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Just about to put some new plates on my car and was wondering has anyone out there ever actually been pulled for incorrect spacing of letters or incorrect font. And did you get a warning to put it right or an on the spot fine. Mine has been doctored very slightly and I was just wondering what the odds are on being pulled over.
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A friend has been pulled twice and told to make it legal on both occasions. The second time he was told if he was stopped again he would have the plate taken off him - bit of a bummer as its worth about 5 grand!
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A guy in my village actually did have his taken away about 6 months ago. Mind you, it was about his 978th warning. Interestingly the policeman involved has his police motorbike stolen last week, but we're assured the two events are not connected.
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I've just this minute read a small article on the subject in this weeks Auto Express, the police are clamping down because the "Automatic Number Plate Recognition" camera's can't read them all.
West Midlands police are reporting drivers with illegal script or spacing to DVLA and if there not rectified risk having their plates taken off them.
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Old bill is getting hot on this as ANPR is being rolled out nationally. I wouldnt want to give them any excuse for a pull
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Long ago when I was a "fatherless" I used to deal with infringements of number plate regulations with the VDRS Scheme, which I understand still is applicable today. The Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme allowed me to give a ticket to get the fault rectified and providing the ticket was signed/stamped in 14 days by a Garage that all was again lawful and ticket returned then there was no further action. Used to be a fee of &2 by the garage IIRC
However with the introduction of the ANPR equipment as RF points out then things seemed to have been tightened up to enable the equipment to work. There is a specific Regulation now on plates and script see:
www.tinyurl.com/m7v5
Offences against section 59 V.E & Registration Act 1994 (the parent Act responsible for the Reg.)Looks like now a pointless &1000 fine
DVD
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Incidentally the Regulation 11 prohibits anything put on the no.plate that would prevent a photo being taken. (See earlier thread re Growlers magic spray)
DVD
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If you used the spray how would anyone know?
If it was me I'd have a go.
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Easy G.
The photo would show a no no.
Details passed to nearest SWAT Team of Reg KEEPER.
Dawn raid in full Nato riot gear and dogs. Offending plate
seized and sent to Forensic.
Dicky substance confirmed and offender dealt with by official caution now that it is allowed to have a small amount of dicky substance.
You know your cannot beat the Law.......
DVD.
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...but how can they find the keeper without the number?
Serious- Anyway let's say my UK car is registered to my offshore company in Belize so tell 'em to write in and my attorney will get to it when he can: I'll be on the golf course :-)
TIC - Even better, I could find an obliging illegal immigrant, oops sorry asylum seeker, register it in his name and he could plead harassment and discrimination and compensation (I get 60% of the compensation payout).
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Yep the rule is "3 Counts and your Out" that means your reg is cancelled to DVLA and you pay to obtain a new reg. So be carefull and accept that if you gat a warning then fix it or you may loose it at your expense. A mate got 2 warnings before he respaced and moved the fixings. Regards Peter
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Easy G. The photo would show a no no. Details passed to nearest SWAT Team of Reg KEEPER. Dawn raid in full Nato riot gear and dogs. Offending plate seized and sent to Forensic. Dicky substance confirmed and offender dealt with by official caution now that it is allowed to have a small amount of dicky substance. You know your cannot beat the Law....... DVD.
But that number plate was on the car when I bought it officer. It must have been the previous owner.
Or does Growler's magic spray need reapplying every six months?
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"..prohibits anything put on the no.plate that would prevent a photo being taken"
Does that include dirt?
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"..prohibits anything put on the no.plate that would prevent a photo being taken" Does that include dirt?
Yes. You can get pulled if your plate is illegible for any reason, including dirt. Once winter sets in, my de-icing routine includes all windows, all light lenses and both plates. Gives the motor time to warm and keeps me warm with all that scraping! Ditto, when the the roads get salted, I was the lights and plates every evening when I set off home from work, using a squeezy bottle of soapy water and some kitchen towel I keep in the boot for just that reason.
In the meantime, if anyone hears the DVLA are releasing B21CEY, please let me know!
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Thanks, ND - it was a rhetorical question, really, but I assume that it would be difficult for the police to issue much more than a warning, unless you were driving round with a filthy plate for weeks. Or am I being hugely optimistic in our brave new (labour) world? It seems a bit rich to blame the motorist just because number recognition software doesn't work properly!
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The Russian authorities used to pull you in (maybe still do) for having a dirty CAR, never mind licence plate.
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There's a BMW X5 near me that drives around with a PP that is in the old black and white format!
He seems to get away with it.
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Why not just fit legal plates and stop worrying?
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Not quite the same but I have a slightly smaller than legal plate on my bike. (Because it looks better - OK? :-)) Got pulled over and the offence was 'Number plate difficult to read' - £20 fixed penalty, nil points.
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Exactly. Why do people feel the need to use odd fonts, or adjust the spacing of the letters. In my mind I dont read the plate as what they want me to, I just see the word 't**t'
Maybe I should direct my excess energy into photographing and reporting these illegal plates to the police, rather than un taxed police vehicles ;-)
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Mmmmmmmmmmm... food for thought think I will give it a go a see if I get a warning. all i intend to do is use a 0 and cut the middles out to be 11. My plate does actually contain 11 in it but i want it to look like a 0.
