Don’t be a FOOL this APRIL
01 April 2008, 11:30am
For those of us who like to be individual, finding the coolest number plate for our car is a mission. Whether it contains our initials or nickname or something else it’s crucial to get that perfect plate.
And once purchased, it can be very tempting to jazz it up a little with some italics or funky letter/number spacings.
Er – think again! Here’s a list of things that are simply illegal:
Most of us have seen plates with italics or letter and number combinations that are spaced out differently to conventional plates. It may look cool but it can land the owner on HOT water with the law!
Fancy or decorative typefaces are not permitted and the reason for this is simple – police rely on registrations in the event of crime and they must be clear and visible, not only to the human eye, but to roadside cameras. Indistinguishable registrations can cause unnecessary problems.
Think about this. Most Young Lady Drivers understand the benefit of supporting our police force – all drivers benefit from their protection and everyone is glad to see a policemen when in difficulty. It’s the least we can do to help them do their job!
Spacing of characters is also important. Excepting the number 1 and the letter I, all characters must be 79mm high and 50mm wide, and the width of each character stroke must be 14mm. A space of 11mm must be left between characters within the same group and character groups must be 33mm apart. Adjusted spacing is against the law, as is the alteration of characters, (e.g by using bolts).
Honeycomb designs, or any other backgrounds on plates. Front plates should have a white background with black characters, while rear plates should display the same black characters, but on a yellow background. (However, there are concessions for older cars. Any cars manufactured before 1973 can sport the old-style black plates of either plastic or traditional metal construction. White, silver or grey characters are permitted.)
Logos or graphics, such as sporting emblems, cartoons and religious symbols can’t be included.
Don’t worry – your local plate supplier knows all this and is required to stick to the rules.
So what is allowed?
Although there are several sensible rules for law enforcement and taxation purposes, not everything is banned.
The following are still permitted (but not “required”):
Ø A 3D effect as a decorative variation
Ø A coloured, non-reflective border
Ø The following national emblems on a blue panel:
British Union Flag with “GB” legend
English Flag (St. George’s Cross) with “ENG”
Scottish (St. Andrew) with “SCO”
Welsh (green dragon on green/white field) with “Wales” or “Cymru”
Euro Flag (circle of stars) with “GB”.
Although, apart from the Euro Flag option, national emblems are not officially recognised in the regulations, the government has said that they are permitted. It is expected that the law will soon be amended to reflect the current de facto acceptance of these flags. The expected revision of the regulations will not allow other graphics or emblems.
Additionally, drivers are able to purchase the right to display personalised registrations on their vehicles, and this can be a lot of fun.
Although spelling out one’s name exactly is mostly impossible, other characters can resemble the letter one desires.
For example, if Laura wanted a registration sporting her name, she could replace the R with a 2 and would come up with LAU 2A. Perfect!
The number 2 could also resemble a Z. Similarly, the number 13 can be used as the letter B, the number 5 can resemble an S, and so on. This “plate speak” allows for many more suitable plates in an increasingly competitive market.
Finally there is one highly important rule when getting a personalised registration:
Ø A number plate must not make your vehicle appear to be newer than it truly is
One piece of good news is that your number plate has no impact on your car insurance costs. You own the registration so if your car and number plate is damaged in an accident then you can get a new plate made up.
But BEWARE of writing your car off. If for some reason your car is declared a total loss by the insurer then unless you take action to recover your number then the registration can be written off with the car! This is not a difficult job but it must be done or you could lose the registration and the cash you paid for it!
If you have any queries about personalised registrations you can find everything you need at www.regtransfers.co.uk.
To find out more about insuring your cherished car and registration call Young Lady Driver Motor Insurance – it’s free of charge on 0800 581 414 or simply return to the homepage and click “FREE CALLBACK”.
Thanks to Registration Transfers Ltd for contributing to this article.
