personal Number Plate Spacing??

[tjamesbo]

Just bought a plate that I want to use as a personal plate It does however require a bit of non legit spacing to work best . The Plate is J80 YDT and is required to be J 80YD T I dont want to do anything with the Font just the spaces. I am aware of the new anti enjoyment /pleasure legislation on number plates which is partially about them being able to be read by ANPR , cameras and suchlike, the rest being Envy politics . I also know that at MOT Time I will probably have to put a properly spaced Plate on to Pass as this is now a big brother check item ( nothing to do with roadworthiness ) So I am wondering, any reccomendations on how to get the plate done as all the halfords type places will only do correct spacing.......... show plates ordered via the web ?
I am hoping that as long as I do not "put myself in the frame" with any road traffic police that it I should be able to get away with it and would be surprised if an ANPR couldnt still read it

 

[dieselman]

So I am wondering, any reccomendations on how to get the plate done as all the halfords type places will only do correct spacing..........

Weired, that....

Just buy a plate that is suitable, instead..as whatever you do it will only read one word...and that wouldn't be one that I would want to be known as...

 

[100%Bitch]

If you're caught by the police after having messed with the spacing, your plate can be taken off you and it doesn't matter how much you paid.

 

[JeffP]

You're right, ANPR cameras struggle with non-standard fonts/spacing. You'll be able to get some plates made up online without too much trouble. If the police do stop you you'll probably be given a VDR (Vehicle Defect Rectification) notice. You'll then have 14 days to change the plate and get an MOT station to endorse the VDR. The MOT station will charge you for doing this. You'll then have to take the completed VDR to a police station for the paperwork to be completed. Seems like a lot of hassle to me just for a bit of posing.
Of course if you're one of the 'Haven't you got anything better to do with your time' brigade, then expect a fixed penalty without being given the option of displaying the plate legally.
Personally I don't get the obsession with personalised plates, after all they don't make the car any better do they?

 

[Naraic]

Just bought a plate that I want to use as a personal plate It does however require a bit of non legit spacing to work best . The Plate is J80 YDT and is required to be J 80YD T I dont want to do anything with the Font just the spaces. I am aware of the new anti enjoyment /pleasure legislation on number plates which is partially about them being able to be read by ANPR , cameras and suchlike, the rest being Envy politics . I also know that at MOT Time I will probably have to put a properly spaced Plate on to Pass as this is now a big brother check item ( nothing to do with roadworthiness ) So I am wondering, any reccomendations on how to get the plate done as all the halfords type places will only do correct spacing.......... show plates ordered via the web ?
I am hoping that as long as I do not "put myself in the frame" with any road traffic police that it I should be able to get away with it and would be surprised if an ANPR couldnt still read it

It's also about a member of the public being able to read them if an incident occurred. Wrong spacing can be and often is very very confusing. The reg. mark is there for a reason, not just as your personal signature.

 

[tjamesbo]

They're such killjoys arent they bureaucrats ! I agree It doesnt make the car any better, but there again neither does polishing / washing it ,its just a bit of fun / personalisation
I have often thought that if they untied themselves a bit from bureacracy and legitimise DAVE 1 DAVE 2 etc they could easily sell them and make an absolute mint and you would have to be illiterate to not be able to remember the number of the car that was driven away I mean what is easier to remember for the average joe public in an accident situation a personal plate or X 639 MDT ???? I agree it has to be readable by ANPR so no silly Fonts .

 

[Naraic]

How long do you think it would take someone to read and work out your reg. mark if you space it the way you'd like? Remember that when Halfords etc make up a plate for you they also add their details, and thus they also would be in trouble if the spacing is deemed illegal.

 

[JeffP]

I agree tjamesbo, I think it'd be a money spinner. The problem is that many people buy a plate like yours and then not only do they mess with the spacing but they fettle the '8' so that it looks like a 'B'. Give them an inch and they take a mile. That's why the government decided to 'get tough' on illegal plates. I believe the rules were tightened in 2001 when the year identifying system was changed. Another favourite is to put black and white plates on a vehicle registered after the 1st January 1973. I just don't know what difference people think this makes, it must be a total bind having to swap them every year for the MOT. Always assuming of course that the MOTer knows the law.

 

[Boogs]

You can have show plates made up on line. Ebay have plenty of examples.

These are on mine and are very nice:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-MERCEDES-...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item35aa81aab1

Legally the manufacturer of the plate has to put their details on. For show plates they don't. This makes the plates illegal for a second reason (ie no manufacturer details).

Legally you cannot change the spacing. The maximum penalty is a £1000 fine and lose the right to the plate.

Do the police bother is another question, and I suspect the answer is - not unless they are bored or you have upset them for something else.

