Replacement car registration plates.

[polygonum]

The plates themselves might last indefinitely. The reflex coating might not...

[Jethro_uk]

When the law came in I was working in the motor trade, and a policeman pointed out that while you needed ID to buy a number plate, you didn't need ID to buy a number plate kit ...

[Harry Bloomfield]

On (I think) that Fake Britain BBC program, one of the subjects was a number plate maker probably selling via ebay who was raided. My sympathies were definately with the plate maker.

[Adrian]

Really? Why?

The rules on number plate supply are clear. They're for a fairly obvious reason - to try to stem the inexorable rise of ringers, clones and fake plates. Why are they rising? Because ANPR, SORN, continuous insurance etc are cracking down on various other ways for scumbags to use unregistered/ uninsured/unroadworthy vehicles on the road.

This can only be a _good_ thing, surely?

[Harry Bloomfield]

Simply because in its present form it doesn't work and could never ever be made to work. The only ones inconvenieced by the number plate law are the honest citizens. Plates are so very easy to make - almost no equipment is needed to make them and it is so easy to buy the equipment and the blanks - just what is the point of outlawing something which they could not possibly control?

[Adrian]

Unless those who operate outside the law are prevented from doing so, by legal sanction.

Perhaps the next step should be to make the plates themselves more complex?

[Ian Jackson]

In message , Davey writes

Do you need documents if you are exchanging new for old (or at least have one existing plate)? The fact that you already have plates should be sufficient to prove that everything is kosher. What happens if you are on holiday, as it's highly unlikely that you will have the registration document with you?

[polygonum]

In some countries the plates themselves are effectively the licence disc. (You get replacements every year.) And may indicate insurance as well.

[Tim Watts]

On Wednesday 12 June 2013 21:18 Adrian wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Except there an unlimited number of suppliers who ignore the law and you can get the kits to make them yourself.

[bert]

In message , Ian Jackson writes

Stealing plates to use in Congestion Zones?

[bert]

In message , Harry Bloomfield writes

And the next example about to be foisted on us is compulsory micro-chipping of dogs.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , charles escribió:

+1.

Advisory on exhaust last year, failed this year.

[Vortex11]

(MOT advisory recommends replacement due to cracks, etc.).

eBay shop called "perfectplates". Simples.

[Adrian]

£7.99 each, including delivery. Again, a chunk more expensive than the last plates I got from a local factor.

[Adrian]

The fact that people break the law does not mean that the reasoning for the law is bad. Does it?

[Tim Watts]

On Thursday 13 June 2013 08:27 Adrian wrote in uk.d-i-y:

The fact that so many do does strongly imply that it's a bad law, yes.

Coupled with the fact that the law can be legally circumvented with only a little effort.

[F Murtz]

Youse mob like complications all this tax disc carry on, in NSW Australia frinstance we have a number plate which lasts as long as it stays in one piece we get a piece of paper each year in the mail (rego papers)we then go to almost any mechanic (who has inspection license) who makes out an inspection certificate, which he also sends electronically to the rego mob, you also have to pay for compulsory third party insurance which is also sent to authority electronically you then log on to authority and register car and pay(they have all the particulars) that is it. We do not even have a sticker any more (they dropped it this year) All we have on the car then for the next year is the plate. We do not even have to get inspection certificate if the car is less than five years old We dont have all this SORN rubbish either. When the car ceases to be registered we hand the plates in thats it

[Scion]

Adrian put finger to keyboard:

Eight quid. A tenth of a tank of fuel. Hardly worth fretting about, is it?

[Adrian]

Well, quite. But it does kinda put the lie to the claims that obeying the legislation merely makes life more expensive for the poor motorist.

[David.WE.Roberts]

Any law that is not enforced - for example because it is in practice unenforceable due to lack of resource or technical difficulties - is a bad law.

This is because any law that is unenforced/unenforceable is a law that people see no reason to obey and this in turn encourages people not to obey other laws.

So the reasoning for the law is bad.

Practical enforcement should always be both possible and highly likely before a law is put in place.

This does of course happen a lot with motoring law.

Those of us of a more mature persuasion (cough) can probably remember when there were always patrol cars out and about and a blown light bulb was enough to get you pulled and given a good going over.

These days you are lucky (?) to see a traffic patrol. Most are parked up at major junctions saving fuel because they can no longer afford to patrol the streets.

A lot of laws these days are mainly party political statements.

There is a problem!

Look - we are on the ball and have solved it - see this shiny new law. Our work here is done.

Can't be arsed to Google for the various ratios of police, foot patrols, car patrols etc. to population and car numbers for the '50s, '60s, '70s etc. but I don't think the ratio is increasing in favour of law and order.

I have memories of the outcry when Panda cars were first introduced - putting Bobbies in cars instead of walking the beat at a steady 2 mph.

When did you last see a policeman (not a community support officer) walking the streets?

Cheers

Dave r