So, having watched one of the Police Stop type thingys and the officer was saying about illegal spacing on the plates interferes with ANPR. Given that number plates have been spaced in the same way since way before ANPR, it's obvious the officer is talking bollards (especially as it had just picked up BO55Y KT).

 

However, (and given we're talking standard number plates, not private shortened ones) does anyone know why plates have that spacing in the first place?

There clearly will be a point at which non-standard spacing will make the plate difficult to OCR or even to read by eye.

 

The specs are in DVLA leaflet INF104 http://goo.gl/eO7noU

 

I have two cherished plates in use, and wouldn't think of messing with the spacing;  but it doesn't bother me when other people do it.

 

It makes them look a bit prattish to me in some cases, especially when tactically placed bolt heads and deformed characters come into it as well, but it's not the crime of the century.

It is a Free World so do as you want, and get the Penalty or Fine, pay it or challenge it in court if you want.

 Or just follow the Legislation as it is.

 

http://plates4less.co.uk/number-plates-FAQ/car-registrations-info/car-registrations-legalities.asp

The above two answers are from people who clearly need to pop off and get eye tests, for failing to actually read the question.

No idea why they are spaced and specced as they are.

& the only way to know will to read what someone else found out was the reason.

 

So maybe ask the Designer or Committee that agreed the Design,  the DfT might be able to tell you.

 

PS 

Wikipedia has all about the Charles Wright Font and the Dates etc.

Edited 9 August, 201411 yr by goneoffSKi

Then, as usual George, your "input" has been as irrelevant and useless as it ever is.

Happy to oblige.

Because years ago someone in the old Ministry of Transport decided they would be?

They're' probably spaced to split the registration number into sections according to the information that it gives. The first part BO55 will give the area of the country and age of the car, the last bit YKT is the unique identifier part of the registration number.  Obviously in the case of BO55 YKT it's a made up number by someone who has paid the DVLA for the right to display it and they may think that it looks better when spaced not according to the regulations.

The space is there to help distinguish between different generations of plates that may otherwise appear similar.

MR51 SON and MRS 150N are parked down the road from me, and with the correct legal spelling they are obviously different.

Or they would be if she didn't have the first one spaced as MR5 1SON. As they are, at a glance it's pretty difficult to see which is which in the DVLA approved font.

The other reason is that humans find it difficult to remember long strings of characters, especially quickly as they might need to do following an incident. Breaking it into two short chunks makes it much easier, especially when they are always the same 4,3 pattern on the current system. It's the same effect that means people read phone numbers in three or four digit blocks rather than all in one go.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ the makes sense

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ the makes sense

+1

Sounds very plausible to me!

Afterall, its important that plates can be read quickly and as easy to remember as possible

Providing the proper characters are used, and the same font for the whole plate, most police systems should cope and are able to read most fonts including non UK plates regardless of spacing.

The issue as I understand as to identify the font on the plate if not a standard one used on UK or any global plate will take a number of seconds to identify it by which time the vehicle could be long gone.

To read up under 2 seconds, it has to be a standard font.

The other reason is that humans find it difficult to remember long strings of characters, especially quickly as they might need to do following an incident. Breaking it into two short chunks makes it much easier, especially when they are always the same 4,3 pattern on the current system. It's the same effect that means people read phone numbers in three or four digit blocks rather than all in one go.

 

I believe this is the original reason. Same reason post codes are the way they are.

 

The exact standard for spacing has become a bit more important with ANPR since the system will be made to recognise symbols placed in a  certain way. If you know how it works there may even be a way to game the system a bit.

 

I'd have thought ANPR would be advanced enough now to read just about anything in any font. So it might just be an easy collar for plod.

Edited 11 August, 201411 yr by Aspman

MR51 SON and MRS 150N are parked down the road from me, and with the correct legal spelling they are obviously different.

Or they would be if she didn't have the first one spaced as MR5 1SON. As they are, at a glance it's pretty difficult to see which is which in the DVLA approved font.

 

Where I live, Sparkhill, there are so many unreadable number plates that it really is taking the pi$$ and the police do nothing. As such, I had read this thread with interest. Tonight, I clocked this number plate tonight (MR51 SON) as I was leaving football and i then saw the other one. I'd read this thread on Sunday and knew I'd seen them before but couldn't remember where, but they are both parked opposite a school. I stopped and had a look. Amazingly, the two number plates ARE correctly spaced and have Kite mark number plates on the cars but they really do look like the same number plate. Personally, I think the owner would have been mad to mess with the spacing and park the cars next to each other as that is inviting a knock on the door from the plod or, even worse, confiscation. Have a look next time Dr Z and correct me if I'm wrong. Amazing!

 

regards

 

Paul

Nope, she's had the 51 plate redone with the correct spelling recently. I'm guessing she did indeed get a knock on the door.

Good spot though

Expect a lot of people to be needing to buy new plates over the next 8 weeks as forces clamp down on plates and notify the dvla.

Once the size of plate became defacto standardised many years ago, it seems all the varieties of number jumbles have had to work with/round the format.

Now the size/shape is legislated, and the 7 digit plate is universal apart from vanity/ancient plates, the wriggle room from a design point of view is miniscule. Bearing in mind the observations on human cognitive preferences noted by DrZ and others.

Presumably a few variants were tried and what looked reasonable, was called good.

Anyone know if there was extensive scientific experimentation? Was the TRRL involved?

Expect a lot of people to be needing to buy new plates over the next 8 weeks as forces clamp down on plates and notify the dvla.

 

Surely they should have been doing this all along, as improperly spaced plates are already illegal?

Yup, but they're all been tasked with a clamp down I've read. I'm sure our resident coppers can confirm this hand down from Central government.

Yup, but they're all been tasked with a clamp down I've read. I'm sure our resident coppers can confirm this hand down from Central government.

Wow - Didn't know that! It'll be fun in my neck of the woods

As I understand black/silver plates on modern cars, incorrect spacing, and square plates are on the hit list?

I think that the ANPR cameras need the correct size and spacing to recognise the ID of the vehicle and will give the police a reason to stop it if the detector fails to read,

Also the plates cannot be read if they have cling film or any other substance over them but they can still be read by the human eye, so beware if your plates are not standard,

I remember comedian Jimmy Tarbuck saying that he gave up his plate to his daughter because he had no privacy when he was out and about, it was COM1C,

The best one I ever saw was on an old classic Bentley which was being transported up and down the A1M a few years ago, that was BOL1K

Personally I prefer to have just an ordinary plate and not stand out in the crowd

Best regards to all

Over here, the latest "fad" is for irish plates, done in german font, complete with the picture inserts that are on them...

Many's a yob mobile has them done up as above, and UK style - white front, yellow rear.

I saw one guy with black plates and silver lettering - reserved for diplomatic and defence forces vehicles...

 

I admit to having german fonted plates, but my reg number is one of those that looks standard anyway. only difference is the break in the lines on the 2 "0"s in it.

But mine are the correct size, spacing and colour - white and black font - and ive been waved straight through every check point hassle free.

 

Just like over your side of the water, our plod dont seem too fussed, even though it would be such an easy money maker for them....

Along with non standard bulb colours....