Number plates Regs

Ham'nd'egger · 16-10-2006 12:42am #1

Can anybody explain to me just why Donegal reg cars seem to be able to have totally different number plates to the rest of the country? Spent the night there and there is a noticeable amount of cars there with obscure front and yellow back plates, with many others not displaying the Euro flag and many again without the county name As Gaeilge. And it's not just the "boy racers" with tiny plates, this is on your average cars...

Do they have some exemption that allows them to get away with this? Is there a trade in fake plates up there? Are they looking to blend in with the Northern motorists? (Somehow ironic if that is so! lol) Are they just law dodging chancers?

Any suggestions?

Creamy Goodness · 16-10-2006 12:44am

i notice this all the time when i'm up there, i just put it down to where i go up in donegal has about 1 cop per 2000 people per 20 mile radius so they can easily just get away with it.

kirving · 16-10-2006 12:46am

Maybe it because the cars ar bought in the north(where they put the plates on) but are registered in the south

Stimpyone · 16-10-2006 7:26am

It's not only Donegal. I've seen quite a few Dublin reg cars with yellow number plates on the rear. Seems to be the latest boy racer fad.

Is this a cunning ploy to confuse Plod into thinking that it's a northern reg and therefore "exempt" from the rules of the road and therefore prosecution.:rolleyes:

loyatemu · 16-10-2006 9:25am

its not only Donegal, but it does seem to be much more prevalent there - and I'm only going on the Donegal-reg cars I see driving around Dublin!

Donegal is bandit country - just look at the Morris Tribunal.

Idleater · 16-10-2006 9:32am

Stimpyone wrote:

Is this a cunning ploy to confuse Plod into thinking that it's a northern reg and therefore "exempt" from the rules of the road and therefore prosecution

It could be, or, it could be so that the "irish" reg is less noticable when driving through some mainly Unionist areas, for example Derry on the road to Dublin.

Maybe at first glance, the car would look Northern Irish, and hence would avoid a stoning, at least for the fraction of a second that would take it out of range?

L.

Drax · 16-10-2006 11:35am

Stimpyone wrote:

It is this a cunning ploy to confuse Plod into thinking that it's a northern reg and therefore "exempt" from the rules of the road and
therefore prosecution.:rolleyes:

Interesting. Could also backfire on them when the plod are wondering what a Nordy boy racer is doing down south. Possible registration dodging etc... Time to hit that siren button

cast_iron · 16-10-2006 2:27pm

Stimpyone wrote:

Is this a cunning ploy to confuse Plod into thinking that it's a northern reg and therefore "exempt" from the rules of the road and therefore prosecution.:rolleyes:

No, it's simply to look different and get their car noticed.

And by the fact that you are even posting here about it, it obviously works.

Stimpyone · 16-10-2006 3:56pm

cast_iron wrote:

No, it's simply to look different and get their car noticed.

And by the fact that you are even posting here about it, it obviously works.

Yeah, the tinted windows, dustbin exhausts, shopping list down the side of the door, the oversized gaudy and ill fitting body kit coupled with the garish paint job plus the Lexus* lights all failed to draw my attention.

However the yellow number plate..... that really, really caught my eye. :rolleyes:

* attn BR's, please stop with the Lexus lights. The clue is in the name.

fricatus · 16-10-2006 5:52pm

Stimpyone wrote:

attn BR's, please stop with the Lexus lights. The clue is in the name.

Can someone post an image or link to these Lexus lights so the uninitiated among us know what they look like?

On the subject of the non-standard plates, yes, it's very much a Donegal thing, particularly the yellow plates. A Donegal friend once tried to convince me that the yellow plates were allowable. I tried to argue that there are standards set out regarding what is and isn't permitted (and that I'd seen them on an information sheet in Waterford City Council's motor tax office), but being a thick Donegal hoor, he didn't listen

cast_iron · 16-10-2006 6:18pm

Stimpyone wrote:

Yeah, the tinted windows, dustbin exhausts, shopping list down the side of the door, the oversized gaudy and ill fitting body kit coupled with the garish paint job plus the Lexus* lights all failed to draw my attention.

