Question on non-standard number plates
Question on non-standard number plates
Author
Discussion

TheCarpetCleaner

Original Poster:

7,294 posts

233 months

Monday 9th July 2007
quotequote all
What is the current law regarding non standard size of number plate on a car?

Is it a fine or are there points involved?

Also would it make a difference if its just the front number plate?


This isnt mine, got a friend who is getting one and I cant remember where the law stands on this one


Cheers


smile

vonhosen

40,597 posts

248 months

Monday 9th July 2007
quotequote all
TheCarpetCleaner said:
What is the current law regarding non standard size of number plate on a car?

Is it a fine or are there points involved?

Also would it make a difference if its just the front number plate?


This isnt mine, got a friend who is getting one and I cant remember where the law stands on this one


Cheers


smile
Fine.
No points.
Discretionary disqualification.

rude-boy

22,227 posts

264 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
Fine.
rolleyes Understandable in the days of Purification by Taxation TM G. Brown.


PITA but unless you are Scamed (I would suspect), taking the pi$$ with it or have 'issues' with the copper (be they yours or theirs) you should find most Police will turn a blind eye.
vonhosen said:
No points.
Well it's not as if the offence is one which is going to lead to wholesale slaughter...
vonhosen said:
Discretionary disqualification.
yikesyikesWHAT THE FVCK!!! yikesyikes

Please can someone explain the situation where this would be applicable/appropriate where the penalties for the other related offences that would have to have been committed, would not offer as severe a sentencing option?

vonhosen

40,597 posts

248 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
rude-boy said:
vonhosen said:
Discretionary disqualification.
yikesyikesWHAT THE FVCK!!! yikesyikes

Please can someone explain the situation where this would be applicable/appropriate where the penalties for the other related offences that would have to have been committed, would not offer as severe a sentencing option?
You can now be disqualified for far more offences than previously. It is not at all likely that you would first up for this offence, but if you persistently extract the urine then you could.

flemke

23,508 posts

268 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
You can now be disqualified for far more offences than previously. It is not at all likely that you would first up for this offence, but if you persistently extract the urine then you could.
Indeed, can you imagine if you were to do something as outrageous and anti-social as indicating to another driver that there was a speed trap ahead?
For shame! Disqualification should be the least of your punishment.

vonhosen

40,597 posts

248 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
flemke said:
vonhosen said:
You can now be disqualified for far more offences than previously. It is not at all likely that you would first up for this offence, but if you persistently extract the urine then you could.
Indeed, can you imagine if you were to do something as outrageous and anti-social as indicating to another driver that there was a speed trap ahead?
For shame! Disqualification should be the least of your punishment.
Obstructing Police you mean ?

Funk

27,769 posts

240 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
flemke said:
vonhosen said:
You can now be disqualified for far more offences than previously. It is not at all likely that you would first up for this offence, but if you persistently extract the urine then you could.
Indeed, can you imagine if you were to do something as outrageous and anti-social as indicating to another driver that there was a speed trap ahead?
For shame! Disqualification should be the least of your punishment.
Obstructing Police you mean ?
Surely it's "alerting other road users to a 'blackspot' area"? The Police would only be using 'safety' cameras on 'dangerous' sections of road, naturally?

vonhosen

40,597 posts

248 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
Funk said:
vonhosen said:
flemke said:
vonhosen said:
You can now be disqualified for far more offences than previously. It is not at all likely that you would first up for this offence, but if you persistently extract the urine then you could.
Indeed, can you imagine if you were to do something as outrageous and anti-social as indicating to another driver that there was a speed trap ahead?
For shame! Disqualification should be the least of your punishment.
Obstructing Police you mean ?
Surely it's "alerting other road users to a 'blackspot' area"? The Police would only be using 'safety' cameras on 'dangerous' sections of road, naturally?
Nope..........we've been here before.

