anthscooby01

Got home tonight to read Notice of Intended Prosecution kindly sent to me by local plod. It seems that my vehicle was observed by the mobile speed camera van displaying 'registration mark that does not comply with standard format'!! Sly b@@ggers!! I do not dispute that my plate has the space moved along a little bit but
1. Surely the mobile speed cameras should not be recording my vehicle in the first place if I am not speeding.
2. How can they prove actual spacing from a photograph.

Seems yet another way screwing more money out of the motorist. Plod had no bother at all sending the N.I.P re this 'illegible' plate. Pathetic!
Even more annoying as couple of weeks ago someone reversed into my wifes car and he admitted he was not insured. I rang plod to see what they would do to help and they said they would not get involved as nobody injured. I asked if it was illegal to drive without insurance to which copper admitted it was but still wanted nowt to do with it. So looks like u can drive round with no insurance, crash into someone, admit to them u have no insurance so nowt they can do to claim off you! However woe betide you if u have 10mm to much space in between your registration numbers. They will have u!!!!!!!!!
MAJOR CRIME!!

simb 2

iTrader: (3)

Just a fine or points aswell?

Alan MaC

This really poves how this lot of Politicians have turned everything upside down.

If you've got nothing, what can they do to you???

This includes Illegal Asylum seekers etc etc etc.

HOWEVERRRRRR< if you are nice enough to insure or tax your Car, WATCH OUT!!!!

You have got something.

However, we the Brtish Public must share part of the blame for this.

WE HAVE LET IT HAPPPEN!!

I remember on here a couple of weeks ago, someone posted about a DEmonsrtation about the new ROAD TAX for new motors, £300 then £400.

What happened??

Nothing.


That's what THEY depend on.

I do sympathise with you Big Time.

You seem a decent person.

However, until someone gives a toss and does something "ALA Petrol Protests."

This will get worse.

Best of Luck.

KInd regards

Alan MaC>>>>>RANT OVER>>>>

MY deep

anthscooby01

Cheers for above. Its only a £30 fine, no points but its the principle. Easy targets we are.
Another example of totally unfair policing was when my STI was written off last year. Ins co would not pay out as car had outstanding finance (£18500) from prev owner. As I bought car from Subaru main dealer I thought police would help me as car was obviously mis sold. I got copy of HPI report proving Garage had searched register but had not told me car had prev finance owing. Fraud I thought. Oh no. Police said it was a private matter between me and garage. Excuse me but what exactly do the Police do!!??

simb 2

iTrader: (3)

I've had the same, they have stopped me twice now with the same thing, they are a waste of space!!

nik52wrx

I think the reason plates get picked on is because some people take the pi** with spacing and fonts which are a bugger to read.

scotthldr

Deny it, then wait to see if plod turn up to measure the spacing properly or change the plate before they do.

Find it hard to believe that a speed camera van picked you up for that, in fact the more I think of it NO WAY!! unless you're getting done for speeding as well.

Bubba po

They should double the fine and points for the owners of these chavvy, illegal abominations.

milf hunter

What is the Legal Spacing and Letter Style on Number Plates

Information - Main
Dates of Registration Issues

Number Plates History

Legalities - Letter Spacing

There are different rules and regulations depending on the age & type of the vehicle together with where it was imported from and the available space on the bodywork for the plates. These are listed below, but the basic law on display applies to all vehicles.

The law states that,
You must not alter, rearrange or misrepresent the letters or numbers
Characters must not be moved from one group to the other
(e.g. A242 ABC must not be displayed as A242A BC).
Offences may result in any or all of the following:

A fine of up to £1,000
The registration mark may be WITHDRAWN
The vehicle may FAIL the MOT test

Full details of the requirements are included in The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 available from Her Majesty's Stationery Office

Mandatory Character Font
From 1st September 2001 all new number plates must display the new mandatory (compulsory) font. This, combined with the new style format registration mark is designed to make number plates clearer and easier to remember.
Number plates fitted before 1st September 2001 need not be changed provided the character font used is substantially the same as the new font.

Number plates must be replaced if they have been customised with:-
Stylised letters and/or figures such as italics
Number plate fixing bolts that alter the appearance of the letters and/or numbers

To simply explain the regulations, looking at the plate below:-
The 'Characters' are the individual letters and numbers. The 'Space between characters' refers to the spaces within a group of characters together, in this case A555 is one group and WOW is another group. The 'Space between groups' is thus the legal required space between those 2 groups of characters (shown as 33mm in the example)


Number Plates Fitted After 1st September 2001
Number plates fitted after 1 September 2001 must display characters that meet the dimensions shown below.


Characters Group 1
Height 79mm
Width (except Number 1 or letter I) 50mm
Stroke 14mm
Space between characters 11mm
Space between groups 33mm
Top bottom and side margins (minimum) 11mm
Space between vertical lines 19mm
Number Plates Fitted Before 1st September 2001
Number plates fitted before 1 September 2001 must display characters that meet the dimensions shown in one of the two groups below


Characters Group 1 Group2
Height 89mm 79mm
Width (Except Number 1 or letter I) 64mm 57mm
Stroke 16mm 14mm
Space between characters 13mm 11mm
Space between groups 38mm 33mm
Side margins (minimum) 13mm 11mm
Space between vertical lines 19mm 19mm

Display Of Vehicle Registration Marks On Imported Vehicles
(which have a restricted space for a standard sized number plate)

Certain imported vehicles may be permitted to display number plates with smaller characters if the vehicle does not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval AND the vehicle's construction/design cannot accommodate standard size number plates



Characters Group 1
Height 64mm
Width 44mm
Stroke 10mm
Space between characters 10mm
Display Of Vehicle Registration Marks On Motorcyles And Tricycles

Motorcycles and Tricycles registered after 1st September 2001 must only display a number plate at the rear of the vehicle



Motorcycles and Tricycles registered before 1st September 2001can display a number plate at the front but are not required to


Characters Group 1
Height 64mm
Width 44mm
Stroke 10mm
Space between characters 10mm
Space between groups 30mm
Top, side & bottom margin 11mm
Space between vertical lines 13mm

Motorcycles registered on or after 1st September 2001 must display a two-line number plate. Motorcycles registered prior to the 1st September 2001 may display a three-line plate, but one-line plates are illegal, irrespective of the date of registration of the motorcycle.ay display a three-line plate, ut one-line plates

Bubba po

That's only the law, though, MH. What about the inalienable right of the motorist to make himself look a ****?

Thedevilandhiscar

Well that makes 2 because I got a £30 ticket 2 weeks ago for haveing a sticker plate on the front of the car but yet on the ticket it said I was not displaying my front plate so I went to see the pigs and got into a right argument so they said they were going to have my car inspected.I went home called my soliciter and he called and told them there were infringing my rights and if they called upon me they would sue.I have heard dick from them.A complete pile of *******..

Bubba po

I heard a rumour that mis-spacing of numberplate characters conforms to some species of gay "cruising" code, eg; a double space plus a black rivet in place of a yellow one indicates that the owner wants to be taken up the wrong 'un by an MX5 driver wearing a leather beret.

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

Thats Regulation 14 that's for UK Cars and Import came under Regulation 14a

Last year they modified 14A to included spacing and grouping they also added that Plate makers name and BS no, which had not been previously mention 14A.

If you plates were made prior to those Changes don't think they can be enforced retrospectively. but a solicitor would be best advice

Tony

renny

iTrader: (2)

olliecampbell

iTrader: (3)

Interesting, had a smaller than normal plate on the front of mine for about 1 year now and not been stopped.

jazzymonkey

I was stopped on Saturday for a small front number plate! Cocky git got out of his car and said "that will cost you £30 this morning sonny"! Is there any need for that? The back number plate had illegal spacing but he said that was ok.
He also said he had he has been after me for some time but he has always been busy doing other things and been unable to catch up to me!
Nothing better to do!

Leslie

Trouble is, if you do have incorrect spacing or placing of the letters and numbers, sooner or later some copper will have you for it. Just depends on his mood at the time I suppose.

Certainly not impressed at the attitude over the uninsured bloke. It seems that like the politicians, they do not give a stuff for the people unless there is a nice easy case and fine to be extracted as well as an easy conviction to go towards the targets to be met!

Les

TelBoy

Excellent news. I wish the police would clamp down even harder on this offence.

SirFozzalot

Abdabz

I think this is great news and want to see more threads like this...
Illegally spaced and fonted plates serve no purpose other than to make the driver of the car look like a warty genital. b
If my kid was out playing in the street and was approached by a kidnapper in a car / involved in a hit and run or my wife was involved in RTA where the driver drove off I want witnesses to be able to quote the reg plate... Not spend time wondering what the plate actually read...
We need new legislation to close down these online shops who sell any illegal plates to the public and more fines to get rid of this pathetic bunch of warty genetalia who insist on pushing the law as far as they think they can get away with it...
I know it might go agains the grain but I am genuinely made up that the thread starter has been caught for this and delighted that safety cameras are being used for yet another good cause.

jazzymonkey

My defence is that they were on the car when i bought them. I now have regulation plates on. Should keep a few people happy.

speedking

But Abdabz,

1. The plate was perfectly legible, which is how the NIP was despatched.

2. If an incident occurs, a witness is more likely to remember a plate that looks like it reads "Peter", or "Lawyer", rather than "P3 TER", or "L4 WYR".

OP, I suspect it was an ANPR van rather than speed in which case the outcome was pretty much inevitable.

mannyo

Friend of mine got caught twice for a slightly reworked plate, and then got a letter from the DVLA stating that if caught again he would lose the plate and his car would go back to a normal Y plate. He now displays a normal version of the plate.

The problem is you also run the risk of having the plate taken back by the DVLA. Technically you dont own the plate, the DVLA still do and you are paying for the right to display the plate on the currently registered car.

Abdabz

Re point 1...The thread starter was only done for spacing so the letters and numbers would, I huess be more easily read.

Re point 2... If a plate is say P3 TER, then thats what it is... If it P3TER in funny / italic / swooshy graphics and/or is spaced together then a passer by wont be able to tell if it is actually P3 TER, P1 TER, P6 TER, P7 TER, 931 ER, 93 7ER, 931 GR, etc etc etc...
So when the witness says to the trafffic policeperson that "it read Peter"... Hmm the chap looking at the PNC thingy suddenly has to interpret one of 20+ possible plates...

It cannot be justified unless you wish to publicise the fact you wear head genetalia...

Chris L

"1. Surely the mobile speed cameras should not be recording my vehicle in the first place if I am not speeding.
2. How can they prove actual spacing from a photograph"

1. - If you think about it, they must be recording all the time. It wouldn't be possible to aim the speed gun at your car, record the speed and then turn on the camera.
2. - They can blow up the picture? Quite easy I would have thought.

Also bear in mind that it could be the policeman's observation that your plate was illegal - in his opinion. Doesn't necessarily need to be captured on film.

pwhittle

it does seem petty, but then you can get upto £1000 fine for an illegible plate, so you got off lightly.
I'm sure they do it because an unreadable or dirty plate may not be picked up by cameras. Having recently been nicked by a camera (first in 15 years), I have no sympathy with people who try to avoid it.

scooby595

as much as I might get crucified for this, I'm with Abdabz on this. I agree about the hit and run thing etc. Sorry if this upsets people, I have a private plate on my car, put the screw in the right place it reads something different, however, I HAVEN'T put the screw in. If anyone has half a brain, they'll read that P3 TER reads Peter without the need for owner to rejig the spacing to suit.

Each to their own I guess, but I'm with the minority on this one.

Steve

OllyK

Maybe I'm missing something, but I fail to see the point of having a "personal" number plate that is in fact a very ordinary number plate that's been messed with.

Suresh

The BiB appear to frown upon people messing with their plates and for good reasons. We all know this, so why do it?

scooby595

Olly K, my plate was brought purely for profit. Was offered 400 quid a back end of last year, only paid £250 for it 6months prior. See what you're saying, if you buy it to make it look something only when it's rejigged, and thus making it illegal and face the risk of loosing it what's the point ??

( I cannot comment, as you rightly say, what is the point !!) Damn now I look like a fool !!

:-0