Suzuki GT380 - NPR cameras (on the Cat & Fiddle road) - craig-pd130

Just had the delightful Cheshire Road Police take time out from their busy schedule of keeping crime at bay, to measure my rear number plate.

Of course I was only too happy to break a nice sunny day's ride to help them with this.

This is the same number plate that was on the bike when I got it, and with which the bike has passed 12 successive MOT tests.

The helpful officer tried to assert the lettering was 2mm too narrow, until I suggested that that holding the ruler steady while measuring would be a useful idea.

Apparently it's very important that we all have number-plate lettering the correct size, so that the NPR cameras can work properly.

I assured them I was glad to be able to keep Cheshire Road Policing's numberplate measuring teams in gainful employment, especially on a sunny Sunday when I'm sure even the most hardened criminals want to take time off, kick back and have a beer and a barbecue.

From this, I can only conclude that the cameras aren't working properly. So everyone make sure to measure their numberplates really really carefully, hmmm? Don't want to risk your registration not being picked up by the cameras.

A quick Google when I got home found this lovely document: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2001/20010561.htm#14


Worth a look as a lot of people seem to be getting stopped for this. The link clearly explains the legal requirements for a bike plate, and these are VERY different from a car plate's requirements. So it's worth checking as you could get issued a penalty notice incorrectly.

Edited by craig-pd130 on 24/05/2010 at 18:15

Suzuki GT380 - NPR cameras (on the Cat & Fiddle road) - runnerbean14

Ooh - er, aren't the regs on that link complicated.

I suppose, on the other hand, it's one step better than living in a dictatorship.

Suzuki GT380 - NPR cameras (on the Cat & Fiddle road) - Piglumps

Isn't the Cat N Fiddle the place where they've spent a fortune on average speed cameras only to suddenly find that there's a shortcut which knocks it all into a cocked hat?

Bet you sleep soundly in your bed at night knowing that your number plate's ok?

Suzuki GT380 - NPR cameras (on the Cat & Fiddle road) - craig-pd130

That's right -- it's possible to take a minor, NSL (60mph) road which cuts around a mile off the main-road distance between the first two camera gantries.

So in theory, a vehicle adhering to the posted speed limits AND taking the short-cut, could be done for exceeding the 50mph average speed limit between the camera gantries.

It would certainly make an interesting test-case if someone took it to court.