Theft vehicle offences

Taking motor vehicle or other conveyance without authority

Legislation covered

Topics covered

  • Conveyance
  • Consent
  • Take
  • Use
  • Carried

Knowledge test

Start by writing down the TWOC legislation – as much as you know of s.12(1). It is written below the video so once you’ve watched the video you can check and see how much you knew correctly. Don’t worry about the aggravated offence, we will cover s.12A later.


Taking motor vehicle or other conveyance without authority lesson video


Knowledge check

Return to the legislation you wrote out at the beginning of the lesson and see if you were correct.

A person shall be guilty of an offence if –

without having the consent of the owner or other lawful authority, he takes any conveyance for his own or another’s use or, knowing that any conveyance has been taken without such authority, drives it or allows himself to be carried in or on it.

Make a note of anything you missed or wrote incorrectly. These will become the areas you need to work on.


Applying understanding

Next we will test your understanding of the legislation. Try the following exercise where you need to select all conveyances. You can check your answers at the bottom if you don’t get them first time.


Quick review

Review the core parts of TWOC with these flash cards.


Aggravated vehicle taking

Legislation covered

Topics covered

  • Mechanically propelled vehicles
  • Use of the vehicle
  • Dangerous driving
  • Injury
  • Accident
  • Damage
  • Defence

Knowledge test

Start by writing down the aggravated vehicle taking legislation – as much as you know of s.12A. It is written below the video so once you’ve watched the video you can check and see how much you knew correctly.


Aggravated vehicle taking lesson video


Knowledge check

Return to the legislation you wrote out at the beginning of the lesson and see if you were correct.

A person is guilty of aggravated taking of a vehicle if –

(a) he commits an offence under section 12(1) above (in this section referred to as a “basic offence”) in relation to a mechanically propelled vehicle; and

(b) it is proved that, at any time after the vehicle was unlawfully taken (whether by him or another) and before it was recovered, the vehicle was driven, or injury or damage was caused, in one or more of the circumstances set out in paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (2) below.

(2) The circumstances referred to in subsection (1)(b) above are

(a) that the vehicle was driven dangerously on a road or other public place;    

(b) that, owing to the driving of the vehicle, an accident occurred by which injury was caused to any person;    

(c) that, owing to the driving of the vehicle, an accident occurred by which damage was caused to any property, other than the vehicle;    

(d) that damage was caused to the vehicle.

Make a note of anything you missed or wrote incorrectly. These will become the areas you need to work on.


Applying understanding

Next we will test your understanding of the legislation. Look at the following examples and decide which are aggravated offence. Select “True” for each incidence of the aggravated offence. Each questions is independent from the previous one.


Quick review

Review the core parts of aggravated vehicle taking with these flash cards.


Interference with vehicles

Legislation covered

Topics covered

  • Interference
  • Motor vehicle/trailer

Knowledge test

Start by writing down the interference with vehicles legislation – as much as you know of s.9 of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981. It is written below the video so once you’ve watched the video you can check and see how much you knew correctly.


Interference with vehicles lesson video


Knowledge check

Return to the legislation you wrote out at the beginning of the lesson and see if you were correct.

A person is guilty of the offence of vehicle interference if –

he interferes with a motor vehicle or trailer or with anything carried in or on a motor vehicle or trailer with the intention that an offence specified in subsection (2) below shall be committed by himself or some other person.

(2) The offences mentioned in subsection (1) above are

(a) theft of the motor vehicle or trailer or part of it;   

(b) theft of anything carried in or on the motor vehicle or trailer; and

(c) an offence under section 12(1) of the Theft Act 1968 (taking and driving away without consent);

and, if it is shown that a person accused of an offence under this section intended that one of those offences should be committed, it is immaterial that it cannot be shown which it was.

Make a note of anything you missed or wrote incorrectly. These will become the areas you need to work on.


Applying understanding

Next we will test your understanding of the legislation. Look at the following examples and decide which are *****. Each questions is independent from the previous one.


Comparison between offences

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What next…?

Before completing the 20 questions below and rather than review the topics above any further at this point, move on to study another topic. This will give you time to find out how much you have actually remembered, and which areas have been forgotten.

Suggested topics –

  • Road traffic act – definitions
  • Dangerous driving
  • Criminal damage

Return to these vehicle offences at a later date and write out all 3 offences (before reading anything else), then check them against the legislation above. Any areas of weakness need to be returned to after a further break. Remember to keep extending the gap between reviewing work. Spaced repetition is the key.


20 questions

Now you have returned to the theft vehicle offences after studying other topics, take the quiz to see how much information you have retained.