Irish number plates - Ugly!

pburns

The number plates we have in Ireland really bug me - is it just me or are they really ugly? For example, there is little opportinity for people to 'personalise' their plate. In Britain and the States vanity plastes are big business. Personally I think any type of personalised plates are really naff but it would be pretty cool for people who enjoy that sort of thing.

Secondly, I don't think there is a country in the world that spells out the age of a vehicle in such an obvious way. Yes, I know in Britain (for example) you can still tell by prefix letters etc. but somehow that doesn't offend my delicate sensibilities so much...

Also - and maybe it's just me - I think they really ruin the look of an older/classic (imported) car. You know...you see a really nice '60s Merc that's been kept in time-warp condition but the effect is diluted by those damn fugly, modern plates!

The current system has also fed this dreadful Celtic Tiger malaise whereby there is pressure to be seen driving a late-plate car. We're bombarded with ads encouraging us to 'reduce waste' but if the government are really serious about introducing environmentally friendly policies they could do worse than introducing 'non-year' number plates. I've seen garages littered with completly servicable, reliable cars that just can't be shifted because they are mid/late '90s. Is it a coincidence that there seem to be far more 'older' cars on the roads in countries where the age of a car is not so apparant?

Anyway, it would be interesting to hear comments...

maidhc

It is a fantastic, sensible system.

I'd like if we didn't have to put plates on the front though, like in some states in america... or even smaller ones like in Italy.

colm_mcm

I completely disagree, we have one of the most easily understandable reg systems imaginable.

Re: older cars. when you are importing you can register the car with ZV plates, eg. ZV 12345

ninty9er

You can still personalise plates to an extent through the Rev Com and the UK have now adopted our year system just in case you hadn't known. They had an issue with running out of letters and already having used the mirror versions.
e.g. YK04 is the beginnig of a car registered in Yorkshire(I think) in Jan-Jun 04. I will stand corrected but I also think they seperate the year so that july to Dec are for example YK54 instead of 04

There are also letters in the UK that point out if a car has been stolen/recovered "Q" I think, which unnecessarily tarnishes the reputation of a car.

I think it's brilliant and would challenge any country to come up with such a straightforward system whereby sequences cannot be mixed up and 2 cars can't have the same plate on the front (IT glitches do happen at this scale)

BMW unsuccessfully mounted a campaign against it a few years back due to the hit their cars were taking in depreciation. The Revenue told them to go swivel. Rightly so

Volvoboy

Our plate system is fine, easy to understand!! it would be madness to go and change them.



-VB-

kikel

Very simple to understand but they are ugly. The EU logo, black on white and county make it ugly. Bring back the black and silver plates using the current numbering system

Alun

ninty9er wrote:

e.g. YK04 is the beginnig of a car registered in Yorkshire(I think) in Jan-Jun 04. I will stand corrected but I also think they seperate the year so that july to Dec are for example YK54 instead of 04

Almost right .. The year letters don't actually run from January to December, but change in March and September each year, so an 04 car would have been registered between March and August 2004, and a 54 car between September 2004 and (this is the funny bit!) February 2005! In the old year letter system, they changed in August, I believe.

The first two letters are (now) mostly mnemonic, and Y is indeed Yorkshire. Under the old system, the second two letters of the alphabetic bit referred to the county it was registered in, but was not mnemonic at all, just two random letters.

Under the old system there was still the same boom in car sales, the only difference was that it happened in August instead of December and people were queueing up for the latest letter, and everyone knew that if you drove a 'Y' plate that it was from a certain year.

Alun

kikel wrote:

Very simple to understand but they are ugly. The EU logo, black on white and county make it ugly. Bring back the black and silver plates using the current numbering system

They're number plates, not fashion accessories, and in that case it's function above form in my book, as it should be.

rugbug86

ninty9er wrote:

e.g. YK04 is the beginnig of a car registered in Yorkshire(I think) in Jan-Jun 04. I will stand corrected but I also think they seperate the year so that july to Dec are for example YK54 instead of 04

how will that work in 2014? if a car is registered in august 2014, will that not be YK54 aswell? or will that be YK514

and i like the irish number plates, easy to understand, and ya know when you should avoid drivers based on where they're from

kikel

Alun wrote:

They're number plates, not fashion accessories, and in that case it's function above form in my book, as it should be.

What function does the county name in Irish and the EU logo have?

Black lettering on white plates is functional. for people to read and roadside cameras

Bluefoam

Our system has been held up as an example to the rest of the world, simple to get any detail needed: year, location, country & numerical identity. The uk are following our example as are may other countries accross europe.

It is a good example of the positive lateral thinking irish people are capable of even with the social service sector.

faceman

I like our system of license plate numbers, serves a purpose. I hate the personalised plates in the UK and USA.

Guy:Incognito

kikel wrote:

What function does the county name in Irish and the EU logo have?

What function does Irish on a road sign have?

Bluefoam

kikel wrote:

What function does the county name in Irish and the EU logo have?

