Sales of cheap foreign-registered cars are putting UK drivers at risk, according to Parker’s – Britain’s leading experts in car buying advice.
Any car that stays in the UK for more than six months is legally required to be re-registered with the DVLA, but Parker’s has evidence that this isn’t happening and there’s now a black market where foreign-registered vehicles – typically from Poland, Bulgaria and France – are bought and sold.
These cars often would fail our MOT, could be stolen, are uninsurable for UK residents and must get a UK registration before they can be driven.
The Government currently has no record of how many cars are illegally being driven with foreign plates, as vehicle details are not recorded as they enter the country. That means there’s no way of knowing exactly how many cars are involved in this black market. As it stands, there’s no mechanism to track down and prosecute the owners.
Having no UK registration document makes these cars untraceable thus attractive to criminals and drivers looking to evade speeding fines and the London Congestion Charge.
According to the DVLA and Association of British Insurers the problem of non re-registration is on the rise, fuelled by added immigration from Eastern Europe.
Parker’s has simple advice for anyone considering buying a car registered to another country: don’t.