PULLED BY POLICE IN PORTMADOC TODAY
Discussion
Driving through the main street I was pulled over by unmarked but siren sounding police car. The officer said my plates were illegal - one because they had a cat transfer on the side of the plate & two he believed it was a reflective plate to avoid speed cameras.
He blocked my car into a space - perhaps thought I would do a runner & he was a bit off hand to start with.
He said I could - be a car thief/have no tax insurance/ be a criminal on the run/ be trying to avoid speed cameras or just not wanting to be recognised or noticed (in a Tiv!!)
I pointed out that I was none of these & the plates had been fitted by the reputable supplying TVR dealer so were almost certainly not illegal.I removed the transfers there & then & didn't receive the threatened fine. Don't know the law about the transfers but they were also on my wife's car plates - I sometimes even take that car to work & park in various police headquarters - no one has ever mentioned them as illegal.
First time I have ever been stopped by the police in 40+ years so not bad I suppose - still was late for our lunch booking at Portmeirion though - but must say the accompanying lady police officer wished us a nice meal as we left them.
He blocked my car into a space - perhaps thought I would do a runner & he was a bit off hand to start with.
He said I could - be a car thief/have no tax insurance/ be a criminal on the run/ be trying to avoid speed cameras or just not wanting to be recognised or noticed (in a Tiv!!)
I pointed out that I was none of these & the plates had been fitted by the reputable supplying TVR dealer so were almost certainly not illegal.I removed the transfers there & then & didn't receive the threatened fine. Don't know the law about the transfers but they were also on my wife's car plates - I sometimes even take that car to work & park in various police headquarters - no one has ever mentioned them as illegal.
First time I have ever been stopped by the police in 40+ years so not bad I suppose - still was late for our lunch booking at Portmeirion though - but must say the accompanying lady police officer wished us a nice meal as we left them.
I was also stopped by the police for illegal number plates on the M6 on Saturday, on my way back from Tatton. I can't argue my plates were VERY illegal...illegally spaced, no BSI code or manufacturer name and a Denis The Menace. Good job they are stuck on with VELCO. The copper gave me the DVLA documents, let me off a fixed penalty notice and then took photos of the car which he said he would send to Swansea as evidence. Personally I think he just wanted pics of my car. So I didn't win a prize at Tatton, may have to surrender my reg and all caused because I spent all day polishing it and it attacted the coppers attention !!!
He did say the police currently have a campaign clamping down on illegal number plates...although unrelated, In my opinion , probably because of all the number plate cloning in the news.
He did say the police currently have a campaign clamping down on illegal number plates...although unrelated, In my opinion , probably because of all the number plate cloning in the news.
Edited by glow worm on Tuesday 5th June 22:02
SEN 18 said:
The Griffalo said:
Are the Tam plates lit from behind in the same way as a Griff?
No they are lit from above - also the spacing on my plates is legal - SEN 18 - he didn't mention the spacing
frazer guest said:
I was also stopped at the weekend, for a TVR / reg plate issue.
Initially pulled for having no front plate, (its just fallen off officer, honest), he was then kind enough to tell me that any plate that is back lit is illegal, and any plate that has dealer markings on them, is also illegal.
Perhaps someone should mention this, to all the 100's of 1000's of cars that leave dealers every year with JCT 600, Hartwells, Stratsone etc, on their plates?
Be good if we could get some clarification on this - could stop time wasting for us & the police. Anybody know the true legal position ?Initially pulled for having no front plate, (its just fallen off officer, honest), he was then kind enough to tell me that any plate that is back lit is illegal, and any plate that has dealer markings on them, is also illegal.
Perhaps someone should mention this, to all the 100's of 1000's of cars that leave dealers every year with JCT 600, Hartwells, Stratsone etc, on their plates?
Edited by SEN 18 on Tuesday 5th June 22:17
SEN 18 said:
frazer guest said:
I was also stopped at the weekend, for a TVR / reg plate issue.
Initially pulled for having no front plate, (its just fallen off officer, honest), he was then kind enough to tell me that any plate that is back lit is illegal, and any plate that has dealer markings on them, is also illegal.
Perhaps someone should mention this, to all the 100's of 1000's of cars that leave dealers every year with JCT 600, Hartwells, Stratsone etc, on their plates?
