S172 - Registration mark fails to conform.

[KTMsm]

So to be clear - you knew your plate didn't conform

A Policeman knew your plate didn't conform

And you're wondering why you got a ticket

[Pitre]

I'm old, but I just don't get this obsession with rules.
The plate is perfectly legible.
Prosecuting this sort of thing is what gets the police a bad name FFS.
Dick out!

[KTMsm]

Pitre said:

I'm old, but I just don't get this obsession with rules.
The plate is perfectly legible.
Prosecuting this sort of thing is what gets the police a bad name FFS.
Dick out!

If you wander around with your dick out - that's definitely against the rules

[Jobbo]

Looks odd immediately - I have a legal 5 character plate and there’s less empty space either end so it’s obvious to anyone who looks at plates regularly that something isn’t right.

Why not get a correct height plate which is narrower but still legal? Only needs the prescribed margin to the left and right of the registration number so with 6 legal sized and spaced characters it can still be cut down quite a bit.

[PorkInsider]

Pitre said:

I'm old, but I just don't get this obsession with rules.
The plate is perfectly legible.

Where do you draw the line, though?

[4rephill]

the tribester said:

CoolHands said:

Whatever. How would someone looking at a moving vehicle through a scope know?

I would think if you spend all day, day after day, looking at the numberplates of lines of vehicles passing your point,
you'd spot this immediately.

+1

And if your job is to ensure that number plates comply with the Law, then you're going to report a plate that doesn't comply with the Law - It kinda goes with the job!

[Magnum 475]

Pitre said:

I'm old, but I just don't get this obsession with rules.
The plate is perfectly legible.
Prosecuting this sort of thing is what gets the police a bad name FFS.
Dick out!

I'm not that old, but I really don't get this obsession with plates. It's a registration plate FFS. It's a yellow / white rectangle with some letters & numbers on it. It doesn't do anything. It's not 'special', it's not 'clever', it certainly doesn't say anything, it's just a unique identifier for a vehicle. Why waste time & money trying to make it something it's not, especially when doing so can attract undesirable attention from PC Plod?

[blueg33]

Magnum 475 said:

Pitre said:

I'm old, but I just don't get this obsession with rules.
The plate is perfectly legible.
Prosecuting this sort of thing is what gets the police a bad name FFS.
Dick out!

I'm not that old, but I really don't get this obsession with plates. It's a registration plate FFS. It's a yellow / white rectangle with some letters & numbers on it. It doesn't do anything. It's not 'special', it's not 'clever', it certainly doesn't say anything, it's just a unique identifier for a vehicle. Why waste time & money trying to make it something it's not, especially when doing so can attract undesirable attention from PC Plod?

Indeed. A favourite comment of my recently departed Dad when one of his mates would proudly say "I've got a private plate" he would say "so have I, there is no other the same"

[LordBretSinclair]

blueg33 said:

Indeed. A favourite comment of my recently departed Dad when one of his mates would proudly say "I've got a private plate" he would say "so have I, there is no other the same"

Makes me laugh when people are selling a plate (or the right to display it) they make a great fuss how they are selling a "unique" plate - every effing registration number in the UK is unique. !!!

[Oceanrower]

LordBretSinclair said:

blueg33 said:

Indeed. A favourite comment of my recently departed Dad when one of his mates would proudly say "I've got a private plate" he would say "so have I, there is no other the same"

Makes me laugh when people are selling a plate (or the right to display it) they make a great fuss how they are selling a "unique" plate - every effing registration number in the UK is unique. !!!

I can only assume that you and blueg33 are both a bit dim.

Yes, every plate is unique. Otherwise what would be the point. But are you really saying that having the plate (or, as you put it, the right to display it) K1 NGS or N1 GEL, for example, is the same as having CR59 DRS.

You’re deluded!

[Oceanrower]

LordBretSinclair said:

blueg33 said:

Indeed. A favourite comment of my recently departed Dad when one of his mates would proudly say "I've got a private plate" he would say "so have I, there is no other the same"

Makes me laugh when people are selling a plate (or the right to display it) they make a great fuss how they are selling a "unique" plate - every effing registration number in the UK is unique. !!!

I can only assume that you and bluegg are both a bit dim.

Yes, every plate is unique. Otherwise what would be the point. But are you really saying that having the plate (or, as you put it, the right to display it) K1 NGS or N1 GEL, for example, is the same as having CR59 DRS.

