share data and test technologies, including special glasses for detecting plates unreadable by cameras. In the United Kingdom, a number plate displayed in breach of the requirements may result in a fine of up to £1,000.