Funk

27,769 posts

240 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
Sorry, should've put a 'wink' in there. I actually dislike mis-spaced plates - almost as much as I dislike sneaky speed-trapping, in fact..

rude-boy

22,227 posts

264 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all



vonhosen said:
Obstructing Police you mean ?
It is as the current law stands, but again it is a tad over the reasonableness scale to have it labelled as such when it comes to warning a motorist of the presence of a vehicle belonging to the Emergency Services. Particularly when they are parked in locations when their presence is not noticeable to the oncoming traffic until the last few seconds before they are upon it. It might be about to rapidly depart to attend and emergency call.

rude-boy

22,227 posts

264 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
Nope..........we've been here before.
wavey

Could you please humour me with a precis?

Red Devil

13,527 posts

239 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
TheCarpetCleaner said:
What is the current law regarding non standard size of number plate on a car?

Is it a fine or are there points involved?

Also would it make a difference if its just the front number plate?


This isnt mine, got a friend who is getting one and I cant remember where the law stands on this one


Cheers


smile
Fine.
No points.
Discretionary disqualification.
Up to £1000 I believe. Usually a £30 FPN for a first offence.
Don't think it makes any difference whether it's front, back, or both plates.
The DVLA also have the power to revoke your registration without compensation.
Something to bear in mind if you have paid £££ for a personal/cherished plate!

I was a little surprised that the BiB who tried to give me an FPN recently didn't seem to know the rules. He claimed my plates had undersized characters and wasn't having any of it when I explained, very politely, that they were 100% legit. My car is an import and meets both criteria for displaying smaller sized plates.

Fortunately for me I had been forewarned of potential hassles and was able to produce a copy of this
http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/leaflets/displayo...
He body language betrayed the fact that he wasn't taking defeat with good grace....

flemke

23,508 posts

268 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
flemke said:
vonhosen said:
You can now be disqualified for far more offences than previously. It is not at all likely that you would first up for this offence, but if you persistently extract the urine then you could.
Indeed, can you imagine if you were to do something as outrageous and anti-social as indicating to another driver that there was a speed trap ahead?
For shame! Disqualification should be the least of your punishment.
Obstructing Police you mean ?
No, it would only be "Obstructing Police" if the Police were performing a valid Police duty.
This is why I used the term "speed trap".

Speed traps are an illegitimate form of enforcement in which the Police (or SCPs) try to take advantage of an anomalous speed limit which is inappropriately, deceptively low for the situation. This of course is widely divergent from the purpose of speed limits and thus illegitimate.

fluffnik

20,156 posts

258 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
flemke said:
Indeed, can you imagine if you were to do something as outrageous and anti-social as indicating to another driver that there was a speed trap ahead?
For shame! Disqualification should be the least of your punishment.
Obstructing Police you mean ?
What's the point of law without civility?

Law should exist to serve civilisation, not itself.

fluffnik

20,156 posts

258 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
flemke said:
No, it would only be "Obstructing Police" if the Police were performing a valid Police duty.
This is why I used the term "speed trap".

Speed traps are an illegitimate form of enforcement in which the Police (or SCPs) try to take advantage of an anomalous speed limit which is inappropriately, deceptively low for the situation. This of course is widely divergent from the purpose of speed limits and thus illegitimate.
clap

vonhosen

40,597 posts

248 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
flemke said:
vonhosen said:
flemke said:
vonhosen said:
You can now be disqualified for far more offences than previously. It is not at all likely that you would first up for this offence, but if you persistently extract the urine then you could.
Indeed, can you imagine if you were to do something as outrageous and anti-social as indicating to another driver that there was a speed trap ahead?
For shame! Disqualification should be the least of your punishment.
Obstructing Police you mean ?
No, it would only be "Obstructing Police" if the Police were performing a valid Police duty.
This is why I used the term "speed trap".

Speed traps are an illegitimate form of enforcement in which the Police (or SCPs) try to take advantage of an anomalous speed limit which is inappropriately, deceptively low for the situation. This of course is widely divergent from the purpose of speed limits and thus illegitimate.
Is it your view on that which is important in deciding if it's obstruction or not ?
Or if the court view it as a legal limit & enforceable is that what matters ?