Black lettering on white plates is functional. for people to read and roadside cameras

Believe it or not, the EU logo helps others identify you car as being registered within the EU, which is a free market & allows freedom of travel for its citizens. It can be quite helpful when (for example) you are travelling in the EU.

Do I really need to explain the benefit of having you county identified in the national language, it seems obvious to me.

As for those poxy personalised plates - what a load of crap.

BTW licence plates aren't meant to blend in and enhance the aesthetic of your rover 214, they are a legally required identifier which must be visible, easily read & understood.

zuutroy

Gotta agree with everyone in disagreeing with the OP. One of the (few) things where Ireland has shown the way to the world!

kikel

Bluefoam wrote:

Believe it or not, the EU logo helps others identify you car as being registered within the EU, which is a free market & allows freedom of travel for its citizens. It can be quite helpful when (for example) you are travelling in the EU.

Do I really need to explain the benefit of having you county identified in the national language, it seems obvious to me.

Fair enough i can see a point for the EU\IRL logo. it saves having to put a sticker on your can when you travel abroad.

Still not convinced on the county name in Irish. Have it in both Irish and English or English only. It's very confusing to non Irish speakers

G Luxel

I think the europlate has had its day, it has been here since I99I. We were the first country to use it before other countries used it. Its time to give it a new look or replace it with something else. I don't like the plate.

The Q plate that someone referred to earlier in the UK, denotes a car whose
chassis has been altered/extended, if the car is made from the remains of two cars or if the car's V5 logbook or previous details are unknown/lost. Some classic cars and Kit cars are fitted with this plate as well although I think it may now be out of use.

As for the late platers, its someone buying a new car/less than I2 month old car abroad and getting it registered before the year's end as a new car, usually a very high spec Mercedes or Bmw or something executive....I think these cars should be given a month related number rather than a high digit number so if your car was first registered in february 2006 in London, then on importing here before 31st December 2006, you should have something like eg 06 D I7986, not 06 D 99876

Alun

rugbug86 wrote:

how will that work in 2014? if a car is registered in august 2014, will that not be YK54 aswell? or will that be YK514

They'll change the 5 to a 6 in 2010, and to a 7 in 2020 etc. so for your example YK14 and YK64 for 2014.

Alun

G Luxel wrote:

I think the europlate has had its day, its been here since I99I. Its time to give it a new look or replace it with something else.

Why? Change for change's sake? If it ain't broke, don't fix it I say.

colm_mcm

G Luxel wrote:

I think the europlate has had its day, its been here since I99I. Its time to give it a new look or replace it with something else.

Where do you get this stuff ?!

There is only one possible issue with the numbering scheme and that is, during the latter months of the year the "D" reg's start to resemble telephone numbers & look crowded on the plate.

Bluefoam

G Luxel wrote:

I think the europlate has had its day, its been here since I99I. Its time to give it a new look or replace it with something else.

Yeh, my runners are just so last year, I should really change them too..

testicle

What are ZZ plates? I saw a Q7 driving around today with them on...

testicle

rugbug86 wrote:

how will that work in 2014? if a car is registered in august 2014, will that not be YK54 aswell? or will that be YK514

and i like the irish number plates, easy to understand, and ya know when you should avoid drivers based on where they're from

YK64, i believe.

colm_mcm

ZZ plates are temporary and used when exporting cars.

Stephen

I like our plate system. I like the font the Germans use too. They have a good system, in that the plate number corresponds to the owner of the car, so if you get a new car you keep the same registration -- unless you move to a different part of the country, where you'd be allocated one from the local authorities.

Saruman

Our system is excellent. As for the IRL symbol? well open your eyes next time you see a Polish or French car.. they have their own EU plates... Even the UK use them now!!!

Stop whigning about number plates and b!tch about something worth b!tching about like VRT or something.

projectmayhem

kikel wrote:

It's very confusing to non Irish speakers

is it really though? i've travelled (by car) in england, france & germany, and from my own experience it seems people know exactly what Eire means...

ninty9er

Stephen wrote:

I like our plate system. I like the font the Germans use too. They have a good system, in that the plate number corresponds to the owner of the car, so if you get a new car you keep the same registration -- unless you move to a different part of the country, where you'd be allocated one from the local authorities.

I believe that's the Swiss system, a pain in the ass really, it'd be easy to put your neighbour's plate on your car if you were to go for a joyride at 200mph, not what the Swiss would do though.

I have to agree on the high C and D numbers. My grandad bought a new car in September and it was registered just shy of L-3000, the advantages of a city county boundary eh:rolleyes:

testicle

testicle wrote:

YK64, i believe.

yep all the way up to YK49 & YK99 (2050)

kikel

projectmayhem wrote:

is it really though? i've travelled (by car) in england, france & germany, and from my own experience it seems people know exactly what Eire means...

People know the meaning of Eire, but on a county level a non Irish speaker wouldn't know the following

Wicklow Cill Mhantáin
Wexford Loch Garman
Waterford Port Lairge