NIP for reg spacing

[Gibbo]

Always thought illegal fonts and spacing a bit chav.
Not quite sure I understand the appeal.

Agreed.

But I’m not gonna worry, get upset and take offence if someone wants to space or do whatever with their plate because why would I get bothered by such things or even give it a second thought. Got my own life to enjoy so I’m not gonna get stressed or worry about someone else’s plate and I guess that is what confuses me is why some people seem to concerned by what other people are doing.

That is what the police and law is for is to worry about those with their dodgy spacing or silly fonts on plates and those who are concerned by it well maybe said people should join the traffic police if it’s such a concern.

I keep my plates with regulation apart from accidentally losing one.

 

[panthro]

Anyone that mis-spaces their plate is a ****, end of. I'd put money on these people also being the type that you wouldn't want to live next door to.

You live in the county that is most likely to have illegal plate spacing on their extremely expensive motors. I just visited a friend in Cobham and wanted to take pictures to specifically show in this thread of all the illegally spaced plates. But I was driving and didn't want to break the law.

 

[Greebo]

You live in the county that is most likely to have illegal plate spacing on their extremely expensive motors. I just visited a friend in Cobham and wanted to take pictures to specifically show in this thread of all the illegally spaced plates. But I was driving and didn't want to break the law.

This. Its mainly £100k+ cars I see with dodgy spacing number plates. Saw two Porsche Cayenne Turbo S today with private plates and dodgy spacing on them.

 

[Alex_6n2]

Oh dear Alex.

Let's educate you a little. Get comfy on your Brighthouse sofa and ready to read, maybe call someone to help you with the big words.

1. ALL fines levied are put into central government coffers, the force issuing the fine does not direct 'profit'.

2. A great number of "more important" crimes are detected and offenders arrested simply by a traffic stop. Famously Peter Sutcliffe (The Yorkshire Ripper) was caught when officers spotted that the reg plate he was driving didn't match the one written on the tax disc.

3. If you're stopped by police and given a FPN or TOR for an offence such as a dodgy plate then the likelihood is that you were stopped by a traffic officer, who's specific job role is to deal with traffic offences. Very rare (but not unheard of) a traffic cop will be assigned to another case type such as a burglary.

I'm no fan of police but they have a job to do.

I enjoyed your condescending post

Wait, that was a big word. Have I used it right?

Many thanks

(In case it wasn't obvious I don't really care about the spacing of letters on plates and if camera/computer systems are not able to cope, then frankly that's the issue which needs addressing)

 

[norm]

If the VW/BMW crowd could stop using illegal fonts/spacing to make their plates look that of a German car that'd be great also.

 

[Rroff]

(In case it wasn't obvious I don't really care about the spacing of letters on plates and if camera/computer systems are not able to cope, then frankly that's the issue which needs addressing)

Like the BBC article recently where someone had a personalised plate where someone had 58N with the 8 hollowed out so it looked like SON except from extremely close up...

EDIT: https://twitter.com/ASPRoadSafety/status/1412051149511929857 can't find the mention of it on the BBC any more.

There are limits to what any computer system can handle - it isn't like the rules and need for standardisation aren't there for an easily understandable reason or arduous to go along with.

What next people having colour filters on their windscreen so traffic lights always look green then blaming the traffic lights for not showing properly through their illegal windscreen?

 

[bainbridge]

There are limits to what any computer system can handle - it isn't like the rules and need for standardisation aren't there for an easily understandable reason or arduous to go along with.

Can you explain the reason why there needs to be a space between the letters in a certain place, and why this differs dependant on the age of the plate?

 

[Deleted User 298457]

Can you explain the reason why there needs to be a space between the letters in a certain place, and why this differs dependant on the age of the plate?

Policy is used to avoid building for every possible scenario. Policy will target the fat part of the bell curve/pareto.

 

[Alex_6n2]

Like the BBC article recently where someone had a personalised plate where someone had 58N with the 8 hollowed out so it looked like SON except from extremely close up...

EDIT: https://twitter.com/ASPRoadSafety/status/1412051149511929857 can't find the mention of it on the BBC any more.

There are limits to what any computer system can handle - it isn't like the rules and need for standardisation aren't there for an easily understandable reason or arduous to go along with.

What next people having colour filters on their windscreen so traffic lights always look green then blaming the traffic lights for not showing properly through their illegal windscreen?

These slippery slope arguments are all silly, we are talking about spacing. Not fonts, not putting screws in stupid places, not silly colour filters. Everyone is very proudly typing "The law is the law, follow it" whilst sitting on a giant horse and proclaiming that if the law isn't followed where do we draw the line. This is ridiculous.

Why is no one asking the question: "Is the current legislation on number plate spacing fit for purpose?"

Plate regulations are, as you say, intended to ensure plates remain legible to both traffic officers and cameras. I can't find a definitive answer on this, but the key question is: "Are the Number plates TL 0CK and T L0CK totally separate registration numbers?" (i.e. can they individually be applied to 2 separate vehicles?). If the answer is "No", then WHY does spacing matter? I can't believe modern camera systems these days are incapable of reading a plate simply because a space is in the wrong place.

If current ANPR cameras still struggle with this, frankly this is what needs fixing. If it's capable of physically reading the letters with the correct spacing, then it's a software issue so any argument about "The cost to replace all camera hardware" is moot.

Someone on here said they're an ANPR developer. Can you clarify what the ACTUAL issue is with spacing? (not font, not screw placement, not plate colours)

Laws and regulations are changed all the time.

 

[jaybee]

"yeah it's a lovely car but, I can't help but feel that particular combination of mandatory displayed registration letters just don't suit the car. Perhaps if you changed the spacing, font, screws, surround or just got a custom plate it would help"

said nobody ever

 

[Resident]

These slippery slope arguments are all silly, we are talking about spacing. Not fonts, not putting screws in stupid places, not silly colour filters. Everyone is very proudly typing "The law is the law, follow it" whilst sitting on a giant horse and proclaiming that if the law isn't followed where do we draw the line. This is ridiculous.

Why is no one asking the question: "Is the current legislation on number plate spacing fit for purpose?"

Plate regulations are, as you say, intended to ensure plates remain legible to both traffic officers and cameras. I can't find a definitive answer on this, but the key question is: "Are the Number plates TL 0CK and T L0CK totally separate registration numbers?" (i.e. can they individually be applied to 2 separate vehicles?). If the answer is "No", then WHY does spacing matter? I can't believe modern camera systems these days are incapable of reading a plate simply because a space is in the wrong place.

If current ANPR cameras still struggle with this, frankly this is what needs fixing. If it's capable of physically reading the letters with the correct spacing, then it's a software issue so any argument about "The cost to replace all camera hardware" is moot.

Someone on here said they're an ANPR developer. Can you clarify what the ACTUAL issue is with spacing? (not font, not screw placement, not plate colours)

Laws and regulations are changed all the time.

ANPR is usually reading a moving target so I assume the requirement for correct spacing is something to do with the software's target mask. The gaps and postion of the lettering will be to make sure the plate is read properly, a letter or number in the relevent mask sections.

 

[Hotwired]

Are numberplate standards fit for purpose?

That's quite a pretentious argument to try and defend arbitrary fiddling with your vehicles ID plate for vanity reasons.

Where's the questioning if plate modification is beneficial to the only purpose of the plate existing. Do these modifications assist in vehicle identification in a variety of situations. If they do you should totally pass that information along so they can update the rules.

 

[Deleted User 298457]

These slippery slope arguments are all silly, we are talking about spacing. Not fonts, not putting screws in stupid places, not silly colour filters. Everyone is very proudly typing "The law is the law, follow it" whilst sitting on a giant horse and proclaiming that if the law isn't followed where do we draw the line. This is ridiculous.

Why is no one asking the question: "Is the current legislation on number plate spacing fit for purpose?"

Plate regulations are, as you say, intended to ensure plates remain legible to both traffic officers and cameras. I can't find a definitive answer on this, but the key question is: "Are the Number plates TL 0CK and T L0CK totally separate registration numbers?" (i.e. can they individually be applied to 2 separate vehicles?). If the answer is "No", then WHY does spacing matter? I can't believe modern camera systems these days are incapable of reading a plate simply because a space is in the wrong place.

If current ANPR cameras still struggle with this, frankly this is what needs fixing. If it's capable of physically reading the letters with the correct spacing, then it's a software issue so any argument about "The cost to replace all camera hardware" is moot.

Someone on here said they're an ANPR developer. Can you clarify what the ACTUAL issue is with spacing? (not font, not screw placement, not plate colours)

Laws and regulations are changed all the time.

You are looking at it too basically. Imagine writing functional/non-functional requirements for a bit of software and there were no constraints to what it had to cope with. Where does the spacing argument get too silly for you guys? What if I had a 1 and then 6 inches to the right, the rest of the plate? Or is that still OK for you all?

Now imagine the camera is not reading a perfect straight on view but an imperfect view covered by things that happen in real life. Knowing the relative spacing between letters gives you a fighting chance of narrowing down the options.

The point is the standard is there to ensure consistency. There is nothing wrong with the standard because the plate isn't there for vanity anyway.

 

[Joe T]

Laws and regulations are changed all the time.

The law should definitely be changed to:

1. Allow individuals to express themselves in one very specific way
2. Make the technical requirements for plate reading by automated systems more difficult

Definitely. This will be a really good use of parliamentary time. Well, well worth it.




Back to reality for a moment, the point of registration plates is to identify the vehicle. It is not a blank canvas for freedom of expression. Thus the law is fit for purpose.

 

[Deleted User 298457]

 

[Semple]

Why is no one asking the question: "Is the current legislation on number plate spacing fit for purpose?"

I already did advise one member to question why there is a need for spacing and to recommend a law change to do away with spacing, or allow whatever spacing the owner desires.

If you're that deeply upset about this, I'd urge you to write a nice letter to your MP to ask why spacing is important in numberplates, and if they can change the law so that spaces are unnecessary.

 

[pugheaven]

I did chuckle at that as I've just been reviewing some use cases hahaha.

 

[Jean-F]

If you read the post I said a 3 strike rule, if you are stupid enough to get caught 3 times then you are either extremely dumb or one of those “This law doesn’t apply to me so I’m not complying with it” either way a seized and crushed car should maybe be a wake up call. Not sure what’s pathetic about wanting laws enforced but whatever I think apologists who think certain laws shouldn’t be enforced are pathetic but that’s just me maybe I’ve just got different values to everyone else.

Well your values seem pretty close to mine in this respect.
If the law says your plate should be 13 OB, and you put the 1 closer to the 3 to read BOB, that’s illegal and you did it knowing very well that it was illegal.
All this ‘It’s only a space or a black screw, what’s wrong with that?’ is not far off like getting change
from a £20 note when you’ve proffered a £5 note and saying, ‘Nothing wrong with that, it’s his fault.’
You’ve knowingly screwed the guy out of £15, that’s what’s wrong with it.

 

[Greebo]

Saw this one locally yesterday. What a ****

 

[watercooledman]

Saw this one locally yesterday. What a ****

Please explain