Racing numbers on the road

[SamHH]

Reading a thread in the motorsport forum I came across a web-page about sprinting and hillclimbing. It said, amongst other things: "remember to take your timing strut and numbers off before you drive home - the police take a dim view of people driving on public roads with racing numbers on, and if you're reported your competition license may be revoked."

What's this about? Why would the police "take a dim view"; is there an offence?

[eccles]

i think if you display numbers, you are classed as 'racing',and racing on public roads is banned in mainland UK thats why you should remove them, or put a piece of tape through them.

taking your timing strut off is just a matter of common sense, having a nice piece of relatively sharp metal poking out of the front of your car could cause a lot of damage to someone if you hit them (not to mention the rest of the car!)

[slinky]

eccles said:

i think if you display numbers, you are classed as 'racing',and racing on public roads is banned in mainland UK thats why you should remove them, or put a piece of tape through them.

Don't think that's the case.. WRC cars between stages..

I think it's more an MSA thing..

[SamHH]

eccles said:

i think if you display numbers, you are classed as 'racing',and racing on public roads is banned in mainland UK thats why you should remove them, or put a piece of tape through them.

Hmm. Do you know what law says that racing numbers means you are racing? And what is the definition of racing numbers in law?

eccles said:

taking your timing strut off is just a matter of common sense, having a nice piece of relatively sharp metal poking out of the front of your car could cause a lot of damage to someone if you hit them (not to mention the rest of the car!)

My question doesn't relate to this, it was just part of the sentence on the website and I didn't cut it out.

[SamHH]

slinky said:

I think it's more an MSA thing..

Well maybe the MSA disallow it - the "your competition license may be revoked" suggests so - but I doubt the police would be interested just because you are breaking MSA rules.

Edited by SamHH on Monday 13th November 23:17

[slinky]

SamHH said:

slinky said:

I think it's more an MSA thing..

Well maybe the MSA disallow it, the "your competition license may be revoked" suggests so, but I doubt the police would be interested just because you are breaking MSA rules.

Correct..

You may be under more scrutiny from the police if your car is very much a race car, but if it's a street car that's used for sprinting, I really don't think you should have any concern..

[SamHH]

slinky said:

Correct..

You may be under more scrutiny from the police if your car is very much a race car, but if it's a street car that's used for sprinting, I really don't think you should have any concern..

If the police think your car is a race car that is not road legal it makes sense that they might be interested and might pull you over. That website seems to me to be saying that having racing numbers on the car when on the road is illegal. Does anyone know if that is correct?


On a completely different topic, why do you use two full stops?

[GreenV8S]

SamHH said:

Reading a thread in the motorsport forum I came across a web-page about sprinting and hillclimbing. It said, amongst other things: "remember to take your timing strut and numbers off before you drive home - the police take a dim view of people driving on public roads with racing numbers on, and if you're reported your competition license may be revoked."

What's this about? Why would the police "take a dim view"; is there an offence?

I wrote that.

It is a condition of the MSA competition license that competition numbers are removed or masked on the road (blue book section E11.3.11). This is often explicitly repeated in event regulations, and you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of the Clerk of the Course by breaching those. I think this is to avoid any perception that competitors are a bunch of hooligans carrying the competition out on to public roads.

It isn't illegal to display numbers on the road, but it's liable to attract attention (which is obviously why people put 'racing' numbers on cars that have never seen a race track in their life) and may prejudice the police against you if you're seen driving like a tw@t. It would be quite unusual for somebody to go to the length of reporting you to the MSA, but if they did the MSA could ban you from competing if they chose to.

[slinky]

SamHH said:

slinky said:

Correct..

You may be under more scrutiny from the police if your car is very much a race car, but if it's a street car that's used for sprinting, I really don't think you should have any concern..

If the police think your car is a race car that is not road legal it makes sense that they might be interested and might pull you over. That website seems to me to be saying that having racing numbers on the car when on the road is illegal. Does anyone know if that is correct?


On a completely different topic, why do you use two full stops?

It's just something I do..

[SamHH]

GreenV8S - thanks for the clarification.

[Exige46]

I have heard it mention before that it can be seen as 'incitement to race'.

[Fortjefferson]

What about all the "Herbie" beetles with 53 on the side?

[Flat in Fifth]

Fortjefferson said:

What about all the "Herbie" beetles with 53 on the side?

And wasn't there a special edition of the new Mini likewise adorned.

Agree with the comment that it upsets MSA but not an offence pe. Though why would anyone do something which is purely decorative, has no real function other than to draw attention to oneself by plod passes me by at tims. Sorry old fart mode obviously in evidence today.

[zumbruk]

I have heard it said (by the Clerk of the Course during the driver's briefing at some sprints, so not down the pub...) that some police forces take the presence of race numbers as "de facto" evidence of racing on the road and that people have been prosecuted. We are certainly regularly reminded to remove race numbers before leaving sprints. Yes, I know it'd stupid, but the BiB do have those arrest targets to keep up, after all.

Quite where that leaves the manufacturer logo'd cars like the Beetle & Mini, I have no idea.

[anonymous-user]

zumbruk said:

...some police forces take the presence of race numbers as "de facto" evidence of racing on the road and that people have been prosecuted...

a number is simply an identifying mark, using the same logic every car with a number plate is 'racing'. IF anyone has been done for this i suspect they were actually racing and just happened to have numbers on.

Edited by francisb on Tuesday 14th November 10:35

[GreenV8S]

Flat in Fifth said:

Though why would anyone do something which is purely decorative, has no real function other than to draw attention to oneself by plod passes me by at tims.

Putting 'racing' numbers on your road car makes it obvious to anyone who is involved in motorsport that you aren't a racer, which is somewhat ironic.

[Richard C]

Francisb is correct. The MSA Blue Book is a bit of a mess even by the present govt’s sloppy legal drafting standards but here the wording of the relevant sections is explicit.

SPECIFIC REGULATIONS FOR RALLYING
K 10 Numbers [E 11.3.11]
K 10.1.Any means of identification fixed for the competition must be removed when a competitor retires, is excluded, or on completion of the event.

COMMON REGULATIONS FOR COMPETITORS
E 11.3.11.Competition Numbers. Any means of identifying individual cars during a competition MUST be removed at the finish of the event.

I don’t have the text in .pdf for Trials (Sect M) and Sprints etc ( Sect L) but guess they’ll be similar. Some event officials do like to claim precedents and statutes that don’t exist such as "its illegal to wear helmets on the public road in closed cars". In rallying most people apply a strip of tape over the numbers if the car is driven after the final control.

[cooperman]

The only risk to a comp licence holder is, and always has been, that the MSA might accuse a holder of 'actions likely to bring the sport into disrepute', for which a fine and/or comp. licence suspension could result.
It's not in contravention of any RTA to drive with numbers on whilst on public roads, either during a competition or after it.
Then again, if you remove the door numbers after a rally it normally leaves a clean outline right where the numbers were.

[richardthestag]