Car expert's 2024 number plate warning every driver should know before March
As the new 2024 number plates are slated to launch, Brits are being warned of a hefty fine.
From March 1, all new vehicles will feature a 24 registration plate - ie 'AB24 CDE' - and 74 number plates will follow for vehicles registered between September 2024 and the end of February 2025.
However, strict UK driving laws around compliant registration plates could end up breaking the bank. In fact, if you're spotted breaching any of these rules, you could end up with a £1,000 fine, three penalty points on your licence and even a failed MOT. Here's everything you need to know to avoid the costly punishment.
Jake Smith of Absolute Reg warned that motorists must 'ensure they're up to scratch with number plate laws. "Number plate regulations range from the general design to visibility, which makes it an offence to conceal the plate in any way," he added.
When it comes to visibility, your licence plates (front and rear) must always be on display - so make sure you don't have any decoration obscuring them and keep them clean from dirt and debris. This extends to reg plates that cannot be easily read. Therefore, it's important you check your vehicle for any faulty bulbs before setting off in the dark, the Daily Star reports.
Pet owners driving with dogs face £5,000 fine if they break these rules
It is also illegal to put plates on a car that makes it appear younger than it actually is. For example, you can't whack a 24 plate on your banged-up Micra from 2003 (not that you'd be fooling anyone anyway). The DLVA permits certain flags to be printed on a registration plate, including the Union flag, Cross of St George, and Red dragon of Wales. Electric vehicles (EV) can easily be spotted by a green strip - but is only allowed if the car is registered with zero emissions.
There are also strict rules when it comes to the spacing and size of characters. Gov UK says all characters must be 79mm tall and (except for the letter one) must be 50mm wide. The character stroke (aka the thickness) must be 14mm and an 11mm gap is required between characters.
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The space between the age identifier (aka 24) and the random letters must also be 33mm, while the margins at the the top, bottom and side of the plate must be 11mm. UK drivers should adhere to the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001, and opt for the official Charles Wright font. According to the government, the number plates on your vehicle must:
- Be made from a reflective material
- Display black characters on a white background (front plate)
- Display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate)
- Not have a background pattern
- Be marked to show who supplied the number plate
- Be marked with a British Standard number. This is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 September 2021
The characters must not be 'removable or reflective'. If your number plates were fitted after 1 September 2021, they must also be a single shade of black.
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