Number Plate Spacing

[davymead]

As a road policing officer in Scotland, (yes I know), we are all car lovers, that's why we join road policing. We tend to give advice, or a VREC to enable the driver 21 days to get the plate changed. The spacing and size isn't normally a major issue; other officers may disagree and deal differently with the offence. Otherwise it is a 100 pound fine per plate!!
All depends on how the driver engages with us!! Some people will not take advice and know better.
On the rare occasion, we can notify DVLA after 3 warnings who can have the plate removed from the driver but this is rare.
I try to inform that if the plate is unreadable on ANPR, if the car is stolen it wouldn't flag up. It is an offence to alter a plate to make it difficult to read and I have to balance if the driver is attempting to disguise the car (eg for average speed cameras) or if they are doing it to make the car look good. Its officer discretion in the end and we are all different. Just my view

Fair play to you. Thanks for your input.
Might be a good idea to remove a postcode.

 

[Pilko]

Thanks bud, think I have done that now.

Any advice I can provide, would be more than happy to do so. Road safety is our priority not winding others up. Been to too many bad incidents to think otherwise.
Just remember not all drivers are criminals but most criminals are drivers.!!
Thanks again.

 

[E55BOF]

To summarise
No imagination = expensive number plate
Good imagination = cheap number plate

Also to summarise: Chavs have more imagination?

 

[Spider10]

If you’re spending £250 on a plate then it’s no big shakes if you keep it for only the duration of the car. Especially, if we’re talking about buying AMG’s.

Save your £250 and buy another pair of rear tyre's

 

[Deleted member 150136]

If you’re spending £250 on a plate then it’s no big shakes if you keep it for only the duration of the car. Especially, if we’re talking about buying AMG’s.

If we're talking about AMGs then £2500 shouldn't worry you either.

 

[Germgh0st]

At the end of the day, no matter how you justify it, an incorrectly spaced number plate is illegal. Choosing to incorrectly space your number plate is like choosing to speed - you takes your chances.

 

[Petrol Pete]

As a road policing officer in Scotland, (yes I know), we are all car lovers, that's why we join road policing. We tend to give advice, or a VREC to enable the driver 21 days to get the plate changed. The spacing and size isn't normally a major issue; other officers may disagree and deal differently with the offence. Otherwise it is a 100 pound fine per plate!!
All depends on how the driver engages with us!! Some people will not take advice and know better.
On the rare occasion, we can notify DVLA after 3 warnings who can have the plate removed from the driver but this is rare.
I try to inform that if the plate is unreadable on ANPR, if the car is stolen it wouldn't flag up. It is an offence to alter a plate to make it difficult to read and I have to balance if the driver is attempting to disguise the car (eg for average speed cameras) or if they are doing it to make the car look good. Its officer discretion in the end and we are all different. Just my view

Hi and welcome. I hope you stick around and comment on some of the 'legal/grey area' stuff that pop's up on here from time to time.

 

[anglaslt]

Came across this in an Autotrader advertisement. I think it comes within the "intent to deceive" category. Two things I do not understand. How can the owner expect to get away with it and why would you advertise it?

 

[Benzowner]

Surprised no one has suggested putting two number plates on either end of the car, one in the correct position with legal plate, the other elsewhere spaced as you like

 

[Spider10]

Came across this in an Autotrader advertisement. I think it comes within the "intent to deceive" category. Two things I do not understand. How can the owner expect to get away with it and why would you advertise it?

View attachment 107861

To be fair the person who has a car babysh-t brown and black can't possibly think straght anyway

 

[Scooby_Doo]

Back in 1994 I bought IIW I8I , nothing to do with my name or car , it was dateless and cost £200. I had it on every car until I bought a plate with my initials on it in 2011. Regret selling it now as it just looked odd with four ones and was always asked if it was a legal plate.

 

[Notwen]

Not a spacing issue, but I get asked quite a bit if my plate is legal or a show plate.


Over on Pistonheads, there has been thread going for years, purely for badly spaced & crappy number plates, running into the 1000's
What C124PPY personalised plates have you seen? V01. 3 - Page 1 - General Gassing - PistonHeads UK

 

[Wolfie1]

As a road policing officer in Scotland, (yes I know), we are all car lovers, that's why we join road policing. We tend to give advice, or a VREC to enable the driver 21 days to get the plate changed. The spacing and size isn't normally a major issue; other officers may disagree and deal differently with the offence. Otherwise it is a 100 pound fine per plate!!
All depends on how the driver engages with us!! Some people will not take advice and know better.
On the rare occasion, we can notify DVLA after 3 warnings who can have the plate removed from the driver but this is rare.
I try to inform that if the plate is unreadable on ANPR, if the car is stolen it wouldn't flag up. It is an offence to alter a plate to make it difficult to read and I have to balance if the driver is attempting to disguise the car (eg for average speed cameras) or if they are doing it to make the car look good. Its officer discretion in the end and we are all different. Just my view

well how come i was nice and polite to the copper that pulled me, even apologised when i was told the letters were 2mm too small and he still gave me a £100 fine!

 

[SmartAmg]

well how come i was nice and polite to the copper that pulled me, even apologised when i was told the letters were 2mm too small and he still gave me a £100 fine!

Because you dropped on a jobsworth, with no common sense.

 

[MEMERC7]

Came across this in an Autotrader advertisement. I think it comes within the "intent to deceive" category. Two things I do not understand. How can the owner expect to get away with it and why would you advertise it?

View attachment 107861

Very helpful as it's an insight as to the driver/owners intelligence possibly reflected in their sense of importance and/or driving ability or self-delusion of driving ability, thus forewarned one gives such vehicles a very wide berth.

 

[Pilko]

well how come i was nice and polite to the copper that pulled me, even apologised when i was told the letters were 2mm too small and he still gave me a £100 fine!

As I said we are all individuals and you get them in every job.
If you don't pay the fine and its reported to the court, most of the courts are too busy due to covid and potentially the case is dropped. If its only 2mm it would never stand up in court. There's more important crimes to get thro
Seems harsh to me getting a ticket but I don't have the full story. Did the plate have British standard mark and makers postcode, was the font/ spacing correct? Have you been instructed to change it before.

 

[Wolfie1]

As I said we are all individuals and you get them in every job.
If you don't pay the fine and its reported to the court, most of the courts are too busy due to covid and potentially the case is dropped. If its only 2mm it would never stand up in court. There's more important crimes to get thro
Seems harsh to me getting a ticket but I don't have the full story. Did the plate have British standard mark and makers postcode, was the font/ spacing correct? Have you been instructed to change it before.

Yea it was all legal in all ways, (apart from being unknown to me at 2mm smaller font) first time i had ever been stopped with it, he even went on to say after i said that it had been on for years that the mot testing station were breaking the law passing it, now i bit my tongue at that comment as not to add fuel to the fire and really show that he didn’t actually know what he was talking about as the mot regulations stipulate that there is no need to measure the letters on a number plate unless they are substantially smaller than the prescribed font, its 1 of the things you actually need to know off the top of your head being an mot inspector to trade

 

[Wolfie1]

Because you dropped on a jobsworth, with no common sense.

Yea that thought did go through my head

 

[Dickster]

As I said we are all individuals and you get them in every job.
If you don't pay the fine and its reported to the court, most of the courts are too busy due to covid and potentially the case is dropped. If its only 2mm it would never stand up in court. There's more important crimes to get thro
Seems harsh to me getting a ticket but I don't have the full story. Did the plate have British standard mark and makers postcode, was the font/ spacing correct? Have you been instructed to change it before.

I have to agree, I’ve been treated very fairly when stopped, and I adopt, “it’s a fair cop” attitude

 

[Darrell]

I have to agree, I’ve been treated very fairly when stopped, and I adopt, “it’s a fair cop” attitude

I’ve never been stopped by the police.