Press release 14: Saving time saving lives

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has teamed up with Greater Manchester Police to warn motorists that they could be unnecessarily stopped by police if they do not update their driving licence and Vehicle Registration Certificate details. Motorists are being reminded to update their driving documents when their personal details, such as name, address, or vehicle details change.

Police use Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) across the region in a bid to catch criminals on the roads. Greater Manchester Police check thousands of vehicles every day, using information such as personal and vehicle details to help identify suspicious vehicles. DVLA provides the police with a database showing vehicles that are untaxed or do not have any current keeper details. ANPR scans number plates and checks them against this information and several other databases. If a car has been used in a burglary, robbery or is stolen, it will be flagged up by the system and may become subject to police enquiries. If the details are inaccurate or have not been updated, the vehicle may be flagged against these databases and stopped by police. This causes inconvenience to the police and the driver who is stopped. By simply making sure that details are correct, this can easily be avoided.

Chief Inspector Lomax, GMP said:

“In the fight against terrorism and criminals using the road network, ANPR is an important tool. It helps police to gain information about a car quickly and accurately and assists in identifying suspicious vehicles. We don’t want to waste the time of motorists or police by stopping vehicles due to inaccurate information held on the database. Therefore, we encourage the law abiding public to make sure their details are correct so we can focus our attention where it should be, catching the criminals.”

Make sure you don’t waste your time or police time and update your DVLA details today. For more information visit www.direct.gov.uk/motoring

Notes to editors:

• DVLA is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT)
• DVLA is responsible for issuing documents, and keeping records for, all drivers and vehicles in Great Britain
• DVLA also collects and enforces payments of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED)
• DVLA has launched the ‘Update Your Details’ campaign to remind all UK drivers to update their driving licence and vehicle registration details when their personal details change i.e. name and/or address

For more information please contact:

Charlotte Davies
Tel: 020 7299 8748
mail: charlotte.davies@geronimocommunications.com