Drivers Who Commit Number Plate Offences Could Get Points
Under a new proposal, drivers of vehicles with missing or obscured number plates could get three penalty points on their licence as well as the existing £100 fine. The proposal aims to close a loophole in the law, but it may be difficult to enforce.
Clampdown on Antisocial Drivers
A new private member’s bill that has been presented to the House of Commons by Conservative MP Andrew Griffith, would see the owners of cars and motorcycles with their number plates obscured or missing receiving three penalty points on their licence. Currently, offenders are only slapped with a £100 fine.
Mr Griffith said he was prompted to present his bill because of the misery inflicted on the residents of rural communities within his constituency by antisocial drivers and riders. He says that, while speeding motorists receive points on their licence, drivers committing number plate offences only receive a fine.
By removing or obscuring number plates, antisocial drivers and motorcyclists can avoid both speed and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and break the law with relative impunity. Offenders often speed around rural areas causing a danger and nuisance to local residents.
It is hoped that the new proposal will act as more of a deterrent with penalty points resulting in higher insurance premiums and the risk of repeat offenders receiving a driving ban.
Illegal Number Plates Included in the Bill
The new bill will also target those who fit number plates that don’t meet current regulations to their cars. That includes plates that are the wrong size, in an unofficial font, are wrongly spaced, or have colour-capped screws to alter the appearance of the characters.
Drivers can be issued with a notice giving them 14 days to rectify the fault without penalty. However, repeat offenders can be fined up to £1,000 and have their personalised number plates confiscated. The additional risk of having points added to their licence will hopefully reduce the number of offences.
In the UK, all number plate suppliers have to be registered with the DVLA and must ask for the required documentation from the vehicle owner. It is an offence for them to supply a non-compliant number plate. But illegal number plates can be bought from dealers online without any ownership checks.
The suppliers may be in offshore locations such as Jersey which doesn’t come under the same jurisdiction as the UK. As well as supplying non-compliant plates, they make it easy for criminals to buy cloned number plates belonging to innocent motorists.
The Vehicle Registration Offences Penalty Points Bill has passed its first step in the House of Commons. It is scheduled for a second reading on 27th November.
Only Buy Personalised Number Plates from an Accredited Dealer.
When you want to buy a personalised number plate, only use a trusted dealer such as CarReg.co.uk who have been established for over 30 years. As a respected supplier, we are members of all governing bodies and a registered DVLA number plate supplier.
