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I've seen this a fair bit in the supercar community, because (obvs) they're better than us...
But recently i've been seeing a lot of more 'normal' cars without a front numberplate. Most of the time they're a fairly niceish spec Merc or BMW, so I get the feeling the plate hasn't just fallen off (normally accompanied by a gel 3d plate on the rear!).
I drove from Brighton to Wales and back over the weekend, and saw several along the m25 and m4.
Anyone else noticing this trend? Surely it's a clear cut crime for traffic police to stop and deal with, so why do they do it? (apart from being "gangstarrrr" of course)
DrP
Always been a 'thing' for some modified car owners/PCPers, but becoming more common from what I've seen too. Probably because it's only a £100 fixed penalty fine, and only IF caught and stopped - and there's such a little likelihood of that happening I guess they just risk it.
normally accompanied by a gel 3d plate on the rear!
Nah, we're up to 4D numberplates now it seems. Someone please explain 4D to me 😀
I think most the time they probably have the number plate in the boot & will claim that it just fell off & they'll put it back on asap, officer.
As above, I suppose it's a very low-risk thing and the penalty is worth taking that risk for. Similar to those comically small number plates that a lot of motorbikes have.
Never noticed it up here, but in Galloway a modified car generally tends towards a Land Rover with a winch rather than a supercar
It's not very common in my area of the North West, but on the odd occasion I see it the plate tends to be stuck on the dashboard behind the windscreen.
I'm always amazed on Facebook how often the police publicise low level criminals are getting tugged for defects like this or driving like a ****, followed by a failed drug wipe or discovery of contraband. If I was doing something dodgy in my car, I'd be doing everything possible to be inconspicuous.
Nah, we're up to 4D numberplates now it seems. Someone please explain 4D to me
It's 3D but 1louder.
I think most the time they probably have the number plate in the boot & will claim that it just fell off & they'll put it back on asap, officer.
Traffic police should be equipped with a roll of double sided carpet tape and / or a nail gun. If "the plate's just fallen off guv" then it can easily and permanently be reattached, preferably at a slight angle or off centre.
It's not very common in my area of the North West, but on the odd occasion I see it the plate tends to be stuck on the dashboard behind the windscreen.
I got pulled over after mine had fallen off and I'd put it on the dash. Rusty Transit though, not a supercar
Anyone else noticing this trend? Surely it's a clear cut crime for traffic police to stop and deal with, so why do they do it?
Very occasionally see reg plates with a dark film.
BITD they'd be given a form to go to an MOT testing station with the fault rectified. Get the form stamped with the embossed MOT stamp and return it, all within 14 days.
A brucey bonus was our copy to DVLA. Three strikes and you're out; registration numbers don't belong to you no matter how much you'd paid for a word.
The Blair-Brown government essentially killed traffic policing.
I'm always amazed on Facebook how often the police publicise low level criminals are getting tugged for defects like this or driving like a ****, followed by a failed drug wipe or discovery of contraband. If I was doing something dodgy in my car, I'd be doing everything possible to be inconspicuous.
I'm amazed that, given the police know this and publicise it, they're not out pulling over every slightly dodgy motor in sight. Mind you, I heard that the sensible crim's choice of vehicle for moving stuff was a slighty tatty but taxed and insured Passat estate.
The Blair-Brown government essentially killed traffic policing.
The Blair-Brown government essentially killed traffic policing.
Was it not another austerity bonus?
Was it not another austerity bonus?
Started early-2000s by "getting police out of their cars"
What we want to achieve:
• further modernisation of the police workforce to reinforce neighbourhood policing and building a more responsive, citizen-focused police service;
Continued by the introduction of Highways Agency Traffic Officers in April 2004.
A couple of name changes, but they now "police" all motorways and some trunk roads, except when they can't and have to call the Police.
Vehicles look like police cars but now carry the legend,
National Highways Traffic Officer
There are smaller police teams in powerful cars but they tend not to be called "traffic"
All augmented by cameras for speed, red lights, ANPR, etc, which is useful considering the OP!
"I'm always amazed on Facebook how often the police publicise low level criminals are getting tugged for defects like this or driving like a ****, followed by a failed drug wipe or discovery of contraband. If I was doing something dodgy in my car, I'd be doing everything possible to be inconspicuous."0
I find this amusing too! And those 'highway patrol' shows where someone is trolleying around £40k of cocaine in an UNTAXED CAR....
If my crime syndicate ever takes off (!), I'll be known as the 'clever criminal' - all cars taxed, professional courteous drivers, no failed MOT vehicles!
It's the broken window phallacy isn't it... criminals gonna crime..
DrP
Always been a 'thing' for some modified car owners/PCPers, but becoming more common from what I've seen too. Probably because it's only a £100 fixed penalty fine, and only IF caught and stopped - and there's such a little likelihood of that happening I guess they just risk it.
normally accompanied by a gel 3d plate on the rear!
