Week Long Number Plate Crackdown - National

[rigsby]

Taking a truck back to a customer tonight , i was overtaken by local plod in his panda pug. Neither his left hand tail,brake or indicator were working. A couple of miles down the road he pulled me up because on of the 3 bulbs in a rear light wasnt working. Poor chap couldnt understand why i burst out laughing, but when i told him if his light fault all i got was "weve got a problem with these pugs"

needless to say, he let me go

[Kaiserb_uk]

not only us that are moaning about it then :lol:

Institute of Advanced Motorists | Issue 3 - January 2008 | One-eyed Monsters on the Increase

Interesting that article makes the point about cars where you can't replace the bulbs yourself. We seem to be more or less okay in the skuds, a bit fiddly perhaps but no worse, my mate has a little Proton Savvy and he has to take it to the dealer to change a headlight bulb. £120 bill he reckoned!

[Richard Black]

i was overtaken by local plod in his panda pug. Neither his left hand tail,brake or indicator were working

Reminds me of the time I was tugged years ago in the country in the middle of the night (really, like 2am or something) doing 40 in a 30 limit. Cop asked me if I hadn't at least thought it might be Old Bill behind me and slowed down just in case (obviously trying to suggest I hadn't been using my mirror). 'No', I said, chancing it a bit, 'I figured a car with one of its headlights pointing up into space like that wouldn't be a constabulary motor'. He let me off, too!

[vrswhite]

I find German plates more easy to read than British ones

i find that hard to beleive!!!! is it true?

[RobClubley]

I thought the german ones were specifically designed to be legible by ANPR?

[cheezemonkhai]

i find that hard to beleive!!!! is it true?

I think so, find it very easy to read them even at full Autobahn speeds.

I thought the german ones were specifically designed to be legible by ANPR?

I am told this is the case and they certainly like cameras on the restricted autobahn sections so I would think this wouldn't be an issue.

Interesting that article makes the point about cars where you can't replace the bulbs yourself. We seem to be more or less okay in the skuds, a bit fiddly perhaps but no worse, my mate has a little Proton Savvy and he has to take it to the dealer to change a headlight bulb. £120 bill he reckoned!

You should try the passenger side headlamp side on a MK I focus 1.8 TDCI.

- Wheel off

- Trim off

- Headlight loosened

- Pop cover off.

- Change bulb do it all back up.

Garage had tried to do it by just taking the battery out but the tray is in the way :(

Last time I did it for the relative was also the only time after all of that hassle.

[Stuart_J]

Anyone tried to change the sidelight bulb on an Octy 1 with xenons :orb_mad:

[Blade404]

You should try the passenger side headlamp side on a MK I focus 1.8 TDCI.

- Wheel off

- Trim off

- Headlight loosened

- Pop cover off.

- Change bulb do it all back up.

Garage had tried to do it by just taking the battery out but the tray is in the way :(

Last time I did it for the relative was also the only time after all of that hassle.

The MKII is dead easy to get at and change the bulbs... even with bi-xenon units

Certainly much easier than the Fabia vRS.

[cheezemonkhai]

The MKII is dead easy to get at and change the bulbs... even with bi-xenon units

Certainly much easier than the Fabia vRS.

Excellent, I will note that when it comes to doing my borthers lights at some future date.

The MK II Octy sidelights even without Xenons are neigh on impossible. I gave up until they blow as I don't want to risk breaking it.

[Makefish]

The MK II Octy sidelights even without Xenons are neigh on impossible. I gave up until they blow as I don't want to risk breaking it.

There is deffinately a knack in changing them Mark but once mastered it's a doddle.

What all this has got to do with the thread title, which for those that have forgotten is "Week Long Number Plater Crackdown" god only knows but does reminds me, despite going out of my way trying to provoke the police to pull me over, not one has shown any interest in black and silver number plates :confused: (having just said that I'll no doubt get pulled this week now!)

Anyway, back on topic :P

[ScoobyChris]

Presumably with illegal number plates, all these people will also have null and void insurance as a result of the cars not being roadworthy?

Chris

[Makefish]

Presumably with illegal number plates, all these people will also have null and void insurance as a result of the cars not being roadworthy?

Chris

A bit like having tyres with tread depth below 1.6mm you mean?

[RobClubley]

Anyone tried to change the sidelight bulb on an Octy 1 with xenons :orb_mad:

Mine will last forever!

I hope.

[ScoobyChris]

A bit like having tyres with tread depth below 1.6mm you mean?

Yep - you probably want to get them seen too as well

Chris

[Roofrack]

The number plate regs have been around for a long time. With increasing use of ANPR, enforcement will become more of the norm than has been to date. So, why attract attention to yourself by fitting illegal plates? They scream out 'Stop me - I am a twit' to any observant police officer.