Be good if we could get some clarification on this - could stop time wasting for us & the police. Anybody know the true legal position ?Initially pulled for having no front plate, (its just fallen off officer, honest), he was then kind enough to tell me that any plate that is back lit is illegal, and any plate that has dealer markings on them, is also illegal.
Perhaps someone should mention this, to all the 100's of 1000's of cars that leave dealers every year with JCT 600, Hartwells, Stratsone etc, on their plates?
Edited by SEN 18 on Tuesday 5th June 22:17
The other side of it is that the law states it is illegal in the UK to supply numberplates that do not carry the suppliers name & postcode on them. It is not illegal to fit plates without this, or with anything to the left space (i.e. stickers of cats) or with My other toy has... taglines underneath. Spacing, et al, is a constant source of HORT1s for the police, and is discussed at length in threads ad nauseam in SP&L.
I am not FiF, therefore all advice is internet based and by definition, highly dodgy
frazer guest said:
SEN 18 said:
frazer guest said:
I was also stopped at the weekend, for a TVR / reg plate issue.
Initially pulled for having no front plate, (its just fallen off officer, honest), he was then kind enough to tell me that any plate that is back lit is illegal, and any plate that has dealer markings on them, is also illegal.
Perhaps someone should mention this, to all the 100's of 1000's of cars that leave dealers every year with JCT 600, Hartwells, Stratsone etc, on their plates?
Be good if we could get some clarification on this - could stop time wasting for us & the police. Anybody know the true legal position ?Initially pulled for having no front plate, (its just fallen off officer, honest), he was then kind enough to tell me that any plate that is back lit is illegal, and any plate that has dealer markings on them, is also illegal.
Perhaps someone should mention this, to all the 100's of 1000's of cars that leave dealers every year with JCT 600, Hartwells, Stratsone etc, on their plates?
Edited by SEN 18 on Tuesday 5th June 22:17
This is a very sore point. The law on plates as far as our MOT is very diff from what the police say is law.
When we have the MOT it is to check our car is both road legal and road safe. The MOt law says it must be the right spacing, easy to read and not in script, there is no law on size , colour. Why then do we get stopped???????
help
When we have the MOT it is to check our car is both road legal and road safe. The MOt law says it must be the right spacing, easy to read and not in script, there is no law on size , colour. Why then do we get stopped???????
help
When I was stopped I was given DVLA form V796 Display Of Registration Marks For Motor Vehicles...It states plates MUST be displayed in accordance with The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks ) Regulations 2001. Carries on to specify Character Height (79 mm) , Spacing (11 mm) etc. etc., the refers to Mandatory Typeface etc., Then The British Standard BS AU 145d, name, trade mark or other means of identification of the manufacturer, Name and postcode of supplying outlet.
All the above would appear to be Standards and Recommendations , NOT LAW.
THE FINAL PARAGRAPH IS HEADED 'OFFENCES'
"It is an offence to alter,rearrange or misrepresent letters or numbers in order to form names or in such a way that makes it difficult to read the registration number. Characters must not be moved from one block to another......"
It would appear to me the interpretation of 'difficult to read' is as vague as the police wish to make it. And could apply it to size, colour , typeface.
All the above would appear to be Standards and Recommendations , NOT LAW.
THE FINAL PARAGRAPH IS HEADED 'OFFENCES'
"It is an offence to alter,rearrange or misrepresent letters or numbers in order to form names or in such a way that makes it difficult to read the registration number. Characters must not be moved from one block to another......"
It would appear to me the interpretation of 'difficult to read' is as vague as the police wish to make it. And could apply it to size, colour , typeface.
Edited by glow worm on Wednesday 6th June 10:28
tamore said:
on this note, i've seen quite a few cars recently with white on black plates. these arent classics either, but nearly new cars. what's the legality of them, as they'd look great on my tam.
Illegal, I'm afraid. I forget what the cut-off is, but the car (effectively) has to be old...morebeanz said:
tamore said:
on this note, i've seen quite a few cars recently with white on black plates. these arent classics either, but nearly new cars. what's the legality of them, as they'd look great on my tam.
Illegal, I'm afraid. I forget what the cut-off is, but the car (effectively) has to be old...North Wales DOES have crime, and most of it is spread along the North Coast - They Tell me that Menai Bridge is Full of Drug Dealers and HolyHead is Full of Criminal Chavs.
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