ETA: 8 out of 10 people unaware their road tax may double

Friday, 23, May 2008 12:00

Eighty-four per cent of British drivers are unprepared for the radical changes to road tax rates which will see a million people pay more than double over two years, according to the Environmental Transport Association.

The graduated rates of vehicle excise duty in 2009 will be based on a car’s emissions, but the research reveals that only 16 per cent of people know the current tax band into which their vehicle falls.

Andrew Davis, director at the Environmental Transport Association, said: “The new system aims to encourage drivers to choose the least polluting car, but millions of drivers will get a shock as tax bills land on doorsteps next April –the spiralling cost of motoring means people need it check now how much they will pay.”

The ETA website at www.eta.co.uk features a Car Buyers’ Guide, a free online directory of the environmental performance of over 1300 cars. New figures are published on 18th June 2008.

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Photo caption: 3-year-old Noah comes eye to eye with a Dodge Viper as he helps the Environmental Transport Association search for the greenest cars on sale in Britain – the results are published next month.

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For further information, or a high resolution copy of the photograph, please call Yannick Read at the ETA press office on 0845 389 1064

Notes to editors

• The Environmental Transport Association is a not-for-profit ethical breakdown organisation, providing carbon-neutral breakdown cover and insurance products. As well as encouraging responsible driving to reduce carbon, the ETA campaigns for sustainable transport www.eta.co.uk

• The research carried out by the ETA shows that only 5 per cent of drivers know precisely how much CO2 is produced by the car they drive and a further 11 per cent know the emissions-based tax band into which it falls. Total sample size was 2,060 adults. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all British adults (aged 18+)

• Owners of models of the Renault Espace, Vauxhall Zafira, VW Sharan, Ford Galaxy, and others that emit more than 225g of CO2 per km will pay £430 in 2010 compared with £210 this year.