[Makefish]

The number plate regs have been around for a long time. With increasing use of ANPR, enforcement will become more of the norm than has been to date. So, why attract attention to yourself by fitting illegal plates? They scream out 'Stop me - I am a twit' to any observant police officer.

Really? Up until recently I've been running round with black/silver plates almost deliberately going out of my way trying to get the police to pull me ie. overtaking and pulling in front of a police car on a motorway etc. and frankly I'd have had more chance of being pulled over for having an offensive haircut!!

(goes and sits in a corner waiting to be told how naughty I've been!)

[Johnny50]

I used to run a tiny plate on my old car, and never got stopped once (lothian and borders police)

Sold, the car, and the new owner was stopped and fined on the day he bought the car (tayside police)

So i guess it's all down to the officers as to what they seem to think is ok ?

Here's the plate i used.

[Taxi 219]

I only wish they'd put so much effort into sorting out the huge number of people with defective lighting.

Leicestershire Constabulary - Latest news - Crackdown on registration number plates

Totally agree theres too many of these around and the pr*cks that drive around at night without any lights on at all.

[sms]

the reason they had their crackdown was to many flag ups were being created on the ANPR system due to the camera not being able to read them, thats basically it... oh and the times you do get stopped for number plate problems will normally be your local beat bobby with nothing else to do but earn brownie points.

[dieseldarren]

Ok next question ....

I like the German style pressed steel plates &

the German font looks particularly good with certain letters.....

However, will I face more problems on my trips driving in Germany,

if I went for D bands rather than GB bands on the blue euro stripe.

As it would technically be mis-representing the origin of the car.

Even more so with the replica Stadt & TUV stickers!

Although I think German traffic police seem to be more interested in your driving or the mechanical roadworthiness of vehicles. Rather than a fashion accessory show plate.

Anyone got any first hand experience?

[Imperator]

If you drive in Germany, it would be asking for trouble. The Stadt and TUV stickers you buy here are fakes of the real thing, so you'd immediately look like an illegal vehicle and you'd be very likely to get pulled, IMO. Especially with a D band which is mis-representing the vehicle origin, yes.

I actually have a set of pressed plates on order with German font, but playing it a bit safer by steering clear of the stickers and having a GB band.

[gadgetman]

If you drive in Germany, it would be asking for trouble. The Stadt and TUV stickers you buy here are fakes of the real thing, so you'd immediately look like an illegal vehicle and you'd be very likely to get pulled, IMO. Especially with a D band which is mis-representing the vehicle origin, yes.

I actually have a set of pressed plates on order with German font, but playing it a bit safer by steering clear of the stickers and having a GB band.

Trouble is, just like the black and silver plates are illegal for UK road use.

[dieseldarren]

If you drive in Germany, it would be asking for trouble. The Stadt and TUV stickers you buy here are fakes of the real thing, so you'd immediately look like an illegal vehicle and you'd be very likely to get pulled, IMO. Especially with a D band which is mis-representing the vehicle origin, yes.

I actually have a set of pressed plates on order with German font, but playing it a bit safer by steering clear of the stickers and having a GB band.

I thinkn I may do the same as yourself

Although strictly for off-road usage naturally!

[dieseldarren]

Trouble is, just like the black and silver plates are illegal for UK road use.

Unless you've got a pre 1973 Octavia (or 2)

[Imperator]

Trouble is, just like the black and silver plates are illegal for UK road use.

Hmmm. Personally, I look forward to getting pulled (if ever I do), as I have a copy of the relevant legislation in my glove compartment.

VEHICLES REGISTERED AND NEW REGISTRATION PLATES FITTED ON OR AFTER 1ST

SEPTEMBER 2001 (MANDATORY SPECIFICATION)

1.

The plate must be made of retroreflecting material which, as regards its construction, colour and

other qualities, complies with the requirements of—

(a) the British Standard specification for retroreflecting number plates published on 15 January

1998 under number BS AU 145d(a), or

( any other relevant standard or specification recognised for use in an EEA State and which, when

in use, offers a performance equivalent to that offered by a plate complying with the British

Standard specification,

and which, in either case, is marked with the number (or such other information as is necessary to permit

identification) of that standard or specification.

2.

Where the registration mark is displayed on the front of the vehicle, it must have black characters

on a white background.

3.

Where the registration mark is displayed on the back of the vehicle, it must have black characters

As the German DIN font is a legal font in an EEA state, and offers a performance equivalent to the BSS (i.e. can be read by speed cameras etc), I can't see how using them can possibly be considered illegal, as long as the plate maker uses retroreflective materials (which mine are).

on a yellow background.