Non standard number plates, particularly darkened plates.

[Justin Smith]

I see many non standard number plates, and, it seems, more and more darkened plates.

I am assuming they are illegal since the are harder to read, is that correct ?
If they are illegal how come the car owners don't get stopped by the Police (after all they stand out like a sore thumb, particularly if the police car is behind the car) ?
Furthermore how do they get through the MOT ?

Has anyone on here got darkened plates ? And how often are they stopped by the police ?

[Luke4efc]

20 minutes ago, Justin Smith said:

I am assuming they are illegal since the are harder to read, is that correct ?

Yes you can't have a tinted number plate.

21 minutes ago, Justin Smith said:

If they are illegal how come the car owners don't get stopped by the Police (after all they stand out like a sore thumb, particularly if the police car is behind the car) ?

They do, but (and I maybe wrong here) I don't think every police officer can report people for vehicle defects.  That's usually the traffic police job, rather than those driving panda cars (the slow diesel Peugeots, vauxhall astras etc.).

I'm no police lover, but they're all over this sort of thing atm, mostly because their cameras struggle to read the plate. If they aren't pulling them over, I'm sure there's a valid reason.

27 minutes ago, Justin Smith said:

Furthermore how do they get through the MOT ?

It's ridiculously easy to pass an MOT with a dodgy car. A couple shiny notes left in the cup holder will soon get you on the road again.

I suppose it's only a bit of double sided tape or 2 screws, it's not hard to swap it for the sake of the MOT and then change them back again.

[SDHXIII]

The good news, for us legal road users is that there is legislation going through Parliament so that number plate offences becomes a three pointer rather than just the £100 fine. Designed for the anti social bike riders with tiny number plates, the super car clubs who don't bother putting a number plate on the front of their cars and those poor unfortunate drivers who's number plates keep falling off so they have to pop them on the dash board.

I think is mainly because £100 on the occasion that they get stopped is nothing in comparison to getting speeding tickets because the camera's can't pick the plates up

Again, those that are road legal have nothing to worry about.

Stu...

[Phil3747]

1 hour ago, Luke4efc said:

Yes you can't have a tinted number plate.

They do, but (and I maybe wrong here) I don't think every police officer can report people for vehicle defects.  That's usually the traffic police job, rather than those driving panda cars (the slow diesel Peugeots, vauxhall astras etc.).

I'm no police lover, but they're all over this sort of thing atm, mostly because their cameras struggle to read the plate. If they aren't pulling them over, I'm sure there's a valid reason.

It's ridiculously easy to pass an MOT with a dodgy car. A couple shiny notes left in the cup holder will soon get you on the road again.

I suppose it's only a bit of double sided tape or 2 screws, it's not hard to swap it for the sake of the MOT and then change them back again.

All police constables in England and Wales have the same powers.

Yes, it is usually the traffic cops that will stop someone for this, but it is down to the individual officers to decide whether they want to stop a car in the first place and you are also correct that those that are so inclined can just swap to legit plates to get the car through the MOT.

[Justin Smith]

On 8/24/2021 at 6:45 PM, Luke4efc said:

Yes you can't have a tinted number plate.

They do, but (and I maybe wrong here) I don't think every police officer can report people for vehicle defects.  That's usually the traffic police job, rather than those driving panda cars (the slow diesel Peugeots, vauxhall astras etc.).

I'm no police lover, but they're all over this sort of thing atm, mostly because their cameras struggle to read the plate. If they aren't pulling them over, I'm sure there's a valid reason.

It's ridiculously easy to pass an MOT with a dodgy car. A couple shiny notes left in the cup holder will soon get you on the road again.

I suppose it's only a bit of double sided tape or 2 screws, it's not hard to swap it for the sake of the MOT and then change them back again.

If they are all over it at the moment they cannot be that good at solving crimes. If they can't catch someone with a darkened number plate it is no wonder they cannot catch most burglars !