Nah, we're up to 4D numberplates now it seems. Someone please explain 4D to me 😀
Sorry, i don't have the time.
If my crime syndicate ever takes off (!), I'll be known as the 'clever criminal' - all cars taxed, professional courteous drivers, no failed MOT vehicles!
Got to imagine that a small to medium percentage of criminals have figured this out and do exactly this.
As the under-resourced police are slowly working their way through the low hanging fruit at a glacial rate they are near guaranteed years of carrying out their illicit work unmolested if they put in even the most basic amount of effort and expenditure.
If my crime syndicate ever takes off (!), I'll be known as the 'clever criminal' - all cars taxed, professional courteous drivers, no failed MOT vehicles! DrP
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/02/san-diego-drug-tunnel
Mexican Cartel built an amazing tunnel across the border and a fake shop but forgot to have any fake customers so got busted on their first import.
so I get the feeling the plate hasn't just fallen off
You’d be surprised - often the plates are held on with adhesive pads, because the owners don’t want holes drilled into the bodywork, or it might not be possible. When I was working for Cazoo and it’s predecessor, I used to try to make sure I had a few spare pads with me, because, especially in hot weather, the chances were fairly high that while checking storage cars for battery condition or flat tyres, I’d find a few plates lying on the ground or hanging precariously by one end.
Usually, though I’d just put the plate inside behind the screen so it could be seen, then sorted out in the workshop, because it’s more than likely it would just fall off again. 🤷🏼♂️
My rear plate has fallen off before. The heathen who fitted it drilled the body and didn’t treat or paint the drill holes.
The front plate looks to have been stuck on , it’s never fallen off in the 15 years I’ve had the car.
Because there is very little traffic policing so they don't think they'll get caught.
This is clear as people just don't care how they drive now. See quite a few cars with whatever that tinted film is on the windscreen where you cannot see the driver at all through the windscreen. Clearly illegal and clearly very easy to spot yet they have never come across a traffic cop who spotted it or bothered to stop them?
See quite a few cars with whatever that tinted film is on the windscreen where you cannot see the driver at all through the windscreen. Clearly illegal and clearly very easy to spot yet they have never come across a traffic cop who spotted it or bothered to stop them?
It's a 100% accurate marker for the car being driven by a bellend. But not illegal as long as 75% of light gets through and the colour change isn't too bad inside.
Probably because it's only a £100 fixed penalty fine, and only IF caught and stopped - and there's such a little likelihood of that happening I guess they just risk it.
Yup, same with so many traffic laws though. Just look at this forum, someone will ask do they need a trailer board for a boot mounted bike rack, the answer is yes but half the responses will just be "well you can sort of see my number plate and maybe 1 brake light if you squint up at it from an awkward angle so I think that counts and I've never been pulled for it".
It's a 100% accurate marker for the car being driven by a bellend
See also those F1 style 4th brake lights, usually on BMWs.
Just look at this forum, someone will ask do they need a trailer board for a boot mounted bike rack, the answer is yes but half the responses will just be "well you can sort of see my number plate and maybe 1 brake light if you squint up at it from an awkward angle so I think that counts and I've never been pulled for it
I nearly shortened someones ride drastically, when they braked suddenly without indicating. The bike on the back blocked the one working brake light.
It was a fair guess they were turning into the forest car park.
I suppose rear lights being obscured would turn a non fault rear ending to 50/50 or front car liability?
Never noticed it up here, but in Galloway a modified car generally tends towards a Land Rover with a winch rather than a supercar
Very common in the 4x4 community in Queensland. Though I worked with a guy that had an M4 and said the (v expensive personalised) number plate looked stupid on it and would rather pay the fine if he got stopped.
haven't seen any cars around here (west Berks) without a front number plate, but I'm seeing more and more without indicators.
Plate apparently falling off doesn't matter. The offence is failure to display, so if you ain't displaying, you're paying.
Except, I'm sure it's discretionary so probably most 5-0 just tell you to get it fixed asap unless they're having a particularly bad day.
People do it because numberplates look rubbish and a modded car doesn't necessarily have a space available that a plate naturally fits.
Never mind the front plates. What about those cars you see whose front screen looks like a sheet of copper!
a modded car doesn't necessarily have a space available that a plate naturally fits.
then it isn't roadworthy
Clearly illegal and clearly very easy to spot yet they have never come across a traffic cop who spotted it or bothered to stop them?
You can buy a proper tint meter for evidence (that's the first problem - budget). These come with reference samples for calibration, but like VED, registration plate makers, etc. the bulk of this is dealt with by agencies such as DVLA and DVSA who "own" vehicle registration and vehicle testing.
