London: More than 18,000 vehicles in the United Kingdom are currently being used without accurate ownership address records, alongside growing misuse of cloned and untraceable number plates, raising concerns over accountability and road safety.
The issue highlights a growing trend of so-called ‘ghost owners,’ where drivers cannot be traced or held responsible for offences.
Data obtained through a Freedom of Information request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency revealed that 18,260 vehicles are registered to the agency’s own address, meaning the actual location of their owners is unknown.
Labour MP Sarah Coombes has urged immediate action, warning that weak regulations are enabling the rise of untraceable drivers. Coombes has campaigned against what she describes as overly lenient rules that make it easy to obtain cloned or unregistered number plates, and was expected to address the issue in a parliamentary debate.
While the DVLA stated that many of these vehicles may belong to car traders and may not pose a major concern, the British Parking Association, which submitted the FOI request, believes the scale of the issue could be significantly larger.
It noted that between 10 percent and 20 percent of requests for vehicle ownership data return no results, partly due to missing address records and issues such as cloned number plates.
There are currently more than 34,000 registered number plate suppliers in the UK, who can be approved with a one-time fee of £40 and without background checks. A previous government-backed investigation found that over 130 suppliers were willing to provide cloned plates.
Another growing concern is the use of ‘ghost plates,’ which are designed with reflective coatings to evade detection by police cameras, allowing drivers to avoid penalties.
Coombes warned that gaps in DVLA systems are enabling dangerous driving and criminal activities, including street racing, drug-related offences, and even serious crimes, to go unchecked.
The rise of ‘ghost owners’ means offences such as speeding and hit-and-run incidents often go unpunished because drivers cannot be identified.
The MP also highlighted the wider impact on the public, noting that untraceable drivers contribute to rising car insurance premiums and undermine trust in road safety systems.
In response, a spokesperson for the Department for Transport said the government’s road safety strategy includes measures to tackle illegal number plates. These include proposals for stricter penalties, tighter standards for plate production, and enhanced checks during MOT testing to prevent misuse.
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