Edited by vonhosen on Tuesday 10th July 06:53

vonhosen

40,597 posts

248 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
rude-boy said:
vonhosen said:
Nope..........we've been here before.
wavey

Could you please humour me with a precis?
Speed enforcement is Police acting in the course of their duty.
If they have gained primary evidence of speeding (formed an opinion that a vehicle is speeding) & they are unable to gain the required secondary evidence of it (measurement by device) as a result of a wilful intervention by you, then you have obstructed them & people have been disqualified from driving themselves for doing that.

Edited by vonhosen on Tuesday 10th July 07:02

mexico2

32 posts

239 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
It's not the size of plate that is important it is the size of the digits and the spacing between them.Digits must be of 14mm stroke , 79mm high and 50mm wide ,Spaces between characters must be 11mm and the space in the middle separating the two blocks of characters should be 33mm.Top , bottom and side margins should be a minimum of 11mm.If you have a normal 7 digit number the plate will have to be be pretty near normal dimensions , but if you have a perosnal registration number with say 4 digits then the plate could be smaller.




www.northumbrianumbers.com

flemke

23,508 posts

268 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
flemke said:
vonhosen said:
flemke said:
vonhosen said:
You can now be disqualified for far more offences than previously. It is not at all likely that you would first up for this offence, but if you persistently extract the urine then you could.
Indeed, can you imagine if you were to do something as outrageous and anti-social as indicating to another driver that there was a speed trap ahead?
For shame! Disqualification should be the least of your punishment.
Obstructing Police you mean ?
No, it would only be "Obstructing Police" if the Police were performing a valid Police duty.
This is why I used the term "speed trap".

Speed traps are an illegitimate form of enforcement in which the Police (or SCPs) try to take advantage of an anomalous speed limit which is inappropriately, deceptively low for the situation. This of course is widely divergent from the purpose of speed limits and thus illegitimate.
Is it your view on that which is important in deciding if it's obstruction or not ?
Or if the court view it as a legal limit & enforceable is that what matters ?
Ultimately every person must decide for him- or herself what is right.
Yes, there may be a group of people who can come round to your house and overpower you, take you hostage and extort your money*, but the mere fact of their superior physical strength does not mean that the morality of their authority is also superior.
(*in the above example, was I referring to a bunch of criminals, or to the criminal justice system?)

It is a sad fact that sometimes the Police - who usually do very good things for society in very many ways - will abuse the law. Whether they do so because of prejudice, ignorance, corruption, politics, or a misconceived assessment system doesn't matter - it still is abuse, and it still is wrong.

One of those abuses is "speed traps" per se. When the Police purposely set up a speed trap at the exit of a village, after the entire built-up area has finished but the limit has continued at 30 or 40 only because of the desire for two-way symmetry, and the road is sloping down so vehicles pick up a bit of extra speed naturally, and drivers cannot even be sure of the limit because the signage is well below the officially-recommended standard to the point of being illegal, and the weather is perfectly clear so there is no particular risk to a living soul, and the Police hide in the bushes to conceal themselves and catch people out, that is an abuse.

That sort of nonsense is a total perversion of the purpose of speed limits. To see the Police abusing their position and exploiting idiosyncrasies of the law in order to get their numbers up is manifestly unjust. What is just as bad, it turns citizens against the Police, and breeds cynicism about the enforcement of law at those other, different times when something is important.

Lose/lose.

rude-boy

22,227 posts

264 months

Tuesday 10th July 2007
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
rude-boy said:
vonhosen said:
Nope..........we've been here before.
wavey

Could you please humour me with a precis?
Speed enforcement is Police acting in the course of their duty.
If they have gained primary evidence of speeding (formed an opinion that a vehicle is speeding) & they are unable to gain the required secondary evidence of it (measurement by device) as a result of a wilful intervention by you, then you have obstructed them & people have been disqualified from driving themselves for doing that.
Thank you for that.

So to clarify. If, for example, you have turned the corner from where the Police are situated and then chose to indicate to an on coming vehicle that you considered they might like to check their speed as it might appear to you to be in excess of the posted limit you would not in fact have obstructed the officer as they would not have had the opportunity to form a prior opinion?