However the yellow number plate..... that really, really caught my eye. :rolleyes:

Exactly my point. (Though a bit less of the "really, really" on the yellow plate issue)

Stimpyone · 16-10-2006 6:25pm

Lexus lights....

etc.

corktina · 16-10-2006 6:38pm

i thought Lexus lights referred to the built in fogs in the boot lid......

deman · 16-10-2006 6:49pm

nereid wrote:

I
Maybe at first glance, the car would look Northern Irish, and hence would avoid a stoning, at least for the fraction of a second that would take it out of range?
L.

What utter bollox! As someone who's driven through Newbuildings from Strabane to Derry and back 1000s, no, 10000s of times with a DL number, white and NOT yellow, I've never seen anyone behave in a manner which made me think "get the hell outta here!"

And the reason why some plates are yellow is that for imported cars, new owners need to register their cars and buy a new number plate. The cheapest place to buy a set of number plates is in the north. It's quite often an oversight of the person buying by forgetting to say "Both white"

smashey · 16-10-2006 8:13pm

deman wrote:

What utter bollox! As someone who's driven through Newbuildings from Strabane to Derry and back 1000s, no, 10000s of times with a DL number, white and NOT yellow, I've never seen anyone behave in a manner which made me think "get the hell outta here!"

I have, twice. Both time were in the last six months. I was driving from the Waterside towards Spencer Road in Derry. On the first occasion, three young b******s came out of a pub while I was stopped at the red light. One of them spit on the windscreen. It was very obvious he did this because of my Southern reg. I had to ignore it because I had my mother in law in the car (82 years old). The next time a few weeks later at the same junction, some d**k head was about to kick the car when the rage came over me and I got out to him. At this stage, I didn't care where I was or how many of them there were, and while I don't advocate violence, I would have given him the biggest kicking he would ever have got. He ran like the ignorant little wimp he was.

deman · 16-10-2006 8:43pm

smashey wrote:

I have, twice. Both time were in the last six months.

Well perhaps then this has become a recent phenomenon as I've been left Ireland 8 years but I personally have not experienced this.

But getting back to the point, people to not have their rear plate yellow to prevent this from happening. That's where the "bollox" statement was aimed at.

Hearing a Garda speaking on Highland Radio (online) some months ago, he pointed out this fact, that rear reg plates MUST be white and lettering/numbering must following EU regulations. Ten years ago, I myself was guilty of this offence having my 90 DL 4631 Vauxhall Cavalier with snazzed up lettering. Here in Finland, everyone follows the EU standard and no fancy plates.

parsi · 16-10-2006 9:18pm

deman wrote:

It's quite often an oversight of the person buying by forgetting to say "Both white"

and then they moan when they fail the NCT because of it....

smashey · 16-10-2006 9:22pm

A lot of people get the "fancy" plates and replace them with the legal plates for the NCT.

muffler · 16-10-2006 9:31pm

loyatemu wrote:

Donegal is bandit country - just look at the Morris Tribunal.

And the only people convicted, sacked or admonished in any way were..........believe it or not..........gardai.

Back on topic, The EC Cohesion Fund together, International Fund for Ireland, The Peace and Reconcilliation Fund together with the Border & Midlands Regional Authority have given a lot of grants to car owners here because of the unique position we find ourselves in.

It would be similar to people in Gaeltacht areas who got grants down the years for everything they could think of except this time around its car owners

greglo23 · 16-10-2006 9:38pm

i wonder do these muppets know that the fine for having non standard plates is €1165.00.:eek: the fine will be levied by the revenue and those boys dont take any messing lightly.:mad: the same fine is applicable to the plate makers. once the dept of finance realise the amount of money they can pull in from this the boy racers will have no place to hide !!!:D

corktina · 17-10-2006 7:29am

i did NOT know that....... off to get new plates today....

although on reflection I think the regs are differenet for pre 1998 cars....

deman · 17-10-2006 3:58pm

greglo23 wrote:

the same fine is applicable to the plate makers.

Not if they are in NI.

Benster · 18-10-2006 4:10pm

Was on the N2 about 3-4 months ago and a 4x4 passed me. I thought "strange reg for a UK vehicle..." As you prob know, they usually only have 3 letters in one group then 3 numbers and a letter in the next.

Then I copped. The reg went something like "04MH 1234" and on a yellow plate on the back, all in chunky "UK-reg" letters.

"Now that can't be right..." :rolleyes:

Number plates Regs

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