License plates - question for BiB
Discussion
If any of the BiB out there could advise I would be most grateful.
I have bought a car bra for track days - to try and avoid some of the stone chips (those ugly-looking leather nose-covers for cars).
Before you all start I know it's ugly - it's just for track days to stop me worrying about the immense number of stone chips I'm receiving.
Anyway - to the question: The bra is american made, where they have smaller front number-plates, therefore it covers a part of the actual plate here in the UK. Fortunately I have a private plate and all the numbers/letters can be seen through the opening, but only just, and the whitespace at either side of the plate is covered. Would I be stopped/ticketed for this? Does the full width of the plate have to be visible, even if there is nothing on it?
I have bought a car bra for track days - to try and avoid some of the stone chips (those ugly-looking leather nose-covers for cars).
Before you all start I know it's ugly - it's just for track days to stop me worrying about the immense number of stone chips I'm receiving.
Anyway - to the question: The bra is american made, where they have smaller front number-plates, therefore it covers a part of the actual plate here in the UK. Fortunately I have a private plate and all the numbers/letters can be seen through the opening, but only just, and the whitespace at either side of the plate is covered. Would I be stopped/ticketed for this? Does the full width of the plate have to be visible, even if there is nothing on it?
Technically you could be in bother. Why :-
Regulation 6, R Vehicles Display of Reg Marks Regs 2001
(2) ...a registration plate must be fixed on the front of the vehicle in the manner required by paragraph (3).
(3) This paragraph requires the plate to be fixed -
(a) vertically or, where that is not reasonably practicable, in a position as close to the vertical as is reasonably practicable,
and - it is here you seem to fall foul:
(b) in such a position that in normal daylight the characters of the registration mark are easily distinguishable from every part of a relevant area having the diagonal length specified in paragraph (4).
(4) The diagonal length of the relevant area is -
(a) in the case of a mark having characters the width of which is at least 57 millimetres, 22 metres,
(b) in the case of a mark having characters the width of which is 50 millimetres, 21.5 metres,
(c) in the case of a mark having characters the width of which is 44 millimetres, 18 metres
Regulation 11
(2) A registration plate must not be treated in any other way which renders the characters of the registration mark less easily distinguishable to the eye or which would prevent or impair the making of a true photographic image of the plate through the medium of camera and film or any other device.
Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 S 43
If Reg Mark fitted on a vehicle in any way is
(a) obscured,or
(b) rendered, or allowed to become, not easily distinguishable.........offence.
As to what action BiB would take is in the lap of the Gods but I would suspect if the infringement other than blatant probably only a word in the shell like.
DVD
Regulation 6, R Vehicles Display of Reg Marks Regs 2001
(2) ...a registration plate must be fixed on the front of the vehicle in the manner required by paragraph (3).
(3) This paragraph requires the plate to be fixed -
(a) vertically or, where that is not reasonably practicable, in a position as close to the vertical as is reasonably practicable,
and - it is here you seem to fall foul:
(b) in such a position that in normal daylight the characters of the registration mark are easily distinguishable from every part of a relevant area having the diagonal length specified in paragraph (4).
(4) The diagonal length of the relevant area is -
(a) in the case of a mark having characters the width of which is at least 57 millimetres, 22 metres,
(b) in the case of a mark having characters the width of which is 50 millimetres, 21.5 metres,
(c) in the case of a mark having characters the width of which is 44 millimetres, 18 metres
Regulation 11
(2) A registration plate must not be treated in any other way which renders the characters of the registration mark less easily distinguishable to the eye or which would prevent or impair the making of a true photographic image of the plate through the medium of camera and film or any other device.
Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 S 43
If Reg Mark fitted on a vehicle in any way is
(a) obscured,or
(b) rendered, or allowed to become, not easily distinguishable.........offence.
As to what action BiB would take is in the lap of the Gods but I would suspect if the infringement other than blatant probably only a word in the shell like.
DVD
Dwight VanDriver said:
(b) in such a position that in normal daylight the characters of the registration mark are easily distinguishable from every part of a relevant area having the diagonal length specified in paragraph (4).
(4) The diagonal length of the relevant area is -
(a) in the case of a mark having characters the width of which is at least 57 millimetres, 22 metres.......etc
What the hell is that all about, then?
We have to be able to see characters within an area having a diagonal length of 22 metres
Anybody suggest what might be in such an expanse of space that would render recognition difficult?
And is the diagonal within a square or rectangular area, please? On a road/in the woods/in a field/in Brunstrom's kitchen......?
Or is this alcohol haze confusing me...........?
>> Edited by mybrainhurts on Sunday 11th April 21:54
Errr.......licenCe, too, as well...
>> Edited by mybrainhurts on Sunday 11th April 21:56
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