You’re deluded!

[bad company]

Oceanrower said:

LordBretSinclair said:

blueg33 said:

Indeed. A favourite comment of my recently departed Dad when one of his mates would proudly say "I've got a private plate" he would say "so have I, there is no other the same"

Makes me laugh when people are selling a plate (or the right to display it) they make a great fuss how they are selling a "unique" plate - every effing registration number in the UK is unique. !!!

I can only assume that you and bluegg are both a bit dim.

Yes, every plate is unique. Otherwise what would be the point. But are you really saying that having the plate (or, as you put it, the right to display it) K1 NGS or N1 GEL, for example, is the same as having CR59 DRS.

You’re deluded!

Jeez, another good thread reduced to insults and name calling.

[KTMsm]

Magnum 475 said:

I'm not that old, but I really don't get this obsession with plates. It's a registration plate FFS. It's a yellow / white rectangle with some letters & numbers on it. It doesn't do anything. It's not 'special', it's not 'clever', it certainly doesn't say anything, it's just a unique identifier for a vehicle. Why waste time & money trying to make it something it's not, especially when doing so can attract undesirable attention from PC Plod?

The same could be said of haircuts, beards, clothing, jewelry...

compared to paying to have someone draw on you or poke holes in your body, it seems a very sensible use of money

[Gareth79]

Saleen836 said:

DodgyGeezer said:

Another thing to bear in mind is that the police don't always know the full rules/regs when it comes to number plates. Be 101% sure of your legality and if you are have your day (so to speak)

Agree with the above
I got pulled by a PC who gave the reason "your rear number plate is too small so illegal" I pointed out that my car was an import so was legally allowed to have smaller plates as it states on the DVLA website,PC gets on the radio to the traffic sergeant who insisted that as my car was on UK plates the plates had to conform to DVLA regs so were illegal, I drove home printed off the relevant section from DVLA site and took it to the police station with my rectification notice, officer on the desk looked at it and said " on your way sir"

It's not just being an import which matters though, it needs to be an import without type approval AND not have space to fit a standard plate. An interesting point is that if a standard plate can't be fitted and a smaller one is, then both plates MUST use the smaller characters. eg. if you can't fit a standard plate to the rear then the front must also use the small characters too, even if a normal one could be fitted.

[Gareth79]

vonhosen said:

Plates are not deemed legal or not on whether you, I or any other can perhaps read them.
They are to be made to a clearly legislated & defined standard & they have to satisfy all of that standard.
Any deviation from that standard & they are illegal.
That black/white position is so that there can be no elastic that stretches on the boundaries & an ensuing argument about why this should be legal (when it isn't as a matter of fact). In the same way as saying (when you were doing 35 in a 30 limit) that it wasn't dangerous & I didn't hit anything can open it up to a matter of interpretation as to whether you were exceeding the speed limit or not.

If an allegation is made, that doesn't mean they are illegal.
Whether they are is a matter of fact based on the legislation. They conform with those requirements or they don't.

There's still some grey areas. eg. the current fashion is "4D plates" with glued on letters. The law doesn't currently state how deep/thick they can be, so if there's the manufacturer's details and the BS numbers the traffic officers (at least around here) can't really do much, even if it's blindingly obvious that the plate was made in somebody's garage and never seen the inside of a test lab. Also it is (IMO) probably possible for a "4D plate" with (eg.) 10mm+ deep letters to pass the BS requirements in a lab, assuming they are attached firmly enough.

[Saleen836]

Gareth79 said:

Saleen836 said:

DodgyGeezer said:

Another thing to bear in mind is that the police don't always know the full rules/regs when it comes to number plates. Be 101% sure of your legality and if you are have your day (so to speak)

Agree with the above
I got pulled by a PC who gave the reason "your rear number plate is too small so illegal" I pointed out that my car was an import so was legally allowed to have smaller plates as it states on the DVLA website,PC gets on the radio to the traffic sergeant who insisted that as my car was on UK plates the plates had to conform to DVLA regs so were illegal, I drove home printed off the relevant section from DVLA site and took it to the police station with my rectification notice, officer on the desk looked at it and said " on your way sir"

It's not just being an import which matters though, it needs to be an import without type approval AND not have space to fit a standard plate. An interesting point is that if a standard plate can't be fitted and a smaller one is, then both plates MUST use the smaller characters. eg. if you can't fit a standard plate to the rear then the front must also use the small characters too, even if a normal one could be fitted.

