Drivers are expected to fork out £2.15billion in parking and traffic fines this year, with more than 30million requests being made to the DVLA for the name and address of vehicle owners so far. These requests allow private and public authorities to hand out fines and have resulted in drivers receiving a massive 62% increase in fines since 2020.
Parking fines are estimated to cost drivers £915million, accounting for almost half (43%) of all penalties (including fines from parking firms, local authorities and toll roads). The latest investigation by the online car-changing marketplace Carwow explored the DVLA’s Keeper At Date Of Event (KADOE) database to reveal the scale of the issue. Registered private companies and local authorities have ramped up their requests for driver data by two-thirds since 2020, resulting in a whopping 62% increase in fines.
Transport for London (TfL) displayed the largest increase in vehicle keeper requests from local authorities. In the financial year 2018/19, TfL made just under 700,000 requests. This figure rose by 529% in 2022/23 to 4.4 million. TfL has handed out an estimated £359 million worth of fines so far in 2024, 17% of the total projection for the financial year.
Iain Reid, head of editorial at Carwow, said: “It’s clear from the number of requests for vehicle keeper data being made year on year that registered private companies and public authorities are clamping down on parking and traffic violations. The introduction of Clean Air Zones and Ultra-Low Emission Zones over recent years is likely to have a large role in the growth in fines.
“Figures have been rising in line with the introduction and further expansion of ULEZ in London and with Clean Air Zones being introduced in cities as recently as December 2023, it’s possible that fines could reach record-breaking heights. As multiple new laws have come into effect regarding Clean Air Zones, we would encourage all drivers to spend extra time planning your route, checking the rules of the roads being entered and whether your car is compliant or not.
“We tend to get complacent in areas where we drive most frequently. So, staying alert to new signage and regulations can save you time and money. Otherwise, you could get caught out.”
