I thought about it today and i couldnt think of anything but to determine the front and rear of a vehicle on cameras.

So what is the reason behind haveing a yellow rear plate and a white front plate?

I was told the reason was they were originally going to be both white, then someone realised that a white reflective plate at the back would be confusing, so it was changed to yellow. This also made it easier to see if a car was going away from you or towards you in the dark.

Then again, it could be total rubbish.

so if you see one of these you can tell which direction it's heading.

I thought about it today and i couldnt think of anything but to determine the front and rear of a vehicle on cameras.

So what is the reason behind haveing a yellow rear plate and a white front plate?

No idea, but it pre-dates cameras by a long way.

This also made it easier to see if a car was going away from you or towards you in the dark.

I would have thought the white and red lights would do a better job of that? :confused:

Reflective plates started circa 1971 - my first (real ) mini had reflective plates - something of a novelty then - H (on the end ) reg.Can't remember the reasoning apart from some reflective bit on car apart from rear reflectors ,if parked without lights.Would agree with the reason for yellow on rear -sort of makes sense (so perhaps is not the real reason) .--but again circa that time the police started using transits -origonally called Fast Action Response Transport - till someone got a whiff of the abbreviation.

I just got told that it was for when police drove down a street at night, the reflection of the number plates would allow them to know which cars were parked facing the incorrect way?

I just got told that it was for when police drove down a street at night, the reflection of the number plates would allow them to know which cars were parked facing the incorrect way?

So that's why nobody knows anything about it -last time police drove down my street it was rumoured that they'd got lost.

I have no idea for once. All I can say is that it goes back to the late 1960s or very early 1970s.

so if you see one of these you can tell which direction it's heading.

:rofl: