how do people get away with altering appearances of number plates?

Options
UKSBD
UKSBD Posts: 797 Forumite
Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
in Motoring
I've always thought it was illegal to change spacings on number plates, so how do people get away altering spaces and making numbers look lie letters?
«134

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Options
    Lack of police numbers on the road.
  • Norman_Castle
    Norman_Castle Posts: 11,871 Forumite
    Photogenic First Post Name Dropper First Anniversary
    Options
    Do cameras spot poorly spaced plates? If it cannot be read by the camera is the image read by a human to work out the reg number?
  • gettingtheresometime
    gettingtheresometime Posts: 6,911 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post I've been Money Tipped!
    Options
    Well you wouldn't pass an mot with the spacing altered

    Do the police even care if the spacing is wrong but the characters are what they're supposed to be? I would have thought they'd have a bigger issue with people trying to change the appearance of characters with a black fixture for example trying to make a c into an e
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Options
    UKSBD wrote: »
    I've always thought it was illegal to change spacings on number plates
    It is.

    so how do people get away altering spaces and making numbers look lie letters?
    They haven't been caught. Yet.
  • AndyMc.....
    AndyMc..... Posts: 3,248 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    Options
    treboeth wrote: »
    Lack of police numbers on the road.

    Lack of interest.
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Options
    It is illegal. Years ago I knew a lad who had a very prized number plate and it stood out a mile ... but it was 2-3 years of him racing round town, getting into trouble with the police, etc, before one of them even bothered to mention it to him - because the time/paperwork and cost/time for them to take him to court for something "trivial" wasn't worth it.

    A police officer would have had to have been off the streets for 1+ hours filling in the paperwork, doing an interview, maybe another 2 hours of subsequent time discussing the case, etc etc .... and if it got to court, then a magistrate and bench and a court room and all the staff and the police officer would have needed to be available for 1 hour for the hearing, plus the police officer's additional hour to get to court/wait ... and 1 hour back at the station to get there and to file/update the records with the result.

    Illegal, yes.
    Worth it when they could be "chasing criminals" no.

    Maybe if it were added to the "list of things you can be handed an instant fine for" it'd be easier for them to just dole out a ticket and be on their way.
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Options
    PasturesNew wrote: »
    Maybe if it were added to the "list of things you can be handed an instant fine for" it'd be easier for them to just dole out a ticket and be on their way.
    It is, and long has been.
  • Herzlos
    Herzlos Posts: 14,688 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Options
    It's usually something that'll get added to a list of offenses if you're stopped for anything else, but not really worth their time stopping you just for that unless it's a slow day.
  • caprikid1
    caprikid1 Posts: 2,135 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Combo Breaker First Post
    Options
    Seems to be less and less of it these days in my area, lots of plates clearly bought to be spaced / changed but no longer being displayed that way.


    Never offer an excuse to stop you IMHO.
  • AndyMc.....
    AndyMc..... Posts: 3,248 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    Options
    PasturesNew wrote: »
    It is illegal. Years ago I knew a lad who had a very prized number plate and it stood out a mile ... but it was 2-3 years of him racing round town, getting into trouble with the police, etc, before one of them even bothered to mention it to him - because the time/paperwork and cost/time for them to take him to court for something "trivial" wasn't worth it.

    A police officer would have had to have been off the streets for 1+ hours filling in the paperwork, doing an interview, maybe another 2 hours of subsequent time discussing the case, etc etc .... and if it got to court, then a magistrate and bench and a court room and all the staff and the police officer would have needed to be available for 1 hour for the hearing, plus the police officer's additional hour to get to court/wait ... and 1 hour back at the station to get there and to file/update the records with the result.

    Illegal, yes.
    Worth it when they could be "chasing criminals" no.

    Maybe if it were added to the "list of things you can be handed an instant fine for" it'd be easier for them to just dole out a ticket and be on their way.

    Absolute rubbish, five minutes to stop him do some dicument checks and write a ticket.
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.3K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 608.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173.1K Life & Family
  • 248K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards