AS someone who pays around £700 a year in road tax and insurance and who was recently hit by an uninsured vehicle in Middlesbrough, I congratulate the police in removing 20 untaxed cars from the streets of York - especially the one driven by the moron who claimed she "did not know" whether it was taxed or not (August 3).

However, 20 cars is less than one per cent of the reported 28,000 untaxed vehicles now in use in North Yorkshire.

With the DVLA's computerised record-keeping, it should be possible to track down and confiscate every one of them.

It would cost money, but if the insurance industry could be persuaded to make an up-front investment in such a crackdown, they may well recoup that cash through reduced accident claims.

I understand that every legitimate motorist in the country pays a surcharge of about £30 on their insurance to cover the cost of accidents caused by drivers without any - most of whose vehicles are probably also untaxed - because a valid insurance certificate is needed to buy a tax disc.

If the vehicles causing these accidents were removed, we may get some of that money back. The taxpayer would benefit, too, through the reduced cost of treating accident victims, statutory sick pay and so on. The environment would be a winner, because 28,000 run-down, fume-belching cars would be taken out of circulation.

Then there is the deterrent effect.

Who knows - there may even be some money left over to reduce the road tax for those prepared to obey the law.

Leo Enticknap,

Ingram House,

Bootham, York.

Updated: 11:17 Thursday, August 05, 2004