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Anti Flash licence Plates... Do they work ?

Tony M

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Joined
Nov 20, 2002
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152
Location
Sussex
Car
Porsche 997 Turbo Cab
There are special reflective plates available for £50.00 a set, that claim to reflect back a camera flash to render them illegible.

1) Do they work ?

2)How do you test them ?

Any thoughts on the subject ?
 
this was discussed before and i think the answer was NO!

Im sure someone will provide an in depth reason tho...

Jay
 
jaymanek said:
this was discussed before and i think the answer was NO!

Im sure someone will provide an in depth reason tho...

Jay

Thanks for your prompt reply. I did do a quick search before starting a new thread but drew a blank. I will do a further search. Sorry if this thread is a time waster :o
 
Apart from questioning how effective they are, they are also illegal and could land you with a ticket.

One of the Autoexpress/car magazine's had them on their M5 and the police were waiting for them when they retuned to the car at a motorway service station. They were fined for having them on.
 
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/index.html
http://www.abd.org.uk/
http://www.saferroads.co.uk/intro.php
and for a laugh
http://www.tuftufclub.com/english/index.htm
mierlo4.jpg
 
They don't work.
The attached pic is one of my vans used as an experiment for a friend who runs a number plate business.
I bet him that anti-flash plates didn't work.
This is the result.
Front and rear plates he had recently produced on the rear step of the van as opposed to the normal number plate.

DSC00061.jpg
 
Indeed NO

I got the same result as S500's mate's van when I had 'em fitted to me bike, they're cr*p.

I tried a hinged bracket with an old choke cable attached - that was a larf.You could pop the number plate up when going for a blast.

:bannana:
 
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My 'friends' plates turned up today.

I have flash photographed them with the digital camera from various angles, distances,
light levels, and also against my other cars in the same locations which are fitted with regular plates.

The results are quite remarkable. The font blank out completely, but the yellow rear plates are visible from certain angles. All in all I think they may well do what the makers claim. (Not that I have plans to put them to the test !)
 
Tony M said:
My 'friends' plates turned up today.

I have flash photographed them with the digital camera from various angles, distances,
light levels, and also against my other cars in the same locations which are fitted with regular plates.

The results are quite remarkable. The font blank out completely, but the yellow rear plates are visible from certain angles. All in all I think they may well do what the makers claim. (Not that I have plans to put them to the test !)
In that case Tony, could you please share the source?

If not openly, please PM me.

cheers

EDIT: PS - any chance you can also share the pic with the plate blanked out? Apparently the Police use tricks such as altering the contrast and looking at the negative image to make the registration legible.
 
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Tony M said:
There are special reflective plates available for £50.00 a set, that claim to reflect back a camera flash to render them illegible.

1) Do they work ?

2)How do you test them ?

Any thoughts on the subject ?

I read in one of the papers a couple of months ago there is also a spray that can be used, it is available off the net, don't know the url it is in the States, a friend off jag-lovers in LA uses it and reckons its good.

Dave
 
Dave Kerr said:
I read in one of the papers a couple of months ago there is also a spray that can be used, it is available off the net, don't know the url it is in the States, a friend off jag-lovers in LA uses it and reckons its good.

Dave
Is it this one?

http://www.phantomplate.com/

Wouldn't have done me much good - just been 'lasered' doing Autobahn speed on the new toll road (sicking duck) - waiting for the brown envelope to arrive and then me thinks I'll be dusting down my mountain bike:(

Laser diffuser's on my shopping list now.
 
Oh yes they do!

guydewdney said:
if its a toll road - then its not the queens highway - therefore QH rules do not apply....


discuss ;)

Oh yes they do! The Toll Licence holder is only 'renting' the right to charge you for using the road. It's still legally the Queens Highway and all the RT Act applies.

Andy
 
The supplier of the reflective plates is a nameless company that operates under a national rate telephone number.

When I phoned, the phone was answered with a 'Hello' (No name).I said what I wanted and the bloke took my credit card details and home address and said 2-3 weeks delivery.

The plates arrived in a plain white protective sleeve, with no postmark (just a Royal Mail sticker), and inside there was no paperwork, invoice or clue to from whence they had come.

I think the intensity of the flash, the angle and the distance are all relevant factors regarding regarding the effectiveness of these plates so I would say 'You pay your money and you take your chance !'

0870 752 8370 £50.00 a pair all inclusive.
 
I have seen these beening tested before by the police. It's not the picture you want to be looking at, but the negative. Take it with a normal camera, get them film devoped and then look at the negative! It will be reasonably clear!
 
Just a word of caution from an ex traffic cop for all those rushing out to buy these plates , they will make no difference whatsoever on any camera other than a rear facing camera during the hours of darkness. Mobile cameras and forward facing cameras are not dependent on a flash.
Secondly should you happen to be caught with these the least you are likely to face is obstructing the police and the worst you will be liable to arrest for attempting to pervert the course of justice which is porridge time. I guess it all depends no where your licence is at points wise as to whether you consider it worth the risk?
It doesn't bother me one iota as said ex is the operative word, just letting you know what your hard earned £50 plates could cost you. :)
 
Just a word of caution from an ex traffic cop for all those rushing out to buy these plates , they will make no difference whatsoever on any camera other than a rear facing camera during the hours of darkness. Mobile cameras and forward facing cameras are not dependent on a flash.
Secondly should you happen to be caught with these the least you are likely to face is obstructing the police and the worst you will be liable to arrest for attempting to pervert the course of justice which is porridge time. I guess it all depends no where your licence is at points wise as to whether you consider it worth the risk?
It doesn't bother me one iota as said ex is the operative word, just letting you know what your hard earned £50 plates could cost you. :)

I don't think anyone is going to be rushing out to buy anything of the sort.

The most recent post in this thread was nearly 14 years ago before Kn0b Rot decided to revive it (a forum record ?) and people realised many years ago that the plates are a crock.
 

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