Whether you take the risk is your decision, but that is what you could be in for if you re-space the plates.

You can always add the translation of the plate underneath in the footer. Those that know will notice, those that don't wouldn't have noticed the plate anyway.

I do understand the private plate thing, but IMHO only really for hiding the age of a car, which tends to lead peope to keeping it longer and hence actually saves you money in the long run.

BTW, the CLK has the plate L80 OGS - legally spaced

 

[*Thumper]

You'll be ripe for a pull over by the boys in blue, everytime you hit the road ..... so I would'nt bother.

And also ........... you hav'nt bought a personal plate ...... you've purchased the right to display a cherished plate ....... that still belongs to the Secretary of State for transport ........................ you dont own it me old mucker..... sorry !!

The lord giveth ( for some green wedge) ............ the lord can taketh away !!

 

[N4D5]

Ive had my private plate for over 7 years now touch wood only stopped once and just advised by old bill, part to blame for stopping me was for taking corner too fast..

I have not tweaked the fonts to show anything else, i have just slightly spaced out and to be honest with ya it doesn't even look too dodgy. Ive got mine like this, eg: N4D X Y rather then N4 DXY.

I should think unless someone goes completely insane with spacing and fonts then you should be OK with the police.

 

[ml 270 paul k]

the cars number plate is their to display the vrm, if you want your name on your car get a ' Terry and Sharon' sun visor , it was all the rage in the 80's

 

[Golffather]

You can get non standard plates made from any graphics shop or even ebay.

One of many:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CAR-BIKE-NUMB...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3caea69edb

 

[star]

I run two private plates RIOT X and RIOT OK, both spaced wrong. Never have trouble with the spacing but they dont like the front plate missing on one but its ok on the other as its a bike.

 

[Thincat]

They're such killjoys arent they bureaucrats ! I agree It doesnt make the car any better, but there again neither does polishing / washing it ,its just a bit of fun / personalisation
I have often thought that if they untied themselves a bit from bureacracy and legitimise DAVE 1 DAVE 2 etc they could easily sell them and make an absolute mint and you would have to be illiterate to not be able to remember the number of the car that was driven away I mean what is easier to remember for the average joe public in an accident situation a personal plate or X 639 MDT ???? I agree it has to be readable by ANPR so no silly Fonts .

I agree. Some countries (Australia for example) allow people to buy any number plate that hasn't been issued for a nominal fixed price (£140) and it doesn't have to conform to standard alpha/numeric patterns - just has to have no more than the maximum number of characters. The USA is the same. In the UK they have a lot of seemingly pointless conditions about what you can buy, and, of course, they always try to extract the maximum amount of cash by auctioning them. They even auction numbers that are obviously only any good if the mis-spaced. Hypocritical or what.

 

[sevvie]

Had some slighly slanting plates made for my wifes mini, stopped by traffic cops, no second chance got on the road fine of £60 they said could be double front and back,but ticketed me for one beware there out there to get you

 

[C180 Chris]

The guy i work for had an S500 merc on a plate that read S500 **
It was actually S50 O**

Anyway he got a defect notice and had to change it, i think that policeman must have been very bored as it was clearly S50 O**

The law is the law and if you change spacing or fonts you are putting yourself up for a tug every time you go out.
I would not bother messing with spacing if i were you.

 

[jberks]

They even auction numbers that are obviously only any good if the mis-spaced. Hypocritical or what.

That always amuses me. They offer stuff that would be crap if displayed correctly, know full well that it will be mis-spaced and still take the money. But then I guess its up to the buyer.
Previously it was nit picking but these days its more about the ANPR. With more and more police cars running ANPR systems as well as traffic cams etc, I'd say the likelihood of getting stopped or a letter through the post is rapidly increasing. Clearly it depends where you are but for example I suspect getting away with it in London would be difficult. The highlands of Scotland on the other hand may not be such a problem.
Bottom line, do you really need the stress every time you pass a traffic car or a camera? Looking back to see if they are following you or dredding the post every morning?
The first time they stop you, ok you'll get a notification but I'd imagine repeat offenders find themselves in court.

 

[Golffather]

Personally I wouldn't get carried away with moving words around to read something else. The most I've done and got away with is to eliminate all spacing so everything is placed together but maintaining the standard font size and thickness etc. Effective but still very "legal" looking.

I've been stopped a few times and the plates in this way were not even mentioned.

They were not so lenient with my front window tints

 

[JEZ.S320L]

ANPR Cameras

With over 4000 ANPR cameras on Motorways, A-Roads and City/Town centres - maybe, just maybe, the chances of getting caught with incorrectly displayed number plates, are a tad weighted on the side of law enforcement.

See here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/10504653.stm