If it’s important enough for you to spend money, time or energy on it, then it’s important enough to take the time to spot areas of conflict that will undermine your efforts. 

The Government is supporting the reduction of carbon emissions. Yet, for some years, the DVLA has been crushing cars belonging to people who haven’t paid their car tax. 

Both goals are currently receiving air-time on television and seeing adverts like these ones together becomes a bit of a slow handclap moment.

  

 

According to the DVLA 2006 press release, “DVLA is also helping to fight wider vehicle crime. Occupants of untaxed cars are more likely to be involved in criminal activities involving drugs, anti-social behaviour, burglary and violent crime. Therefore, by taking cars away from criminals, they are denied use of the road.”  

There’s more than a hint of petulant retribution in this method of disposal. Since they crush unclaimed cars, does this mean the owner is simply “denied use of the road” until he gets himself another (possibly untaxed) car? 

How does this tie in with the government’s environmental policies? If one arm of the government is advocating greener living while another arm of the same institution is taking little notice, how is the government as a whole, inviting trust and loyalty?

The cars are crushed to scrap metal and recycled but this almost seems secondary to the DVLA’s perceived satisfaction in crushing the car in this advert.   Is this really the most environment friendly way to dispose of a car that may still be in perfect working order? 

Influence and persuasion depend on systemic consistency and the ability to generate trust and loyalty.