The latest figures from the Department of Transport show that road tax evasion has been cut by 40%.

This drop is mainly due to the introduction of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology.

The number of vehicles not registered for road tax has been cut from 1.7% to 1%. The department attributes this reduction to a fleet of ANPR-equipped vehicles and static cameras.

Transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: “The vast majority of motorists properly license their vehicles, keep them in a good condition and make sure they are fully insured. The small minority who refuse to do so are a menace on our roads and are more likely to be involved in wider criminality.

“The DVLA has made it easier than ever to license a vehicle and is also cracking down on those who refuse to do so – so I am delighted that we have seen such a significant fall in the level of road tax evasion.

“But we are not complacent and will continue to take action against those who fail to license their vehicles. There is no way out for road tax evaders.”