Ripsaw Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Examiner - 31st August Public Notices (Page 29) Notice has been published for the "Suppliers and Users of Vehicle Number Plates" setting out the criteria of what constitutes legal number plates. A couple of months ago it was announced that there would be a clampdown on "illegal" plates, ie white on black, grey on black, italics, misrepresentation of characters etc... The clampdown was put on hold as an amnesty to enable drivers the chance to change theirs before facing prosecution. Assume that as from this public notice that if your car doesn't conform to British Standards that the amnesty is over. Petty or not, you may now be a sitting duck for prosecution by means of fixed penalty fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Old Git Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I think the quantity of illegal plates is getting worse recently - some are really taking the xxxx the way they've been altered so much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uni Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Most garages stick black ones on by default. Would be funny if everyone got fined Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Old Git Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Most garages stick black ones on by default That's not been my experience with new cars. I don't see why a garage would break the law re number plates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cret Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Quite sure my car is 'mature' enough to legitimately have black & silver plates anyway so I'm not bothered. That said, it just has bog standard yellow/white ones anyway. One traffic bobby I spoke to said they weren't bothered by them because it makes cars easier to pick out/distinguish between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripsaw Posted September 3, 2004 Author Share Posted September 3, 2004 I used to work at Westminster about 5/6 years ago and one of my (many) jobs was to knock up number plates. All cars sold by the garage were supplied with "legal" plates fitted. If a customer wanted grey on blacks we could supply them predrilled or with double sided tape as "extras", but we didn't fit them. This was purely because of the legal position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uni Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Every car I see out of Glen Cooper, oh look black n00bi plates etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDave Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I bought a set of plates yesterday ('old' Manx plates with euro style lettering) and was warned that I could only put them on a previously registered car, which mine is. (I wanted rid of the garage's "Advert block" on the existing plates!) I know a few people with black/silver plates who suddenly reverted to bog standard plates though. Incidently, the guy in the garage mentioned they were doing a storming trade in number plates! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue kipper Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I think that most people have these illegal (silver on black) plates because they simply look much better than these awful ones with dashes in. As I understand, the silver-on-blacks are legal provided the car they are displayed on was made before 1989. You see so many on Mercs, Porsches and Beemers. The new style of plates that they have brought out in the UK (and indeed over here) that have the smaller, more squared letters and numbers, look OK, but the very new local ones (i.e. GMN --- T, U etc) with the really blocky characters I think are terrible, I can't think why people have them on their cars. One interesting point - in the cul-de-sac where I live there are also three policemen's houses. All three of them have silver on black plates on cars registered after 1989. Says it all really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mission Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I had a metallic black car once and it had black plates with silver characters. It did look very smart and I can't really see what all the fuss is about but hey, if that's the law now, there's not a great deal we can do about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilDDog Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I think the number plate law could be part of a great plan. The plan could be that speed limits with cameras are about to be introduced and the cameras read the new number plates better than the ones they're trying to get rid off. They are banking on not many cars or bikes being still around and roadworthy that were registered before 1990. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripsaw Posted September 3, 2004 Author Share Posted September 3, 2004 I don't consider myself to be a stupid person but I struggle to understand what the problem is with "grey on black" plates. My plates are the "Ellan Vannin" type, so I have no personal concern to worry about. I realise that black isn't reflective (a word that pops up a few times in the Public Notice), but if they are fine for 14 year old cars, what is the problem for new cars or ones less than 14 years? I can not think of a single reason why a newer car needs reflective "black on white" or "black on yellow" but an older car doesn't. If it was a road safety matter, then the same law should apply to all vehicles, if it is simply an "identification from a distance" matter, then again, the same law should apply to all vehicles. By all means rap the knuckles of those who turn number 4's to look like the letter A (if only because it looks dickish), or trim the curves off an 8 to look like a B, but "grey on black" is enough of a contrast to clearly disiguish the letters and read the numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC-Drift.com Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Methinks WildDogs hit the proverbial nail on the head Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyconcrete Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I think its simply a matter of people in the government being bored. Ooo no dont worry about the drug dealers, the drink drivers, thieves and vandals - lets get those inconsiderate people with those here stylish plates. I agree with Ripsaw, if they're introducing a ban - it should apply to all vehicles regardless of age. I cant see the reasoning, yellow plates dont fit old cars? (Or maybe the greater % of MHKs have pre-1989 cars?) Maybe they should change the law so people born before 1989 can have black plates - that'd make just about as much sense as the proposed law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R_ReaVeR Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I took delivery of a new car last month and asked the garage for black/silver plates to go with the black colour of the car. Needless to say they said no as they would be open to prosecution and fitted normal plates (thankfully not the ones with dashes in them) which look just as good. I put my money on the speed camera theory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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