The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has urged all motorists to take “five minutes” to check an important thing about their car is up-to-date.

It has told motorists to make sure their vehicle has the correct tax status, meaning motorists will be able to avoid a potentially hefty fine.

Vehicles are obligated to be appropriately taxed, unless they are specifically exempt.

A steep fine or court action might be the fate of drivers who fail to pay their vehicle tax. They might even face having their vehicles clamped or taken away.

The DVLA reports that compliance is high, with less than 2% of vehicles being untaxed, reports the Mirror.

It announced on Tuesday that motorists should utilise their online services to spend a quick “five minutes” making life a tad easier for themselves. The DVLA put out a Twitter post stating: “Do you know when your vehicle tax is due? With a driver and vehicles account, you can choose to receive vehicle tax reminders by text or email!”

It reinforced the simplicity of conducting the process online: “Make life a little easier, it only takes around 5 minutes, http://gov.uk/dvla/account #DVLADigital”.

In addition to this, drivers can also set up an online account where they can conduct other tasks as well:

• view your driving record, for example vehicles you can drive
• check your penalty points or disqualifications
• add and view details of your vehicles – including when the MOT expires
• check the tax rates for your vehicles
• set up vehicle tax reminders by email and SMS – if you pay tax every 6 or 12 months
• choose to stop getting vehicle tax reminders by post
• renew your photocard driving licence