Anthony

Well it had to happen eventually.

On my way home from London on New Years Day, having to follow a diversion because of the big parade. I was at a set of lights when a Policeman walks in front of the car and indicates for me to pull over - I work out what it will be about from his expression.
I wind down the window - 'Is everything ok Officer?'
'I think somebody needs to speak to you about the size of your number plate?'
'Do they? Why would that be?'
'It is very small sir'
'I was not told that would be an issue when I ordered it'
'Well it is Sir and I could prosecute you for it, but as it is New Years Day I wont, but you must get it changed!'
'Of course I will Officer'

At no time did he mention the misplaced letters, only the fact that the front was small, so think that the spacing is tolerated where as size is obviously not. I have had it on there for about 8 months so will leave it on.

Just a warning for those with non-standard plates to be careful

Anthony

Steve54

My No. Plate is probably less than 2/3 the normal size (5 digits), I know this is illegal but, well frankly, who cares, have the police nothing better to do?

It'll take a lot more than a talking to for me to have a "Jumbo" sized No. plate.....

Steve54

Sorry Anthony, thats not a dig at you. Its a dig at the Police for not having anything better to do than pull people up about there No. Plate.

Frenchie

I was up at the "HKS" open day in Wigan on Saturday with several other S2ki members. The owner of the HKS fitting place had a car with the plate C17 OYD which had been so "tweaked" that it took Noony's wife, Lisa, to explain to me that that actually was what the plate was.

The guy had put a space between the "C" and the "1", given the "1" a small "foot" extension at bottom right, made the upright of the "7" completely vertical and chopped its horizontal bar down to about a quarter of an inch.... and so the plate read...

C Lloyd

To go back to Anthony's problem, I think it depends on the individual policeman. I was given an SP30 FPN by a laser-toting plod in Welshpool who told me that, although he had noticed my S2000 PE was illegal, he would do nothing about it because it was easily recognisable and memorable. He did however tell me that he had a m/c plod mate who hated people messing with number plates and who booked every one he saw.

Pete

Steve54

Totally agree with you there Pete, People who mess with digits should be fined - They are just making it worse for the people who have simply moved a single digit, or chopped down their plate.

W6DAN

I can't help thinking that the crackdown on plates is in preparation for those "big brother" plate readers we're about to be monitored by.
I guess altered spacing and digits confuse them. Hence the plans for transponders in the plate mount.

Lurking Lawyer

Dan, I think they're already in place.

I was talking about this to the traffic copper who attended the scene when I had my prang. We got to discussing my slightly iffy plate (S200D MT) and he said he was quite happy with it since it was perfectly legible and obvious what it said, but that it might result in me getting pulled up more than normal since it could conceivably cause the automated plate reading system in force on the M6 to fail to recognise it, which might then flag it up as being worthy of attention and therefore prone to being stopped.

ukliam

It's just digits too close together or non-standard fonts/altered digits that confuse them (The NPR Camera's). Can't see what the problem is with people making S200 0SM, S2000 SM, it will still be recognised as registered to you.
As someone said, obviously they have nothing better to do and need to show some discretion when it comes to handing out the fines.
As for the smaller plate, are the digits still the same size or are they smaller as well? If they are smaller I can see where the problem would be, if the plate is just trimmed up there shouldn't be a problem with that.

rralston

As far as I understand it - which is probably not a lot !

The license plate recognition system is designed to view all numberplates - ie UK and European - hence the spacing shouldn't really matter.

Then again I'm not convinced many coppers, apart from traffic, actually know what's illigal and whats not.

Just my 2p

Rich

W6DAN

"As someone said, obviously they have nothing better to do and need to show some discretion when it comes to handing out the fines."

True. They have a whole lot of better things to do (that they're already paid to do) - I wish they'd get on and do them before trying to make money on the sly.


"Then again I'm not convinced many coppers, apart from traffic, actually know what's illigal and whats not."

Absolutely, which make a mockery of the whole crackdown thing.