A scheme to impose automatic £80 fines on motorists who fail to renew their tax disc on time has been criticised by a motoring organisation.

The AA said it was regrettable that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency had not established a formal appeals system to consider extenuating circumstances. Under the new rules, the fines will be triggered by computerised tax records, and there will be no need for police or cameras to physically spot an unlicensed vehicle on the road. Offending motorists across the UK will receive their fines in the post. Under the rules, which were unveiled last May but come into effect this month, persistent offenders will be prosecuted and fined a minimum of £1,000.

Paul Watters, the AA's head of roads policy, agreed that action was needed to clamp down on motorists who collectively evade some £200m in car tax each year by renewing discs late.

But he added: "We are switching from a lax system to a harsh system overnight.

"It is a great shame that the DVLA is not going to establish an independent appeals process because there will be many innocent mistakes. People will get taken suddenly into hospital and the last thing on their mind will be dealing with paperwork.

"People need to know that if they have genuine mitigation they should have a legal right to have that heard."

Mr Watters warned that the new rules would do nothing to combat the problems caused by the large number of drivers who do not feature on the DVLA's database.

"There are a lot of people out there, possibly up to two million, who in motoring terms are completely lawless. Their cars are not registered with the DVLA at all."