Number Plate - using a screw + cap to slightly alter?

[rossyl]

My friend...

Is thinking of using a screw + cap to very very slightly alter the appearance of her number plate. The number plate is correctly spaced and in the correct font.

She would be be placing two screw caps on the number plate, each almost the exact same distance from the edge of the plate and in the same position. So it would be uniform.

The effect would be to lessen the gap at the end of the tail of a "9" to make it look a little bit like a zero, BUT there would still be clear yellow space. And, to put a dot in-between two correctly spaced letters.

Now i've seen many people do far far worse. Incorrectly spaced numberplates are rife. Some people even go further making numbers almost look entirely different.

This would not stop the identification of the numbers.

Thoughts?

 

[ringway]

 

[NormanC]

I know a lot of people do it but I think that you will find that it is illegal.

From the DVLA website....

It is an offence to alter, re-arrange or misrepresent a registration number. There is a maximum fine of £1000 and the registration number can be withdrawn without compensation.

Whether you'd get away with it is another question!

 

[renault12ts]

How easily would it be to read by a member of the public, if need be? In other words could any confusion arise? If yes to the latter, then it's a no no.

 

[Gucci]

Illegal - plus - you're also proudly demonstrating that you didn't manage to get the right numberplate.

 

[BlackC55]

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gene...yle-private-plate-current-style-aged-car.html

Your freind!!

 

[219]

Strictly speaking , if the screw fixing is on the background , as opposed to being on a character , the cap should be the background colour . Similarly , if on a character , it should be black .

This is accepted where the vehicle has two or four captive nuts for plate fixing bolts pressed into the bodywork and there is no choice of fixing points ( Mercedes for many years have had four in the rear plate area and two fixing points on the front bumper for a plate holder ) .

 

[corned]

Don't do it!!!

It is very hard to concentrate on your driving when you have to keep a look out over your shoulder (for Plod).

 

[Palfrem]

..and let's not forget, folk have been flogged for less

It annoys me that the DVLA want it both ways

Sell you plate that only works with a bit of artistic licence, then prosecute you if you do

 

[prprandall51]

Sorry, but how can you say that the plate can still easily be read? Your friend is clearly going to make it be read more easily as a "0" than a "9" so in fact she is making it less easily read correctly and more easily read incorrectly.

I would (and I mean this) set up roadside crushers and make every moron who fiddles with their number plate watch as their car was crushed in front of them.

 

[oldcro]

How easily would it be to read by a member of the public, if need be? In other words could any confusion arise? If yes to the latter, then it's a no no.

Seems to me it would be a pointless exercise if a member of the public was not confused as to the true registration number.

 

[neilrr]

The absolute height of motoring bad taste.
www.ChavPlates | Template

 

[Smarties]

The best of luck with it. As other posters have said, DVLA do operate dual standards, by law you can't mess with plate layout, but they will happily take a premium for plates that do no read much at all unless artistic licence is applied. For example, they sold D12 WHO for several thousands of pounds (much more than similiar plates), which does not read much at all, unless the buyer should choose/risk to create an 'R' by doctoring the 1 & 2. I've seen it done.

 

[219]

Why don't DVLA seize on the opportunity by just selling plates that spell words or people's names - much as they seem to in the USA ?

They could charge a fortune for such plates and people would pay .

In the end , a plate that read 'JOHN' or 'STEVE' etc would be just as easy to read and remember ( probably more so than when people resort to the likes of '70HN' or 'ST3VE' - yes , I know those examples don't exist , but you get the idea ) .

If people are vain enough to pay thousands for a number plate with their name on , why not let them help the economy out when the country is so strapped for cash ?

 

[Benzowner]

Leave the front number plate totally legal and alter the rear. When plod is looking, it is usually from the front not rear. I have my plates illegally spaced on the rear only where most motorists see it, but at road checks etc, plod is at the front

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Without knowing what the plate is, I suspect most people that notice it resembers a word or name will substitute the 9 with a 0 anyway in their minds eye.

So on that basis, leave it as it is - as a clever use of the number 9 rather than unnecessary/illegal/tacky* distortion.

* delete as applicable, according to personal opinion

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Without knowing what the plate is, I suspect most people that notice it resembers a word or name will substitute the 9 with a 0 anyway in their minds eye.

So on that basis, leave it as it is - as a clever use of the number 9 rather than unnecessary/illegal/tacky* distortion.

* delete as applicable, according to personal opinion

I'd agree. Any plate that needs doctoring isn't quite right, isn't legal (when doctored), gives the impression that you're trying to try to hard (if you know what I mean) and couldn't afford / missed your ideal plate.

In a word, I'd tell your 'friend' not to bother...

Sorry if it sounds harsh. Yes I know the DVLA make a lot of money selling plates but they don't make you manipulate them, they are very specific about this in their terms and always repeat the disclaimer when you commit to purchase.

 

[DITTRICH]

A doctored plate is prima facie evidence that you didn't spend enough on the plate.

 

[MOCAŠ]

The best of luck with it. As other posters have said, DVLA do operate dual standards, by law you can't mess with plate layout, but they will happily take a premium for plates that do no read much at all unless artistic licence is applied. For example, they sold D12 WHO for several thousands of pounds (much more than similiar plates), which does not read much at all, unless the buyer should choose/risk to create an 'R' by doctoring the 1 & 2. I've seen it done.

The DVLA sell plates to raise revenue. They have realised that if they sold D12 WHO for the same price as D13 WHO, the former plate would likely change hands again for a far higher sum due to the far higher demand, so they have sensibly concluded that they should seek to benefit from that revenue themselves.

The fact remains that they are selling D12 WHO, not DR WHO: the buyer is made fully aware of the display regulations, and the price paid does not buy any exemption from these rules. If you (and those who bid on it) were able to see the 'hidden' meaning without the DVLA drawing it to your attention, then it stands to reason that the same will apply to most people who see it on a car.

So yes, D12 WHO is worth far more than D13 WHO, but DR WHO (were it ever to be issued) would be worth far more still. It's all relative, and the closer a plate comes to implying a given word, the greater its potential value. For instance, even without any jiggerypokery, both MOT 10N and MOT 110N could easily be read as MOTION, but the former will always be worth more.

It took the DVLA a long time to get wise to the fact that they were sitting on a goldmine: they didn't start routinely holding back low numbers (initially 1-20) for sale until 1983, and the first Classic auction for higher-value plates wasn't until 1989. It took them longer still to realise that when the high-value numbers weren't available, people would pay big money for second best, but they're pretty clued up these days.

 

[Donk]

My vote is dont do it.....Its tacky, potentially illegal and will probably make some people point and snigger. If all thats acceptable to the friend then go for it