the other night when in cornwall i was stopped by the boys in blue!! the reson was of my no. plate!! i have it stuck on to the botton part of the front spoiler!! Sayying it was not a proper plate and was given 7 days to change it!! when going to the local station and started chatting to the officer behind the desk , i was told that the main things on the plate which was requied,was the size and style of lettering,reflective background and where it is placed on the car. as my old plate passed all of these points i dont understant why they stopped me!! has anyone had the same problem??!!

 

Fight it, the cops are obviously jealous as when I had my scoob they would stop me all the time just for a look, one young cop said "you do realise what you are driving don't you? of course you do, is it quick? " I just smiled back and said " I don't know, is it." Getting back to your original ? As long as the plate is the right size, shape etc and can be read what law are you breaking?
"The Jealously law"
Which is upheld at every oppertunity by most of the cops I have been done by in my youth. Fight it I doubt they will bother to turn up at court or the CPS will drop it as not worth it!

(Here we go! The above post in no way costitutes advice of any kind, it is just my opinion)

[This message has been edited by ian/555 (edited 12-05-2000).]

 

From The Traffic Officer's Companion, published in 1998 (in brief), if the vehicle is registered after 1.1.1973 the registration marks must conform to:

- a British Standard specification number
- be legible and permanentely marked
- in vertical and easily distinguishable black number and figures
- maintained in clean and effective condition
- with white background on front (yellow on rear)
- exhibited on a plate
- consisting of reflective material
- illuminated during hours of darkness

Nowt about actual positioning (other than vertical and visible).

Do you know why you "failed"?

If you are going to contest this, you gotta take into account how often you drive in Cornwall, and whether you want to get stopped every five minutes to check that your washer bottle is full and the spare tyre has enough tread!

mb

[This message has been edited by boomer (edited 12-05-2000).]

 

Chu,
Some more info for you...

 

the main reson why i got stopped is that it was a sticker type!! and cos of that the only thing wrong with it is that it does not have the BS mark on it!!!(>_<). O well as ya say i wont be back in a hurry!!

 

Your number plate can be stuck on the front spoiler if it can be read from the distance you read it from during a driving test (Highway Code Rule 34)which is 20.5 m or 67 ft, according to Farnborough Police Station! I'm getting one.

 

Had my stuck on number plate on for ages now, no problems yet. It is the correct size, number spacing correct, it is only that it sits at a angle on the lip spoiler that could be a problem.
As for stick on plates, what a bout all the trailers and caravans that have them on, i bet they don`t get stopped, and the artics with numbers written on with marker pens.

Paul

 

i live near a main police regional headquaters and i am driving with a stick on plate on bonnet cut down to fit 5 letters.

no problems as yet ( fingers crossed ) .

 

Boomer,

I was reading your reply again. I would be interested in a stick on 'plate' if it was legal?

On your list - item 3 - I suppose unless you put it on somewhere vertical it would not pass? The bonnet or bumper maybe would be ok but the spoiler no? Maybe thats why the copper picked up on it or I am I talking 'bird-poo'?
How vertical is vertical (90&deg; 80&deg; ...?)

Item 6 - I take it that a stick on regy' 'plate' counts as a plate?

I suppose my plate would fail as it now has no BS # on it after I trimmed the edges to the legal minimum size?

Interested in your comments/thoughts...?

 

Where did you guys get your stick on plates? Any info would be appreciated! I suppose the most logical vertical method would be the bonnet but I guess it might spoil the looks a wee bit and maybe attract more unwanted attention?

 

swa,

the RTOC is a quick guide to the law, so it doesn't go into great detail. I had a quick look in some other books but couldn't find any specifics.

IIRC, a few years ago the production of registration plates was licenced, and from then onward you _had_ to buy plates from these licenced dealers. If they made illegal plates, then they lost their licence; if you had plates from an unlicenced dealer then they were illegal - thus the law could easily be enforced!

Vertical is vertical, although i don't know what would happen if you parked on a hill?

A plate? Well a plate can be "stuck on" (and many are), but a stick-on might not be a plate - if you see what i mean!

Thanks for the ukspeedtraps pointer - very useful!

mb

 

Chu,
Are you by chance the white Scoob, Red mudflaps, regular out on the A30?
If so, nice one!

Rich

 

???????wooooo how did you know!!(^o^)!!
a nice road to go on
Chu

 

swa you can get the stick on plates from most motorstores
Chu

 

I know 'cos I do the A30 quite a bit myself! Unfortunately not in a Scoob :-( I have a red/orange RS2000 Mk2 during the summer - you passed me a couple of weeks back on the way to the motorway..

Rich

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Chu:
<B>???????wooooo how did you know!!(^o^)!!
a nice road to go on
Chu[/quote]

 

read most of these relies QUICKLY though!
take your car to an MOT test centre, and siee what they have to say? if you would pass a MOT you should be fine!!!!!!!
My last car has standard No. plate size ex.
but the Letters were in an italic (slope)
My friend who was the MOT tester, Said these pass as there were no legistaltion on No. plates at that time, as long as it could be read at the required distance!!!!
But I think the PEOPLE WHO MAKE SILLY RULES UP have cottoned onto this and now there is a legal requirmant for the Size of Letters, style, reflectivnessssss!
Check out the Sticker Plate with a MOT centre though!!!!!!
E-Type Jags hav um!! don't they???
other classics as well!!

 

As far as I know E-Type jags have special dispensation in the law for stick on number plates.

M

 

Check the 'Number Plates are changing' link on the DVLA website. Looks like the enforcement on these issues will be ramped up even more (no doubt a bit more revenue to be cadgered off us...).

Lovely new font not. Why can't we use Wingdings?

Cheers
Joolz

 

Another point to note regarding my post above - Make sure that any personalised plates that you are planning on buying will look correct with the new 'Charles Wright' font. May well be wasting money otherwise for something that looks a bit crap in a couple of years when the plate needs replacing because it's damaged.

Cheers
Joolz

 

Id be interested in seeing a picture of someones front with a sticky number plate. Anyone got one? (Im talking about cars, no individuals please)