British number plates are there any rules?

bubs999

It's to stop people misrepresenting what the plate says. It can been confusing to someone who is trying to identify what the number plate is, if it is spaced to read something different.

Over by there

See too much of it nowadays. Level of policing I suppose, I see on twitter some reports from forces when they have one of those "pull anything for checks days" but no more.

Plates should be clearly identifiable. If I have an accident, no matter the fault, I want to be able to identify the other driver easily not try to work out what some one thinks is their name or something especially if they do a runner (I suppose both cars immobilised, well, its there for the feds). I really don't care that someone is trying to spell their name cleverly though there are some good ones out there (kudos for imagination to some extent).

My eye and brain are expecting a format. Mess with that and its off. It is my one bug bear and for those that have the front plates that accidentally drop off, get a life and get some fixing screws.

Victim surcharge is a joke though.

nvingo

To be fair, if it is made into a readable word or name, you're more likely to remember it than seven 'random' digits.
It's up to the investigator to convert that word back into the format, and cross-check that with your description of the vehicle.

Over by there

Yeah, pondered this. My concern is some lawyer can wheedle out of it. Proper plates put back on post bump  (as they probably know it was hooky), you say to investigation it was "soandso" but proper plates say Zo und so. Lawyer says "see?" "Not sure what he saw."

Naaktgeboren

I saw a moving plate today, first time I've ever seen one.  Was on the motorway and he overtook me, I noticed I couldn't read his plate despite being 10 meters away.  When we got to the junction and he stopped, the plate fell back into place, well dodgy!

IronGiant

Not sure I understand? Do you mean it was loose or it was designed to move?

nvingo

Sounds like it was rigged to not be readable by motorway speed cameras (only visible when travelling within the speed limit).

IronGiant

I'm just asking for a friend

Naaktgeboren

Yes exactly that, when the vehicle was at certain speeds the plate was moving (designed to do so) at the junction it returned to normal.

IronGiant

Thanks.  The lengths some people will go to.