Black & white plates and ANPR Q

[Woody.GTJ]

Is it true that ANPR cameras can’t pick up B&W plates or urban myth!?

[Doofus]

Woody.GTJ said:

Is it true that ANPR cameras can’t pick up B&W plates or urban myth!?

If they can recognise front (white and black), why do you presume they can't recognise black and white ones?

[//j17]

Don't know about eh government speeding type but the ANPR system at the channel tunnel has never once managed to recognise the white-on-black front plate on my Spitfire, so I always have to type my booking ref in to the touch insensitive terminal screen (which I can barely see and reach up to from my Spitfire).

[Allan L]

Woody.GTJ said:

Is it true that ANPR cameras can’t pick up B&W plates or urban myth!?

What were you intending to do where that mattered?

[Turbobanana]

Doofus said:

Woody.GTJ said:

Is it true that ANPR cameras can’t pick up B&W plates or urban myth!?

If they can recognise front (white and black), why do you presume they can't recognise black and white ones?

I wonder if the OP means the silver and black ones? You know, the ones every black car over the age of 10 years now wears.

[aeropilot]

Woody.GTJ said:

Is it true that ANPR cameras can’t pick up B&W plates or urban myth!?

I believe its the early original style non-reflective type of B&W plate they may have an issue with picking up (and maybe in poor light only?) rather than ALL types of B&W plates?

[AMGSee55]

Urban myth I believe - I’ve had experience of car park readers not ‘seeing’ my silver on black plate, but I think that was more that it couldn’t compute a ‘72 reg number.

[the tribester]

Woody.GTJ said:

Is it true that ANPR cameras can’t pick up B&W plates or urban myth!?

Myth.

The camera is not looking for a number plate, it's looking for a square or rectangular shape containing characters.
I've seen them read vehicle sign writing, windows, and even the legs supporting central barriers as '11111'.

[singlecoil]

Once I was sitting in a police car at the side of a dual carriageway (while my car was being recovered) and I was stunned at how fast the system was picking up the registrations of the cars in both lanes and displaying the registration details.

[darkyoung1000]

I’m not sure of the science, but the ANPR at my supermarket (used to govern car park stays) doesn’t pick up the silver and black plate of my Morris 8.
No problem with the modern plate on the Corrado though and they’re about the same height and position above the ground.

[GoodOlBoy]

So we already have three examples of car park/toll cameras not picking up old style plates, seems it's rather more than a myth.

Now we need to know whether speed cameras can pick them up. I doubt we'll be so lucky

[a8hex]

GoodOlBoy said:

So we already have three examples of car park/toll cameras not picking up old style plates, seems it's rather more than a myth.

Now we need to know whether speed cameras can pick them up. I doubt we'll be so lucky

For the sped camera ones they'd ultimately flag the image for a human operator to see... then probably triple the fine for being bloody awkward

[austina35]

everytime I go to a pay and display car park here, it never picks up my black and silver plates on my 63' classic. I always end up having a problem getting out of a car park.

years ago, I used to wizz around the north circular road in London near the ace café and the speed cameras would flash. I never received anything in the post.

[aeropilot]

austina35 said:

everytime I go to a pay and display car park here, it never picks up my black and silver plates on my 63' classic. I always end up having a problem getting out of a car park.

years ago, I used to wizz around the north circular road in London near the ace café and the speed cameras would flash. I never received anything in the post.

If you have original style non-reflective plates, that fits in with what I've heard from other people.

[austina35]

yes I have the original plates. the car is unrestored.

[Muddle238]

A supermarket car park I ocassionally use, which utilises some form of ANPR camera cannot read my registration.

It's non reflective white-on-black plate from 1962.

[vpr]

Not the same with Dartford crossing unfortunately

[markymarkthree]

Southmead hospital multi-storey car park Bristol does not pick up my b&w plates on my Cortina, it saves me a fortune.

[Doofus]

Well colour me surprised. I never assumed, for a minute, that anpr wouldn't work.

[jjwilde]

It will depend on how it's programmed.

If the programmer was given a tight schedule and not paid enough I, sorry he, would probably just look for a bright yellow object then try to decode the letters in it based on the correct standard font. Silver & black can go away, I can't be arsed with figuring out if it's someones tshirt or a car.

I also could not be bothered to even look at the plate on the front of the car. Rear plates only.