stopped by the police -aberdeen

caleebra · Post by **caleebra** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:15 pm

What pissed me off when I got done for my 3/4 sized plate, with standard font, layout and relative spacing, was a chav off past with totally unintelligible characters on his as I was sat in the back of their Rangey getting read the riot act and made to feel like I'd just beat up an OAP.

I had to laugh as I was travelling in the opposite direction from them so they wheeled round and gave chase. They actually took a ruler out and measured my plate and took photos!! They gave me the "the number plate recognition systems cannot make it out" but I do not buy that! What I do buy is that they are on detection related bonus arrangements!!

Now yes, technically I'm breaking the law and therefore I cant complain too much, but is this really a good use of police time? And do they really need a Range Rover in Aberdeen centre?

Sorry to hear about your bad luck sliu82!!

The_Rossatron · Post by **The_Rossatron** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:55 pm

that sucks Simon. Wish we could get rid of front plates altogether...

scott_e · Post by **scott_e** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:16 pm

just to stick up for the police a little, i got stopped for overtaking an unmarked car the other night but they let me off with a warning. They are not all bad.

sliu82 · Post by **sliu82** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:50 pm

i went to kwik fit to get that tyre checked. At first check, the guy said you are on the limit not under. He then told me to reverse so he could check the other side (just like the copper ask me to do

) and found one bit that was below the limit. he said i was very harshly done by the copper! Can the copper actually ask you to reverse so he could check the whole wheel? i'm waiting for Wheelsaround to get back to me with a cost of them coming up to aberdeen, supplying and fitting 2 rear tyres.

After reading the comments again, i think i'll have to order another plate. i have gone and ordered a new plate with standard font but slightly shorter (16" long if i remember correctly) i thought as long as the font on the number plate is standard, the plate it self can be a little shorter? if that is illegal then i guess i better order another one to stay out of trouble. Aberdeen police don't seem to be too forgiving!

Simon

alicrozier · Post by **alicrozier** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:11 pm

May be OK if you have the right size font and big enough margins.
http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/leaflets/v796.pdf

sliu82 · Post by **sliu82** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:48 pm

Thanks Ali,

looks like my new plate is perfectly legal. I have a private plate with 5 characters, so even with my shortened plate it still has a good 1 1/2" margin at the sides. The font and spacing are all standard

Cheers

kerryxeg · Post by **kerryxeg** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:16 pm

The minimum size is the correct spacing plus 10mm margin all round. I had mine checked recently while the car was parked. Mine was ok but was missing the BS mark and the printers ID. Although that's required it depends how old the car is. He didn't seem too fussed that there were various chunks missing from the odd roadkill etc.

Incidentally, there is no requirement for a front plate in Austria, so time to move, just don't cross into Germany.

Kerry

Post by **simon** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:52 am

The margins are 11mm Kerry, it's all in the pdf Ali posted the link to.
I went for the minimum you can get on a 5 character plate then added an extra 1mm on each side to allow for error. I measured it when I got it and it is bang on the legal size.

caleebra · Post by **caleebra** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:40 am

Simon - can I ask where you got your plate from? I was thinking about going for the full size but trimmed back option to avoid further grief from the polis.

Post by **simon** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 10:04 am

Got mine from http://www.fancyplates.com
The size I ordered was 340mmx103mm and that included the extra 1mm each side. If you've got a 1 or an I in the number it would be less but the pdf doesn't state the width of those characters.

sliu82 · Post by **sliu82** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 1:11 pm

hi Kerry

I got mine from http://www.no1showplates.co.uk

I opted for the 16"x4.5" there is plenty space left at the sides

Simon

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 3:11 pm

sliu82 wrote:i went to kwik fit to get that tyre checked. At first check, the guy said you are on the limit not under. He then told me to reverse so he could check the other side (just like the copper ask me to do ) and found one bit that was below the limit. he said i was very harshly done by the copper! Can the copper actually ask you to reverse so he could check the whole wheel? i'm waiting for Wheelsaround to get back to me with a cost of them coming up to aberdeen, supplying and fitting 2 rear tyres.

After reading the comments again, i think i'll have to order another plate. i have gone and ordered a new plate with standard font but slightly shorter (16" long if i remember correctly) i thought as long as the font on the number plate is standard, the plate it self can be a little shorter? if that is illegal then i guess i better order another one to stay out of trouble. Aberdeen police don't seem to be too forgiving!

Simon

Isn't it 3/4's of the tread has to be at the limit or above ?

How did he check it ? Drop gauge / Depth mic you could always take it to court

Scotty C · Post by **Scotty C** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:32 am

One of the guy at work got pulled Monday night for having wrong font & wrong spaces. £30

Last night on my way home from work I got pulled for my front plate "not bing visible" they then went told me the spacing was wrong.

They also gave me a ticket for having no rear mud gaurd ( i reversed into my own truck doh) Its getting fixed. They said if some one fell onto my car while it was traveling there arm would get ripped off. LOL

I was going to go on about the guy in a P1 scooby that just passed me on the bully ( 30mph limit) doing 90+ and the guy going the other way on a bike doing 60 while pulling a wheelie.

Fekin cun7s.

Anyway I got £30 fine, plus I have to take my car to a MOT garage to get a stamp to say the mudgaurd has been put back on.

Scotty C

Rag_It · Post by **Rag_It** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:50 am

The Traffics in ABZ sound a nightmare!!!

Scotty C · Post by **Scotty C** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:53 am

To be fare it could have been worse.