Vehicle cloning rises to highest level on record
Vehicle cloning in the UK has risen to its highest ever level, according to new data analysed by the RAC.
Its Freedom of Information request to the DVLA revealed that last year 11,402 drivers were sent fines or penalties relating to the use of their vehicle which they did not recognise or accept responsibility for.
This is a nine per cent rise on 2024 (10,460) and 93% more than the amount recorded in 2018 (5,912).
On top of vehicle cloning, the data has also uncovered significant growth in the use of ghost plates, which can’t be read by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “The continued rise in the number of cloned vehicles is alarming and confirms that cloning has become the menace of modern-day motoring, as it leaves innocent drivers having to fight to prove they weren’t driving their own vehicle at the time and place camera evidence shows.
“If number plate suppliers were carrying out all the checks they’re supposed to, it would be much harder for dodgy drivers to buy cloned plates in the first place.
“Sadly, once fraudsters have managed to copy someone else’s plate it’s extremely unlikely they will be caught by the police. It’s only when a fine arrives at a vehicle keeper’s home address that they realise someone else is driving around using their vehicle’s number plate illegally.
“In addition to this, we also have ghost number plates to contend with. These plates are either fully or partially invisible to the majority of enforcement cameras and allow drivers to flout the law whenever they get behind the wheel.
“More needs to be done to catch drivers who have ghost plates, whether that’s more police officers being equipped with handheld devices that can detect if plates are unreadable, updating ANPR cameras and introducing higher security standards for number plates and for those who produce them.”