Mine is imported from the USA so all the above criteria are met I do however run a standard size plate on the front

[blueg33]

Oceanrower said:

LordBretSinclair said:

blueg33 said:

Indeed. A favourite comment of my recently departed Dad when one of his mates would proudly say "I've got a private plate" he would say "so have I, there is no other the same"

Makes me laugh when people are selling a plate (or the right to display it) they make a great fuss how they are selling a "unique" plate - every effing registration number in the UK is unique. !!!

I can only assume that you and bluegg are both a bit dim.

Yes, every plate is unique. Otherwise what would be the point. But are you really saying that having the plate (or, as you put it, the right to display it) K1 NGS or N1 GEL, for example, is the same as having CR59 DRS.

You’re deluded!

Wow, that triggered you, had a few too many whiskeys? Or was your missus out with your best mate ( see I can do insults too)

My dad’s comment was always tongue in cheek, he was joking with his mates, as per my comment. He was very definitely a bit dim. I would have loved to show him your dopey comment, but as it’s his funeral on Tuesday, I’m not sure he would take much notice…..

Personally I care not a jot about “private” plates. Until my current car I had never had one, and only have it on this as it came with it.

Soo many private plates make the owner look like a bit of a prat. Your examples given demonstrate that IMO.

But it’s your choice, but should have legal spacing.

[Gareth79]

Saleen836 said:

Gareth79 said:

Saleen836 said:

DodgyGeezer said:

Another thing to bear in mind is that the police don't always know the full rules/regs when it comes to number plates. Be 101% sure of your legality and if you are have your day (so to speak)

Agree with the above
I got pulled by a PC who gave the reason "your rear number plate is too small so illegal" I pointed out that my car was an import so was legally allowed to have smaller plates as it states on the DVLA website,PC gets on the radio to the traffic sergeant who insisted that as my car was on UK plates the plates had to conform to DVLA regs so were illegal, I drove home printed off the relevant section from DVLA site and took it to the police station with my rectification notice, officer on the desk looked at it and said " on your way sir"

It's not just being an import which matters though, it needs to be an import without type approval AND not have space to fit a standard plate. An interesting point is that if a standard plate can't be fitted and a smaller one is, then both plates MUST use the smaller characters. eg. if you can't fit a standard plate to the rear then the front must also use the small characters too, even if a normal one could be fitted.

Mine is imported from the USA so all the above criteria are met I do however run a standard size plate on the front

Here's the reg. and the wording which I was referring to: "(2) In relation to a vehicle to which this regulation applies— (a)each character in the registration mark must be 64 millimetres high;".

Obviously absolutely nobody would care that normal plates are used on the front, and the reality is that having a single-line plate with "motorcycle digits" on the front of a car would result in being pulled over by the police quite often (but two-line ones are obviously very common on US/Japanese imports).

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/regul...

[CanAm]

Gareth79 said:

Here's the reg. and the wording which I was referring to: "(2) In relation to a vehicle to which this regulation applies— (a)each character in the registration mark must be 64 millimetres high;".

Obviously absolutely nobody would care that normal plates are used on the front, and the reality is that having a single-line plate with "motorcycle digits" on the front of a car would result in being pulled over by the police quite often (but two-line ones are obviously very common on US/Japanese imports).

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/regul...

The previous para states:-

“b)is so constructed that the area available for the fixing of the registration plate precludes the display on the plate of a registration mark in conformity with the requirements of regulation 14.”

Note it says “plate” not “plates”; I would take that as applying only to any plate that cannot be mounted in accordance with the requirements.

[NMNeil]

Magnum 475 said:

I'm not that old, but I really don't get this obsession with plates. It's a registration plate FFS. It's a yellow / white rectangle with some letters & numbers on it. It doesn't do anything. It's not 'special', it's not 'clever', it certainly doesn't say anything, it's just a unique identifier for a vehicle. Why waste time & money trying to make it something it's not, especially when doing so can attract undesirable attention from PC Plod?

So it's not just me who can't understand this 'cherished' number plate fascination.
Drivers pay a lot on money so they can drive down the road in the hope that someone will see the expensive number plate, and think that the driver is really something special because the plate say's "look at me everyone, my number plate spells our xxxxx".
I wonder what Freud would have made of it all