800,000 cars reported to the DVLA in a year

Is there anything that winds a Brit up more than inconsiderate parking?

If you’ve ever quietly looked up whether that car should be out there potentially blocking your driveway, then you’re not alone:

• Nearly a third of drivers have looked up whether a car outside their house is taxed.

In addition to this, many go further than just looking. As reported by Petrol Prices, Tempcover obtained figures from the DVLA under a Freedom of Information request. They show over 800,000 reports about untaxed vehicles landed with the DVLA in a single year.

When asked whether they’d ever checked up on a nearby car:

• 30% of drivers said they’d looked up its road tax status, with 12% going on to report it for missing road tax
• 29% had checked whether it had a valid MOT, with 10% reporting a car for lacking one

What reasons did people give for reporting a car? The following came up time and time again:

It looks abandoned or like an eyesore (40%)

• It hasn’t moved from the same spot in weeks (40%)
• It’s taking up scarce parking outside someone’s house (28%)
• It’s blocking access for bin lorries or emergency vehicles (17%)
• It’s blocking a driveway or the pavement (14%)

Most people don’t want to punish the car’s owner, with 37% claiming they just want it removed from their street. However, 28% did hope to see the vehicle towed or impounded when it was eventually removed.

Our survey also uncovered that most drivers have no idea what happens to their insurance if their car ends up impounded.

What actually happens when a car gets impounded

The DVLA can clamp or remove untaxed vehicles from the road, and police can seize vehicles being driven without valid insurance. Once a car has been reported and checked, the enforcement can happen quickly.

Once a vehicle’s been towed to a police station or impound, getting it back is not entirely straightforward.

There are rules to follow and costs to cover, which some drivers may not be aware of. For a start, your regular or temporary car insurance won’t help you retrieve the vehicle.

• If you didn’t realise this, you’re not alone. 85% of drivers don’t know that a standard annual car insurance policy won’t cover getting a vehicle out of an impound.

Getting your car back without the wait

If you find your car impounded, you’re going to need to take out specialist impound insurance to get it back. Impound insurance is designed to meet the 30-day requirement and gives you time to pay the release fee and collect your car before the daily storage charges add up.

It’s worth organising this as soon as possible once you find out your car is in an impound. Time really is money with all the associated fees.

The insurance gap nobody expects

Government rules require proof of 30-day impound insurance to permit the vehicle’s release. If you don’t have this, you won’t be getting your car back and could face some increased fees:

• 36% of drivers didn’t know there’s typically an initial release fee of between £160 and £200
• 49% were not aware of the impound’s daily storage charge - typically £20 or more

As you can see, it’s an expensive business getting your car out of an impound.