Quote: Originally posted by superbbird on 12/12/2011
Our car failed it's MOT today on the registration plates! It wasn't showing the name & postcode of the supplier correctly.
Thank goodness the tow-bar & electrics passed and the rest of the car is fine.
Hi, would not havethought of checking to see if the suppliers name and post codewere showing correctly, glad your car passed all other criteria for MOT, just need to get yourself some new plates and a re test, thanks for the information, will look more closely when I change any plates from now on.
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
If in Doubt Check it Out.
It's funny this one about the number plates, it seems to be the testers are not consistent with their pass or fail. Personally, I have a personalised number and have used the same plates for quite a number of years on various cars, all have passed the MOT and the plates have no suppliers name or postcode.
------------- XVI yes?
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
Quote: Originally posted by Grampian91 on 13/12/2011
Depends on the age of the car.
Cannot remember the exact dates, But they did start to fail cars that did not show the makers name and postcode.
Or was it pre 2001 cars, Which is now not required?
According to Wiki "It is also a requirement that the organisation who made up the plate show their name and postcode on the plate to aid tracing of the production of false plates and of the individual who purchased the plate. This is normally shown in the centre at the bottom of the plate. This was introduced in 2001 when the new character style and two digit year identifier came into force, but applies to all registration plates made up after that date regardless of the year of the vehicle."
All vehicles registered after 1st September 2001. and all replacement plates fitted must conform to the following specification...
1. Typeface must be sans serif. All other fonts are prohibited. The one decorative variation still permitted is a 3D effect version of the mandatory typeface.
2. Each character must be 79mm high and 50mm wide (except the number 1 or the letter I). The width of each character stroke must be 14mm. There must be a space of 11mm between characters within the same group, and character groups must be 33mm apart. For the purposes of measurement, each character (again, excepting the number 1 or the letter I), regardless of its shape, is treated as a rectangular block of dimensions 79mm x 50mm
3. The colours and reflectivity of number plates must also comply with the regulations and accord with British Standard BS AU 145d. Your rear plate has to have black characters on a yellow background. …and it has to be the correct yellow
4. The plate must be marked with the British Standard Number; the name; trade mark, or other means of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier; the name and postcode of the supplying outlet.
Fine of up to £1000 for breach of the regs
Regular readers of this web site will remember that this issue was discussed some months back. See the benefits of reading just about everything on this site
It appears to be a grey area. The idea was that the law was tightened & you had to show reg doc & identification before you could buy replacement plates for a car. This to prevent anybody getting plates made for stolen car or whatever. Plate makers had to be licensed & yet ebay suppliers still supply plates with no identification required. Some state they are just 'showplates' with legal font & not road legal but others claim their plates are road legal with correct markings & yet are supplied in apparent contravention of the law.
makes me wonder how some of these personalised plates are deemed legal and get through an MOT when the characters are so close together to make a name or a screw head is placed strategically to make a different letter than the one that should be showing originally.
maybe they swap them for MOT day ?
My “poor” neighbour recently received a surprise birthday present of a personalised number plate for her beetle contrived to read “A BUG ” from an A 13 plate. Two weeks ago in the local village square she collected a £60 fine for displaying them.
I was advised at the MOT this year my wife’s somewhat “fading yellow” 2002 year, rear plate would be unlikely to get through next years MOT.
So here in Hampshire both the police and our local garage are “on message”.
I dont think it is in anyway a "grey area", its just full of bent traders etc and gullible wishful punters.
Quote: Originally posted by Tentz on 13/12/2011
It appears to be a grey area. The idea was that the law was tightened & you had to show reg doc & identification before you could buy replacement plates for a car. This to prevent anybody getting plates made for stolen car or whatever. Plate makers had to be licensed & yet ebay suppliers still supply plates with no identification required. Some state they are just 'showplates' with legal font & not road legal but others claim their plates are road legal with correct markings & yet are supplied in apparent contravention of the law.
Its a bit like Burglary is a grey area, until they get caught.
Many on line suppliers make it clear that the plates they provide are for off road use only if they do not conform to the regs. That is how they avoid prosecution. Buyers, happy to have saved money, use them on the road. It is the user who tends to get fined/prosecuted rather than the supplier.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
If it's the rear one that is "illegal", keep it and use it on your garden trailer or next caravan, they don't have to go through an MOT and risk failure.
Quote: Originally posted by vernon87 on 13/12/2011
If it's the rear one that is "illegal", keep it and use it on your garden trailer or next caravan, they don't have to go through an MOT and risk failure.
The Regs apply to the use of number plates on vehicles. When the van or trailer is attached to your car the whole unit is the vehicle and the number plate has to conform to the regs. So, yes, you don't risk an MOT failure but you do risk a fine of up to £1000. Sometimes, in seeking to do things on the cheap it's best to think things through.
Back to the drawing board methinks.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
Quote: Originally posted by TonyC52 on 13/12/2011
Understand the regulation but why an MOT fail, I thought the MOT was about car safety.
Not uniquely, it also for example includes environmental elements. I think the MOT is to do with being "roadworthy"; suitable for road use?
The number plates now needs to be controlled not least for viable "number plate" recognition which has a big safety aspect; catching those that speed past safety cameras etc.
So if the car fails a MOT on a registration plate in effect it cannot be driven on a public road as it is deemed un-roadworthy. Your insurance may state that the car has to have a valid MOT at all times for the insurance to be valid.
Can you then drive your car to a number plate supplier and back to the MOT station for the re-test?
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Topic: MOT result-Shocked
