right, since the new style number plates came out i always wondered what would happen when then run out of numbers..for example.

current plates are MM05 MMM

what happens after MM59 MMM

whould it be MM001 MMM

or would it be MM60 MMM

WHO KNOWS!!!!

 

51-99 and 02-49

DVLA

 

In 2010 it will be MM10 MMM and MM60 MMM.

So the system is good until 2049 (MM49 and MM99)

 

what kind of clown thought up this system, one wonders? They managed to come up with an extremely confusing way of addressing a very simple problem...

 

There were some documents on the DVLA website about their proposals during the consideration phase. Requirements were like:

a) system must last at least 20 years with two date changes a year
b) must use the same number of letters/numbers as at present (7)
c) must be possible to make decent cherished plates (DVLA has to protect their revenue stream )

 

That explains that then...

So why is they start with MM51 MMM

Dumb *** DVLA

 

Because Y-reg went from March 01 - Sep 01, which is when 01-reg would have been used, so they started with 51-reg cars in September. Not so dumb......

 

And so they could hold back the 01 plates for auction later, because it's pretty easy to make decent words out of them -- e.g. CO01

 

What annoys me about the system is that all the cars in a particular area usually end up having really similar reg plates. For example in Edinburgh most cars have SK-SN at the beginning. If someone got knocked over witnesses could say "It was a Golf with SK at the beginning of the plate". That would hardly narrow it down!

In my opinion the random bit should be at the front, as thats the bit people will memorise first

NFG 51SK instead of SK51 NFG

Chris

 

I find its the last 3 I memorise, could tell you the last 3 digits of most of my friends cars. these are what I look for when driving around and see say a bright yellow punto I'll check the last 3 digits and know if its them or not simple

 

True, but most people read left to right, and are more likely to memorise that bit.

 

If you read the documents, the DVLA seem to be under the impression that the EU wants a "local identifier" i.e. Edinburgh cars get SK-SN, yet when Spain changed their plate system at the same time they dropped their local identifier.

 

But we've always had a "local identifier". In the ABC 123D system "BC" was the local identifier. Same when it was D123 ABC.

 

Because with using a 5 you can make more fancy words and sell more private plates

 

My son KRIS has to wait untill 2015 for his personal plate, and maybe an abbreviation of his surname would look good.