She didn't look at the car once though, didn't ever service it, only ever put fuel in it, MOTed it, Taxed and Insured it. Until engine went BANG as timing belt snapped
Number Plates - Or lack of
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Number Plates - Or lack of
She didn't look at the car once though, didn't ever service it, only ever put fuel in it, MOTed it, Taxed and Insured it. Until engine went BANG as timing belt snapped
I've always been a firm believer in the maxim that "We see what we expect to see." Quite a few years ago a circus, it's normal winter ground flooded out, moved into some fields close to the M6. One morning a driver phoned a local radio station saying, incredulously, that he'd seen some elephants on his commute to work. Shortly afterwards another person also called up to say she'd seen some giraffes. The local constabulary later admitted they'd received several calls in the same vein.....but not until after the calls on the radio were broadcast.
It seemed that the circus had been there for a number of weeks but until that day no-one had noticed. You drive along a motorway, you see some large animals. Do you think elephants, or cows? Your car reg. is AB51CDE. You know it is, so why would you notice that your rear plate actually says AB51CED.
Up until a few years ago my Panda's number began MX05... whereas Mrs. Beard's Stilo began MK05...or was it the other way round?
As for obscurred or missing front plates, looking at it from one point of view, the chance of impact to the front plate, be it flood water or stones, is much higher than at the rear.
On the other hand, CCTV cameras at petrol stations usually film from the front as do average speed cameras on motorways. Speed cameras on urban roads usually take images from behind as do (most) Police ANPR cameras so removing the front plate does have some benefits.
As to dirty plates, most Cops will take a common sense approach. If the car's dirty then the chances are the plates will be dirty as well. However, if both are encrusted in grime then it's up to the driver to make sure the plates are clean, but most people can tell the difference between a reasonable amount of road dirt and plates that have been left dirty. Especially if the car itself is clean.
As people who commit one offence frequently commit others, if they don't rectify something simple like dodgy plates it just makes it more likely that they'll get picked up, especially if the vehicle details are lodged on ANPR.