I think the latter is the case TBH. I have often wondered whether bikers (or boy racers) with illegally loud exhausts just swap them over for the MOT ? Does the bike MOT actually include a test of how loud the exhaust is 

[Luke4efc]

5 minutes ago, Justin Smith said:

I have often wondered whether bikers (or boy racers) with illegally loud exhausts just swap them over for the MOT ? Does the bike MOT actually include a test of how loud the exhaust is 

I doubt anyone goes refitting silencers before an MOT. You'd have to have a very awkward tester to fail it for excessive noise in the first place.

The emissions test is different though. Ik people who slip the tester an extra few quid to shove the probe in a different cars exhaust and some who put the cat back in.

[Justin Smith]

On 8/30/2021 at 11:02 PM, Luke4efc said:

I doubt anyone goes refitting silencers before an MOT. You'd have to have a very awkward tester to fail it for excessive noise in the first place.

The emissions test is different though. Ik people who slip the tester an extra few quid to shove the probe in a different cars exhaust and some who put the cat back in.

I cannot agree with that, particularly when woken in the early hours by some ignorant **** on a loud bike ! Or in a loud car to be fair.

[Frembrit]

I don't know if there's a measurement taken or if it's down to the Tester's judgment but there is a check for excessive exhaust noise for motorbikes. I have to fit the baffle (tube) in to the tailpipe to make it quiet on my bike exhaust. Mine isn't that loud compared to some.

[Justin Smith]

Darkened windows is another mystery. AFAIK you can legally darken the rear windows on a car (though it's a PITA for following traffic because they cannot see through your car at what is going on further up the road) but I thought the windscreen and front windows had to be pretty much see through ?

I was just about to cross the road and a car was stopped at the light when it was on green for him, I tried to establish eye contact with the driver to check he was actually waiting for me to cross but could not see anything as the side window were so darkened. 

My question is do the window tinting companies warn their customers that there vehicle is now illegal ?

[alexp999]

19 minutes ago, Justin Smith said:

Darkened windows is another mystery. AFAIK you can legally darken the rear windows on a car (though it's a PITA for following traffic because they cannot see through your car at what is going on further up the road) but I thought the windscreen and front windows had to be pretty much see through ?

I was just about to cross the road and a car was stopped at the light when it was on green for him, I tried to establish eye contact with the driver to check he was actually waiting for me to cross but could not see anything as the side window were so darkened. 

My question is do the window tinting companies warn their customers that there vehicle is now illegal ?

The front windows and front windscreen must allow 70% of light through (30% tint). Most cars come with that level of tint from factory already.

The companies doing illegal tints likely don't care if they are getting paid for it, same as those suppling illegal number plates.

[Jimpster]

There should be zero tolerance in regards number plates and glass tinting and agree with the points bit. 3d 4d gel there should be one legal type all others gets you done, same with these BMW's and Mercs where you cant see whose driving even in broad daylight. Any officer should be able to report, NOT just traffic, i'd go as far as jobsworth traffic wardens get in on the act, as the photograph and issue fines on the spot.

[TomsFocus]

1 hour ago, alexp999 said:

The companies doing illegal tints likely don't care if they are getting paid for it, same as those suppling illegal number plates.

The drivers also generally know they're getting illegal tints.  If they get pulled, they just peel them off then & there and have them redone at a later date...  Can see people like this on pretty much every car Facebook group.

[shawty1984]

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

The drivers also generally know they're getting illegal tints.  If they get pulled, they just peel them off then & there and have them redone at a later date...  Can see people like this on pretty much every car Facebook group.

Even on here. 

 

 

[Mark-UK]

On 8/30/2021 at 10:52 PM, Justin Smith said:

If they are all over it at the moment they cannot be that good at solving crimes. If they can't catch someone with a darkened number plate it is no wonder they cannot catch most burglars !

I think the latter is the case TBH. I have often wondered whether bikers (or boy racers) with illegally loud exhausts just swap them over for the MOT ? Does the bike MOT actually include a test of how loud the exhaust is 

It's not that they can't catch burglars, more they just can't be arsed trying. It's so easy for them to just issue you a crime number (after you've been waiting 35 mins for them to answer the phone (well that how long it to me)) and let the insurance sort it out than actually try and catch people.