Front number plates and the police

[Durzel]

The Surveyor said:

I run with a small front plate. Whilst you're right about the punishment and legality, I think having a plate on the front (albeit a small one) means I'm less likely to get pulled than if I was running without a plate at all. Whether they look 'universally terrible' is subjective.

That looks fine to me. As you say its subjective, but that looks close to a motorcycle font at least. I was meaning smaller ones that would draw more attention because they are obviously wrong, than ones like yours.

Chainsaw Rebuild said:

Without meaning to start a row... is
It actually worth stopping the odd supercar without a plate/with a smaller plate? It just seems a bit of a waste of time because it’s such a non crime. Just wondering and not trying to be rude.

Devils Advocate - the rules apply to everyone. If people start thinking "well supercars get away with it, I'll do it too" then the system breaks down really. I say that as someone who would have been irked at getting stopped and fined, but wouldn't have really had anyone else to blame.

[topjay]

Netmatelot said:

I'm a touch late to this party and you're not going to like me very much...however I'm a copper and if I'm not busy dealing with something else I always stop vehicles committing an offence (including VRM offences (and it's not always supercars)).

Putting your plate in the window and telling me that it fell off doesn't cut it, everyone says that. I generally deal with the matter by issuing a VDRS ticket (vehicle defect rectification scheme) which forces a driver to rectify the problem with no fine involved, however should they fail to comply then it's a fine or summons to court. If I catch the same driver again doing the same thing then it's an immediate summons.

The law applies to everyone!

Single very specific post to your name on an old thread, got to assume you are on paid time to police the internet and get the word out, is this the new policing method? Really lucky you don’t have better priorities to spend time on.

[Durzel]

lol

Police don't get breaks. What's your excuse for posting?

[Kewy]

Netmatelot said:

I'm a touch late to this party and you're not going to like me very much...however I'm a copper and if I'm not busy dealing with something else I always stop vehicles committing an offence (including VRM offences (and it's not always supercars)).

Putting your plate in the window and telling me that it fell off doesn't cut it, everyone says that. I generally deal with the matter by issuing a VDRS ticket (vehicle defect rectification scheme) which forces a driver to rectify the problem with no fine involved, however should they fail to comply then it's a fine or summons to court. If I catch the same driver again doing the same thing then it's an immediate summons.

The law applies to everyone!

Genuine question – if motorbikes don't need front plates, then why do cars? Yes, I know it's the law. And it's your job to enforce it. And on paper you're doing a very good job. But don't you feel a bit of an arse when you're sitting there writing someone out a ticket for something that's not hurting anyone?

Surely if the law applies to all, then the same rules should apply to motorcyclists and cyclists.

[Brads67]

Bikes used to have front plates but they were a danger to pedestrians so were removed from being required.

[Kewy]

Brads67 said:

Bikes used to have front plates but they were a danger to pedestrians so were removed from being required.

Yeh so I've heard. But then surely front plates should just be scrapped altogether?

[Trev450]

Brads67 said:

Bikes used to have front plates but they were a danger to pedestrians so were removed from being required.

While this is quite correct, they were only a danger to pedestrians because they were mounted vertically and could impale someone landing on them.
Why they didn't turn them around instead and place them against the forks I don't know.

[BlueIn2Red]

Yes quite. Also, I suspect a pedestrian hit by a motorbike has bigger things to worry about than the sharp edge of a number plate!

[Jack-flash]

I used my Mclaren in the north east for 10 months no front place never once hassled by the old bill , I now run my f12 the same way no from plate again have drove Past many old bill and stopped outside a samwhich shop which a motorway car pulled up for the same again right in front view neve said. Single word , am I lucky are different areas harder than other ?//

[The Mad Monk]

vpr said:

I’ve owned my FGT 10 yrs now and never had a plate and never pulled. There is physically no where to put it

I bet if you gave me an hour with a drill, a hammer, a box of assorted screws and fasteners that I could fix a front plate to your car.

Don't give me that old 'can't be done' nonsense.

[willy wombat]

willy wombat said:

I noticed at the Revival that a lot of the street legal cars that were racing - GT40s, E Types etc etc had front number plates (always the stick on type). If it's good enough for them...…...

Nothing anyone has posted since has made me change my mind. There is always somewhere to put a front plate even if it has to be a stick on one.

[The Surveyor]

Kewy said:

Genuine question – if motorbikes don't need front plates, then why do cars? Yes, I know it's the law. And it's your job to enforce it. And on paper you're doing a very good job. But don't you feel a bit of an arse when you're sitting there writing someone out a ticket for something that's not hurting anyone?

Surely if the law applies to all, then the same rules should apply to motorcyclists and cyclists.

You've answered your own question, it simply a basic and binary application of the law.

It's like the question over the legality of the smaller plate I have on the front of my car, if the smaller font size and spacing is perfectly legal on a motorbike, why is not on a car. Do the motorbike Police have better eye sight, or are there special 'motorbike' spec high resolution ANPR cameras... of course not.

[The Surveyor]

4321go said:

The Surveyor said:

if the smaller font size and spacing is perfectly legal on a motorbike

Simple answer. It isn’t. ALL (new, legal, for vehicles registered from 1st September 2001) UK number plates should have letters in the “Charles Wright” font, 79mm tall, 50mm wide, of 14mm stroke width. Smaller letters on small bike plates are illegal too.

Are you sure that's right, Motorbikes were always viewed differently to that and are permitted to have 64mm tall letters.

[4321go]

The relevant legislation is here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/conten...

It’s riveting stuff. It’s also quite simple. You don’t have to screw a plastic number plate to the front of your car. But the law requires that you display a plate of the correct size, with letters of the correct size, in the correct font, with the correct reflective background, as close to the vertical as possible and visible from within a certain area from the front.

For pretty supercars, styled without a flat, vertical panel of a suitable size, you simply order a self adhesive, vinyl plate. They’re cheap and readily available (and totally legal). Not fitting one is therefore nothing but vanity.

[4321go]

Yup, you beat me to it. I’m having a very boring morning, so I thought that I’d dig up the legislation and read it.

A VERY boring morning.

(And I was really thinking of the SMALL plates that were fitted to my bikes, back in the day. Dymo tape would have been bigger!)

Edited by 4321go on Thursday 14th March 11:13

[4321go]

And, FWIW, I can be accused of just such vanity. My Westfield Eleven was built and first registered in 2006. It should therefore have reflective white and yellow plates. But that would look plain wrong.......

[The Surveyor]

4321go said:

And, FWIW, I can be accused of just such vanity. My Westfield Eleven was built and first registered in 2006. It should therefore have reflective white and yellow plates. But that would look plain wrong.......

Agreed, and that just looks plain awesome

[WCZ]

Netmatelot said:

The law applies to everyone!

well it really doesn't in reality, if you're driving an exotic without a front plate it's very rare to get stopped but if you're driving an old mondeo in the same circumstance you'll get pulled frequently

[anonymous-user]

I had a front numberplate on my Ferrari, then took it off (because lets face it, looked better without it, that's the only reason). I never got pulled but...every time I passed a police car or saw a police car pulling into traffic I thought to myself "here we go.." eventually I put the plate back on again when I had a carbon front splitter added and asked the workshop to do it at the same time. To be honest I'm happy I did, because now I won't have to have that conversation ever and it would most likely happen at the most inopportune moment. Depends on what's more important to you I guess.

[Geezer2707]

I was always led to believe number plates in UK should be fitted to a vertical surface. Just posting what I've heard, but I've two cars without. One an old classic, with stick on fitted to bonnet, the other a Ferrari without. So far in ten years have not be stopped.