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Instead of giving the Government money for a plate that you then have to mess about why not run off a banner on your computer/printer, to stick in the bottom the rear window? It can say "My name is ?????", costs nothing and tells anyone who wants to know, who you are (as if they care anyway) and in a clearly readable form.
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How come you're 'just about to put NEW plates on'?
Surely the plate maker isn't prepared to risk the fine & the risk that he will be prevented from supplying you with plates, which do not conform with current regulations?
We're not even allowed to sell them 'for off road use only', which was our previous way, of trying to cover our backs, for any which were a bit specialised!
VB
PS As I've apologised for before, plate on my van reads....
VAN580Y
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very good reason for not using magic spray, it dont work. All that happens is it gets flagged up as an unreadable number. So MR human intervenes, runs it thro his enhancing software and reads your number. Hence you now have someone on your case that you didnt really want!
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There's a bloke not a million miles from here who's altered his plates with black insulating tape. He's altered a C to read G and a 6 to read B, hence spelling his first initial and surname:
G Bxxx
Forgive me but I really can't understand what satisfaction people derive from this as all it shows is you can't afford a real personal plate. Black sticky tape? How tacky ;-)
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Talking of altering number plates. I occasionally drive past a sign for the village of Snitterton - near Stratford upon Avon. Somebody keeps painting, with black paint, an extension on top the n to turn it into an h. And then somebody overpaints it with white. This has been going on for years.
Why do they do this?
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Forgive me but I really can't understand what satisfaction people derive from this as all it shows is you can't afford a real personal plate. Black sticky tape? How tacky ;-)
V, I can't really understand wht anyone wants a personalised plate in the first place.
I have a friend who has his surname (legally) spelt on his plate with his wife's first 2 letters of her christian name. His cousin has the one with just the first initial (ie. N11 and N1). His brother has one that has his 1st initial and surname and I think that someother family member has one as well.
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Why?!
People will think you're a "BMW Driver" (or other choice word that I can't use) and deliberately try and wind you up, race you or cause you strife in some other way.
Depending on the car, and the italics of the plate, you'll get repeatedly mistaken for a drug dealer.
They just look stupid! In five years time you will look back and wonder what on earth you were doing.
If you want people to look at your car, why not spend the money on maintaining it or making it better by stealth - ie it looks like a normal car but beats everyone else away from the lights?
ANPR isn't all you need to worry about - the fashion police will be watching too!! ;-)
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Hi C - agree, I can't understand it but have no real problem with anyone who wants to spend their money in that fashion either for their own pleasure or for an investment. In fact, I'd rather they did that than equip their cars with bull bars which are undoubtedly dangerous and pose considerable additional risk to others. The only ones I have a real problem with are those who distort their numbers in such a way that makes them virtually illegible and hence difficult to trace in the event of an accident for example. I do cringe every time I see "G Bxxx" though - it's just so sad!
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A bit harsh PG. Not all plates are the drivers intitials - mine for eg is related to the car make/model. Some are really clever, like the London Saab dealer who has SAA13.
I paid £250 for a plate that doesn't say RL51 BVP because I prefer it to be something that I think looks better. I won't get the cash back when I sell the car - I will be leaving it on as it goes with the car, not me - but it might make the car a little easier to sell if the buyer has looked at several the same.
Re: Alterations by owners. These should be dealt with individually. I can't see anything wrong with MER1X or SAM50N (seen both) but the law will. Neither of those could easily be confused with anything else, and imo are even easier to remember in the event of an accident. (I can still remember MER1X driving like a total **** on the M4 a few years ago!)
The US have it right - buy anything you like with 7 digits as long as it isn't already in use or too rude. Why not make more money from the DVLA? At least it's a voluntary contribution to the government!
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Friend of mine was taling to a SAAB dealer in North London whos sales area covers Golders Green. The dealer wondered why his sales were dropping till he realised the local licensing office were issuing him with the letters PLO in the number plates.............
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Mine, 576 UEH, means absolutely nothing at all. I have it for sentimental reasons (maybe could strike out the senti bit there!) those being that my mum retained the plate on all the cars she had after having to get rid of her Austin Cambridge A60 in 1987. It had been her dads car, and she wanted to keep the plate for that reason. When my mum died I felt obliged to carry on with the number. It has been in the family 42 years now.
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V - The bus company I work for recently took delivery of 20 plus new Dennis Darts, all of which had registrations starting SN03. Some wag at the factory in Falkirk had put a little bit of tape along the '3' so that all the number plates started SNOB. How hilarious.
In a similar vein, I have seen a Range Rover in Bromley where the number plate M30 ALS has been doctored with tape to read MEDALS.
Think I might buy shares in insulation tape makers...
Cheers
Rob
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I never understood the fascination for having your name on your reg number. Why would you want a memorable number?
"And what was the registration number of the car that cut you up?"
Option 1
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"Ermm... BV03 something...or was it VB30..."
Option 2
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"Oh, J1 MMY"
hmmm!
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