S172 - Registration mark fails to conform.

[Blanchimont]

SP&L collective.

I had a S172 come through yesterday for a "registration mark fails to conform with regulations".

I've got short plates, but are marked accordingly, and are spaced correctly. (Whilst they may be a crime against taste for some, but from what I've found, not illegal)

From memory, it was a police bike parked up looking for speeders. As my plates are legal, is it worth appealing?

[Blanchimont]

carreauchompeur said:

There’s no ‘appeal’ as such. You can either take the conditional offer or enter a request for Court hearing.

I’d suspect your plates actually don’t conform, so the easier option might be to change them. Get caught again and it’ll also be referred to DVLA.

What happens with the court process?
They're short plates, but X11 XXX. They BSAU145D codes, and the suppliers postcode on them, and the place I bought them from are accredited with the DVLA. So I presumed they were ok?

[Blanchimont]

SS2. said:

Blanchimont said:

I had a S172 come through yesterday for a "registration mark fails to conform with regulations".

I've got short plates, but are marked accordingly, and are spaced correctly. (Whilst they may be a crime against taste for some, but from what I've found, not illegal)

Have you changed the plates in the past few months ?

Blanchimont in July 2021 said:

I've got a 6 digit reg, and it's on a short plate.

However, It's legal font, and not spaced like a knob (It's got no central space after the numbers, granted).

I'd rather not st myself every time I see a police car drive past. It's possible I'll get pulled, yeah. But it's a damn sure less likely than a blatantly mis-spaced, tinted, 4D plate.

I did, changed car since then and bought new plates and spaced them properly

[Blanchimont]

No ideas for a name said:

From the document above it implies longer plates wouldn't comply!
It states;
the margins at the top, bottom and side of the plate must be 11mm
Since the spacing between groups and digits is specified, then if you have less characters then it must be shorter

More seriously how would this work in practice? I assume you were not stopped and plates measured, just 'observed'.
If you were to go to court and take your physical plates with you, would they just say those were not the plates that were observed?

I wasn't stopped or anything, just observed from a mobile speed camera.
This is exactly what I'm wondering, I haven't had a copy of any of the photos of anything

[Blanchimont]

Ardennes92 said:

Just a question but without a photo, how do you know it is your vehicle and not a cloned version?

It says the date/time of offense. I was there.

[Blanchimont]

I have also just checked, and the NIP was issued 13 days after the offense, but arrived 15 days after it. Presumably it's the issue date the 14 day rule applies?

ETA:
Offense date: 23/1/22, Notice Issue date: 05/2/22, received 8/2/22.

Edited by Blanchimont on Wednesday 9th February 11:51

[Blanchimont]

NugentS said:

You still have to respond to the S172 though.

I know, but can I say it was beyond the 14 day window and get it quashed that way?

[Blanchimont]

This is the offending plate.

[Blanchimont]

jeremyc said:

bad company said:

I’m no expert but can’t see anything wrong there.

No BS number, no way of identifying the manufacturer or supplier, no name and postcode of the supplying outlet?

Government numberplate document said:

... each number plate must be permanently and legibly marked with the:

• British Standard number (currently BS AU 145d) from 1 September 2021 a new standard will become mandatory for all new number plates fitted from that date (BS AU 145e) but can be used from 1 January 2021
• name, trademark or other way of identifying the manufacturer or supplier
• name and postcode of the supplying outlet

It's there, but in the bottom right corner tiny. I haven't managed to get a photo of that yet, but it is there.

[Blanchimont]

carreauchompeur said:

What, really? Do you have the still they sent you?

They didn't send any.

[Blanchimont]

blueg33 said:

Blanchimont said:

jeremyc said:

bad company said:

I’m no expert but can’t see anything wrong there.

No BS number, no way of identifying the manufacturer or supplier, no name and postcode of the supplying outlet?

Government numberplate document said:

... each number plate must be permanently and legibly marked with the:

• British Standard number (currently BS AU 145d) from 1 September 2021 a new standard will become mandatory for all new number plates fitted from that date (BS AU 145e) but can be used from 1 January 2021
• name, trademark or other way of identifying the manufacturer or supplier
• name and postcode of the supplying outlet

It's there, but in the bottom right corner tiny. I haven't managed to get a photo of that yet, but it is there.

Not sure it meets the legibility criteria. I have the image zoomed 500% and can't see it!

Does seem petty though.

I think you need to ask them for the image.

[ph tosser mode] Are you sure you didn't change your plates before you took the pic to post here but after your S172? [/ph tosser mode]

Edited by blueg33 on Thursday 10th February 10:02

They're stuck on with 3M VHB tape, think i'd pull the bumper off before the plate moves!

[Blanchimont]

carl_w said:

Blanchimont said:

This is the offending plate.

Your original post said "I've got short plates" though?

I was referring to their height. They're 90mm, rather than standard 111mm.

[Blanchimont]

carreauchompeur said:

I would be really surprised if they have issued a notice for that plate as pictured. I can see that there might be non-conforming elements but not to the extent that they’d deal with it.

Sure if wasn’t spaced JAAAAKE P?

I can't stand plates mis-spaced like that! If I did that, I'd take it on the chins and pay up.

[Blanchimont]

carl_w said:

Blanchimont said:

I was referring to their height. They're 90mm, rather than standard 111mm.

There's your problem then. The letters must be 79mm high and the top and bottom margins have to be 11mm. 79mm+11mm+11mm=101mm

Could they have been able to tell that whilst I was moving, and the camera was at a different height, and about 150yrds away? If he was able to tell, then fair play to him.

[Blanchimont]

Durzel said:

Blanchimont said:

carl_w said:

Blanchimont said:

I was referring to their height. They're 90mm, rather than standard 111mm.

There's your problem then. The letters must be 79mm high and the top and bottom margins have to be 11mm. 79mm+11mm+11mm=101mm

Could they have been able to tell that whilst I was moving, and the camera was at a different height, and about 150yrds away? If he was able to tell, then fair play to him.

This probably sounds a bit mean, but I'm guessing your bright blue car makes a decent amount of noise, and perhaps that you drive it around the town with gusto?

I know it's fashionable on here to believe that the Police have an abundance of time to deal with this sort of stuff, but it is more likely - in my opinion - that you stood out in an anti-social manner and they went out of their way to get you for something.

I remember tearing around a bit when I was young and I would get pulled for plate infractions (everything else was legal). With the benefit of hindsight (and getting older) I'm pretty sure had I not been driving like such a knob they wouldn't have singled me out.

My advice would be to perhaps not look for attention if you don't want any. And get a legal plate.

I was in 6th, doing 40mph, with the exhaust valves fully closed. I was driving fairly normally as there's almost always mobile cameras there. I think I was even behind a couple of cars. If I was driving past making it pop & bang etc.