Train Spotting topic: reg. plate sizing US Forces
Discussion
I was driving past RAF (read "USAF") Lakenheath just after Christmas and there were loads of American left hand drive people carriers about that had obviously been shipped over on a cargo ship for the service men/women/families.
Sadly I'm so boring that I noticed that the registration plates and the lettering are significantly smaller than that required by Law for UK registered vehicles. The reason is pretty obvious, US vehicles aren't required to sport a plate the size of an evening standard news stand flyer, as indeed is the case in all other countries in the civilised world. So there isn't enough space.
How does this work then, I would have expected that any vehicle remaining in this country would have a fixed period of time to go native. Are they getting away with this because they are visiting military, because the vehicles would need to be adapted to take the larger plate (in which case can I do the same?) or do they just tell PC Plod watch out or he might get a Tomahawk missile in his cornflakes?
Sadly I'm so boring that I noticed that the registration plates and the lettering are significantly smaller than that required by Law for UK registered vehicles. The reason is pretty obvious, US vehicles aren't required to sport a plate the size of an evening standard news stand flyer, as indeed is the case in all other countries in the civilised world. So there isn't enough space.
How does this work then, I would have expected that any vehicle remaining in this country would have a fixed period of time to go native. Are they getting away with this because they are visiting military, because the vehicles would need to be adapted to take the larger plate (in which case can I do the same?) or do they just tell PC Plod watch out or he might get a Tomahawk missile in his cornflakes?
To quote
Display of Vehicle Registration Marks on Imported Vehicles
(which have a restricted space for a standard sized number plate)
The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 SI No. 2687 came into force on the 22 November 2002.
These amendment regulations introduce a new regulation 14A, making special provision in relation to the size and spacing of characters in the registration mark of some imported vehicles. This provision only applies to vehicles imported into the United Kingdom which do not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval; and are 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.
Therefore, the new regulations permits Imported Vehicles (Which have a restricted space for a standard sized plate - as described above) the provision to display smaller plates.
www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/regmarks/reg_marks_current_requirements.htm for the full requirements.
J
Display of Vehicle Registration Marks on Imported Vehicles
(which have a restricted space for a standard sized number plate)
The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 SI No. 2687 came into force on the 22 November 2002.
These amendment regulations introduce a new regulation 14A, making special provision in relation to the size and spacing of characters in the registration mark of some imported vehicles. This provision only applies to vehicles imported into the United Kingdom which do not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval; and are 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.
Therefore, the new regulations permits Imported Vehicles (Which have a restricted space for a standard sized plate - as described above) the provision to display smaller plates.
www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/regmarks/reg_marks_current_requirements.htm for the full requirements.
J
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