MOT failure Altered reg. no.

[glojo]

Like others I have seen hundreds of cars that have altered the spacing on their numbers to make it look like a word and they have displayed this with completely immunity?

Our neighbours have a little runabout they use solely for taking the dogs out if it rains (unbelieveable, but sadly very true)

Anyway they altered the number *55 NOW to read *5 5NOW. It looked like *S SNOW.

The car failed the MOT No sympathy, but I wonder if MOT stations might be cracking down? (I wish)

John

 

[imadoofus]

MOT stations are subject to 'mystery shoppers', AFAIK. That being the case, they'd be daft not to obey the letter of the law when testing a car.

PJ

 

[jeremytaylor]

The car failed the MOT No sympathy, but I wonder if MOT stations might be cracking down? (I wish)

Glad to hear it.

I also heard that the government were gonig to crack down on the 'show plate' industry - a misnomer if ever there was one. People don't use these plates for shows, they use them to dodge ANPR devices.

Proper personalised plates, fine. But distorting plates (like the example you give), no.

 

[BTB 500]

IIRC somebody here posted that they simply put a set of legal plates in the back of the car when taking it for MOT, and that was fine ...

 

[Flash]

Serves them right for failing the MOT....

Plodd should also issue on the spot penalty fines and 3 points on to the license of the driver for incorrect spacing/alignmnet of the number plate....

 

[BTB 500]

People don't use these plates for shows, they use them to dodge ANPR devices.

Yup, but you still see them every day in central London. Mostly on cars that are new enough not to need an MOT

If I was speccing a NPR system it would pass a still photo of anything it didn't recognise to a human operator. They could tag it with the real registration (usually fairly obvious, particularly if you can cross-check the vehicle type & colour with the DVLA database), and send it on to the Police to issue a fixed penalty to the registered owner - similar process to speed cameras. Even if the operator(s) only processed 50% of them it would be a step in the right direction.

 

[glojo]

Excellent points.

The owner only uses the vehicle to take their stupid poodle type muts to the local park, so avoiding fines has never been an issue.

I personally wish the laws were enforced, but there are countless examples that do get through the MOT WITHOUT the owner replacing hte plates. I wonder if MOT stations get to know there customers so are aware of hte spot examinations?

I would love to take on the responsibility of locating owners of altered numbers that have avoided detection. 5 - 10% of the fine would suit me

John

 

[BTB 500]

there are countless examples that do get through the MOT WITHOUT the owner replacing hte plates.

Just to be clear, the person who posted didn't actually swap the plates over ... it was (apparently) good enough just to show that he had some legal ones.

I would love to take on the responsibility of locating owners of altered numbers that have avoided detection. 5 - 10% of the fine would suit me

Yup, they have private companies doing parking tickets and now (I think) speeding ... so why not!

 

[janner]

Burglars, vandals and car thieves first. People who space 55 as 5 5 second

 

[Rory]

Does it really matter? A traffic police officer told me he didn't mind because it made the registration easier to remember if someone spotted the car doing something it shouldn't, and the Police can easily figure out what they reg is supposed to be.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Yeah, As long as the letters are correct, and no bolts are used.
whats the problem with them? Still easy (if not more so) to read!

 

[BTB 500]

Does it really matter? A traffic police officer told me he didn't mind because it made the registration easier to remember if someone spotted the car doing something it shouldn't, and the Police can easily figure out what they reg is supposed to be.

It matters if the spacing stops an automated system like the London congestion charge one from reading the plate. Simple changes in spacing may or may not affect this (I don't know), but dodgy fonts / altered characters / black bolt heads / etc. will definitely render a plate unreadable.

 

[glojo]

Does it really matter? A traffic police officer told me he didn't mind because it made the registration easier to remember if someone spotted the car doing something it shouldn't, and the Police can easily figure out what they reg is supposed to be.

Good point, thinking as I type, I wonder if it is because I don't like there little yappy dogs

The warning still stands about the MOT failure, but perhaps I'm being unfair??

John

 

[Benzowner]

IIRC somebody here posted that they simply put a set of legal plates in the back of the car when taking it for MOT, and that was fine ...

That would be me, I forgot this year and it failed, showed him the "legal" plates and it passed.

 

[BTB 500]

Burglars, vandals and car thieves first. People who space 55 as 5 5 second

Agreed, hence the suggestion to outsource this to a third party (as per parking tickets) ... letting the Police concentrate on more serious things.

 

[Flash]

Does it really matter? A traffic police officer told me he didn't mind because it made the registration easier to remember if someone spotted the car doing something it shouldn't, and the Police can easily figure out what they reg is supposed to be.

Thats like saying does it really matter if driving around with fog lights on all the time during the day/night in normal weather conditions (but that is illegal) - one could argue that it would make visibility clearer/better for everyone... If Plod sees you with fogs on during normal conditons then that is an instant fine....

 

[Benzowner]

......... If Plod sees you ....

There is the rub, I have been driving out and about today, central Bristol and Bath, how many police do you think I saw? None Thought I saw one, but it was an ambulance, makes you wonder why they have the same or similar flashy strips on their motors, so until you gat close, you can't tell. That is also why there are so many people still using mobile phones when driving, there is NO enforcement of the minor laws, or there doesn't appear to be any.

 

[Flash]

There is the rub, I have been driving out and about today, central Bristol and Bath, how many police do you think I saw? None Thought I saw one, but it was an ambulance, makes you wonder why they have the same or similar flashy strips on their motors, so until you gat close, you can't tell. That is also why there are so many people still using mobile phones when driving, there is NO enforcement of the minor laws, or there doesn't appear to be any.

Come into London and its a different story - The Metropolitan Police pickup on alot of things and "pick" on individuals/motorists when they are "cruising" around in their riot Sprinter vans and the whole "army" gets out to check the car over and do the driver for many offences as possible...

 

[Howard]

Altered number plates are the poor mans way to a personal plate .....

How many 'D4 VEG type' things have we seen spaced to read 'DAVE G' with judicious placing of bolts ....

People like that should save up and buy 'DG 1234' or something like that ....

 

[BTB 500]

there is NO enforcement of the minor laws, or there doesn't appear to be any.

Agree 100%

Every day on my walk to/from the station I watch people drive down a buses & taxis only street, ignore a no right turn at a T junction, and drive through two pedestrian crossings on red.

The crossroads just up the road has red light cameras and guess what ... everybody behaves there