vehicle registration plates

Fishtits

I've grown impatient waiting for a reply from someone who claims to have prosecuted various motorists for displaying German style fonts on their reg plates.

The query:

Is the font of reg plates actually specified, ie an exact recognised font?

If so which Act/Section etc.

No, I don't have German style plates on my car. I'm one of those that it only gets a wash for weddings/funerals etc.

cushtac

S.I. 318/1992 Vehicle Registration and Taxation Regulations 1992 and S.I. 432/1999 Vehicle Registration and Taxation (Amendment) Regulations 1999

Johnny Utah

I had a quick read of the legislation posted above. The legislation details the height and width of characters to be used on the reguistration plate. However, it does not specify exactly what type of font can or cannot be used.

Therefore, in my opinion, German style number plates are perfectly legal (provided of course, the number plates contain the county name, the IRL symbol & the Euro flag, and all the characters comply with the height/width requirements as set out in legislation.)



Anyone agree?

Robbo

Johnny Utah wrote: »

I had a quick read of the legislation posted above. The legislation details the height and width of characters to be used on the reguistration plate. However, it does not specify exactly what type of font can or cannot be used.

Therefore, in my opinion, German style number plates are perfectly legal (provided of course, the number plates contain the county name, the IRL symbol & the Euro flag, and all the characters comply with the height/width requirements as set out in legislation.)



Anyone agree?

The one thing I'd say against the German plates is that there's a gap in the 0. Were I to put a set on my car, I'd carry around a black marker to placate any fastidious Garda...

Johnny Utah

Robbo wrote: »

The one thing I'd say against the German plates is that there's a gap in the 0. Were I to put a set on my car, I'd carry around a black marker to placate any fastidious Garda...

Yes, I know there's a gap in the zero, but that is merely down to the type of font used. The legislation does not specify the type of font to be used, nor does it state that all characters must not have gaps in them. The chunk missing from the zero in the German style font is to differentiate the zero from the letter 'O', and ironically enough, I understand the German style font is the most readable number plate for computers (ie. tolls, speed cameras, etc.)

Carawaystick

I agree with Johnny Utah, the stroke width and the outside dimensions of the characters is all that's specified in those two linked SI's.
so a celtic G would pass muster also.

There may be different rules for the nct, but the nct manual has nothing to contradict the si's


What's bizzare about the SI's is that an unelected public sector employee, not a member of the Oireachtas can sign a SI....

Victor

I don't think there is a problem with using the German font, there would be a problem with using a German-style plate.

The break in the zero may be an issue.