I suppose rear lights being obscured would turn a non fault rear ending to 50/50 or front car liability?
Halfords used to print a very good leaflet (as a bike carrier vendor). I used to dish them out with whatever the appropriate prosecution notice was.
This varied from a prohibition (don't drive this vehicle) to some kind of finey/fixy notice
...then it isn't roadworthy
You'd be surprised by what is legitimately allowed at an MoT test.
Alfa Romeos often have the number plate set to the nearside because of the standard grill/bumper design.
Testers don't check for the British Std mark or that the maker is DVLA-registered, i.e it started life as a legal plate
http://www.gov.uk/find-licences/register-as-number-plate-supplier/dvla
All of these should be crushed for crimes against symmetry.
Nah, we're up to 4D numberplates now it seems. Someone please explain 4D to me 😀
Easy, they're numberplates 4 D*cks
Testers don't check for the British Std mark or that the maker is DVLA-registered,
In my experience MOT testers don't even check that the maker is listed on the plate. A few years ago I had some plates made up and for some reason the supplier thought I wanted "show plates" without their details on. They sent me a second set correctly marked with their details when requested, but I actually totally forgot to even fit them, and the car has never had a problem at MOT (for that anyway!).
People do it because numberplates look rubbish and a modded car doesn't necessarily have a space available that a plate naturally fits.
I KINDA get it on a supercar having photos taken... but don't condone it on the road..
And all the cars I saw at the weekend were bog standard (albeit 'nice') modern cars with a clear space for whatever BO55 plate they should have been showing!
DrP (who has to tread carefully, as he has a personalised plate!! EV FUN!)
show plates
Which are of course a massive and widely abused loophole. I think there are some European countries where you have to buy your plates from the DVLA equivalent, so they come in a standard format/script.
See also those F1 style 4th brake lights, usually on BMWs.
Yeah, I worked with someone who had one of those fitted; I pointed out to him that it was a really stupid idea, following drivers couldn’t tell what his intentions were, I can’t remember what he finally did about it, but he was a fairly young lad, drove one of those Vauxhall Corsa VXR’s, so that might give a clue… 😏
show plates
Which are of course a massive and widely abused loophole. I think there are some European countries where you have to buy your plates from the DVLA equivalent, so they come in a standard format/script.
In Oz they are issued by each state and you order direct from their outlet or collect from the local government office. You can buy personalised plates for relatively little money. I saw one on the road last week that was something like 111II111 that @kayak23 would have appreciated. The font making it symmetrical.
You can buy personalised plates for relatively little money. I saw one on the road last week that was something like 111II111
I've seen some with some random assortment of I, 1, D and 0 with the presumed intent of making it difficult for a human to quickly note down their plate correctly when they were spotted being a naughty boy.
I wonder if ANPR has any difficulty at all with it and whether they are finding it more annoying than useful in carparks etc. these days.
(normally accompanied by a gel 3d plate on the rear!).
What is the point of these (are they supposed to look like the stamped metal plates of old)? They just seem to be the new indicator of the likelihood of the vehicle to be driven by a cockwomble.
I suspect it's part of the car modification scene...which I kinda get TBH....
I've a few funky stickers on the back of my car (plus the necessary Nurburgring one!)
DrP
I think some of it is the "different is better" mindset of customising a vehicle. It used to be window tints, black alloys or bigger exhaust/exhaust trims and sunstrips but these days it seems to be tinting the lights or a non-standard number plate where people stop.
Maybe because more cars are leased/financed so they can't fit a Peco big-bore exhaust and some Ripspeed alloys to the finance companies car?
That's not me ripping into modifying though, my cars are generally a bit modified but it's generally from a mechanical point of view (suspension/brakes etc.) but I tend to have older performance-oriented cars rather than newer vehicles where tinkering is more difficult to do.
The heathen who fitted it drilled the body and didn’t treat or paint the drill holes.
I am yet to own a car where this has not happened, or they are not attached by the crappy foam pads.
No wonder many countries in Europe have these holders:
What is the point of these (are they supposed to look like the stamped metal plates of old)?
To mark the owner as a throbber to all other road users.
It's not very common in my area of the North West, but on the odd occasion I see it the plate tends to be stuck on the dashboard behind the windscreen.
I'm always amazed on Facebook how often the police publicise low level criminals are getting tugged for defects like this or driving like a ****, followed by a failed drug wipe or discovery of contraband. If I was doing something dodgy in my car, I'd be doing everything possible to be inconspicuous.
TBH being crim and dim isn’t that new.
Back in the days of Max Power ,I remember a drug runner with a crazy yellow car and bald tyres no mot,no insurance being surprised at being pulled up and banged up.
The police couldn’t believe how dumb he was ,they said the car just stood out shouting pull me as it looked like a banana.
There was plenty of them around.
