Tinted Number Plates

ttaskmaster · 9 May 2017 at 16:15

One would hope the Police are busy chasing down more pressing criminals... like murderers and all.

ubersonic · 9 May 2017 at 16:19

grudas said:
they're not legal but to get pulled over you gotta find a very bored copper they usually have better things to do..

Usually sitting in laybys watching peoples speed

ubersonic · 9 May 2017 at 16:25

LiE said:
https://www.gov.uk/displaying-number-plates/rules-number-plates

All it says is

display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate)

What shade of yellow?

According to The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 the plate must be made of retroreflecting material which, as regards its construction, colour and other qualities, complies with the requirements of the British Standard specification for retroreflecting number plates published on 15 January 1998 under number BS AU 145d(a).

adolf hamster · 9 May 2017 at 16:29

LiE said:
I've seen dirty diesel backsides that have made number plates completely unreadable. I can't find any specific law around number plates having to be clean, except for an MOT.

i think technically any blatant mot failure (for example bald tyres) counts as an offence or non-mot regardless of when it gets into that state, hence a dirty and unreadable numberplate is illegal at any time not just the mot.

however when it comes to enforcement as others said- it'll be police vigilance or the mot itself that will catch it.

Akagi · 9 May 2017 at 17:02

Numberplates have to be legible otherwise you could receive an FPN for £100 odd.

Atari · 9 May 2017 at 17:35

Spotted a few like this in recent months here in Birmingham. Usually on cars that also appear to have tinted front windscreens.

Diagro · 9 May 2017 at 22:52

Atari said:
Spotted a few like this in recent months here in Birmingham. Usually on cars that also appear to have tinted front windscreens.

otherwise known as the citys drug delivery service cars

Clarkey · 9 May 2017 at 22:55

Atari said:
Spotted a few like this in recent months here in Birmingham. Usually on cars that also appear to have tinted front windscreens.

Really? I've never seen a car with the front window tinted in this country.

Akagi · 10 May 2017 at 07:01

Clarkey said:
Really? I've never seen a car with the front window tinted in this country.

You see them from time to time down here. Quite a rare occurrence though.

MooMoo444 · 10 May 2017 at 07:17

Glanza said:
I think OP means this monstrosity:

What the actual f? That looks awful. I'd understand using tinted ones if it improved the look of the car but that just looks ghastly. Like a normal plate but with a layer of exhaust dust.

GTAMADDOG · 10 May 2017 at 07:31

I see an E91 330d with these on front and back each morning. Black car, black wheels, tinted windows and tinted plates. Regularly being driven at well over the speed limit, or at the minimum just like an absolute idiot. Confirmed the reason for the tinted plates straight away for me.

Akagi · 10 May 2017 at 07:57

GTAMADDOG said:
I see an E91 330d with these on front and back each morning. Black car, black wheels, tinted windows and tinted plates. Regularly being driven at well over the speed limit, or at the minimum just like an absolute idiot. Confirmed the reason for the tinted plates straight away for me.

The trouble is, none of that is going to stop him from being pulled over for driving like an idiot, at which time he will be done for all the other offences such as obscured plates and tinted front windows and so on...

Semple · 10 May 2017 at 08:16

LiE said:
I've seen dirty diesel backsides that have made number plates completely unreadable. I can't find any specific law around number plates having to be clean, except for an MOT.

Was just about to say something on similar lines, during the winter most cars have number plates that look like that.

Also pretty sure cameras can still pick up through the "tint", so you're not actually achieving anything.

I'd also be surprised if additional spacing/lack of spacing would even fool the ANPR cameras. There would just be an algorithm that would list out potential combinations, of which each would be ran against the database to rule out any non-registered combinations, and then oh look, we've found the correct plate - all within a split second.

Akagi · 10 May 2017 at 08:24

Spacing won't fool ANPR systems. Fonts might be more of an issue though I'm not sure.

There is however, as previously mentioned, a law against plates being obscured which carries a fine of £100 (at least it was £100 last I looked) so you could be stung with that if your numberplate is missing, dirty, or otherwise affected in a way which renders it unreadable. If it is still readable I believe there is a different penalty.

Nasher · 10 May 2017 at 08:59

It's most likely so cameras can't read them, especially the ones mounted high over motorways etc.

Not enough traffic cops to police the roads any more and the other don't care. I see plenty of people with no fronts at all.

LeMson · 10 May 2017 at 10:27

Not seen any like that, I'll look out for them though now, I do see fast and furious crew with their front number plate in the window where the tax disc used to go.

IAmATeaf · 10 May 2017 at 10:36

My plate starts with M11 and I have a slightly wider gap between the 1's. Talking to a policeman he said and this was a few years ago, the additional spacing could fool an ANPR into thinking my plate was actually M111? So even the slightest playing around might/could cause problems but this I assume that tech has now moved on?

GhostWKD · 10 May 2017 at 11:23

LeMson said:
Not seen any like that, I'll look out for them though now, I do see fast and furious crew with their front number plate in the window where the tax disc used to go.

Keep being tempted by removing the front plate on my Noble (peer pressure - does look good without it) but just can't bring myself to do it both from a legality perspective but also if my car was ever stolen I'd want it to be pinging ANPR or whatever.

Always seeing other cars on runs out without them though (Normally mclarens and lambos, maybe easier for them to talk their way out of it!)

LeMson · 10 May 2017 at 11:36

GhostWKD said:
Keep being tempted by removing the front plate on my Noble (peer pressure - does look good without it) but just can't bring myself to do it both from a legality perspective but also if my car was ever stolen I'd want it to be pinging ANPR or whatever.

Always seeing other cars on runs out without them though (Normally mclarens and lambos, maybe easier for them to talk their way out of it!)

I'm thinking of an rx8 with halfords body kit and crap golfs, not nobles or lambos lol

hyperseven · 10 May 2017 at 12:13

Oddball thought, would it void your insurance if you were involved in an incident with a non-legal (colour/spacing/in window etc) plate?