Irish vehicle reg made look like Nth Ireland plate

Kaisr Sose

I have now seen two cars with their Reg plate configured to look like a northern Irish plate. I am not going to put up a real plate number but for example:

01 AX 123 or 11 AZ 123

Formatted as

OIX 123 or IIA Z123

In both cases the zero shows as capital O, and the 1 to a straight I (like in Arial font)

The owners think it's cool/accetpable to drive a vehicle on what are 'false' plates.

They are quite convincing and would pass a reasonably observant Garda's eye. Maybe the Customs are the ones most likely to pull them over re potential VRT issues?

VincePP

Fools - gives gardai a valid reason to stop them at any time.

neris

saw a 40 foot artic on the M50 yesterday with a Mayo reg done in yellow NI style. Whatever about a supped up crappy honda with dodgy plates why was a commercial vehicle using yellow plates

fancy pigeon

I've seen both IIG and OIW done up to look like their southern counterparts, and vice versa.

Some people on both sides will try it at some stage

Kaisr Sose

I agree but the plates are designed to avoid recognition - only keen observation or a driving offence will bring the vehicle to attention.

mikeym

How do these cars pass the NCT?

Kaisr Sose

mikeym wrote: »

How do these cars pass the NCT?

I presume the correct plate is put on for the test. Easy done. Otherwise, straight fail. As are the German plates or alternative & decorative fonts, drop shadows etc.

bri007

Yeah I've spotted a few regs myself like that, most recently on M1 it was 11L made to look like IIL, I was surprised that they at getting away with it

Kaisr Sose

Me too!!

I think their insurance to repair their own cars should be null and void due to driving on fraudulent / misleading /false or illegal plates

That would make them think about how cool it is to try to pull the wool over the Gardaí / public at large.

Jayop

I honestly don't see the problem or why people would get worked up about it. I'd be more annoyed about people driving actual UK regs and not paying their vrt and road tax.

Guy:Incognito

The problem with this sort of carry on, as well as the likes of serial bus lane users, is Gardai using their discretion. They'll quite often let them off as a first offence. The problem is it may well only be their first offence with that particular Gard. The chances of being stopped twice by the same Gard in a short enough time that they remember you in Dublin is slim enough I'd imagine. Thats on top of an already slim chance of getting caught in the first place.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Kaisr Sose

Jayop wrote: »

I honestly don't see the problem or why people would get worked up about it. I'd be more annoyed about people driving actual UK regs and not paying their vrt and road tax.

Perhaps. I guess it would not be illegal to have non conforming plate on a ROI car if it was no big deal. Their primary purpose is to evade speed cameras, parking offences etc. Hiding in plain sight so to speak. One of the cars I seen was driving like they own the road. With these plates, they feel this is perfectly fine as there will probably be no legal sanction for it.

Jayop

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

Perhaps. I guess it would not be illegal to have non conforming plate on a ROI car if it was no big deal. Their primary purpose is to evade speed cameras, parking offences etc. Hiding in plain sight so to speak. One of the cars I seen was driving like they own the road. With these plates, they feel this is perfectly fine as there will probably be no legal sanction for it.

Are you sure speed cameras can't detect them?

savagethegoat

i'd say cameras can detect them but the hope is that the human interpreting later will be fooled.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I recently seen a plate spaced to look like a European plate. I was looking at it trying to figure out why the car was RHD with a European plate.

It was something like 08M H13 88.

I've seen quite a few northern OIW cars spaced/written as 0l W 123

NIMAN

Easily fixed.

Automatic points on your licence for illegal plates, that'll put an end to it.

The Backwards Man

Patww79 wrote: »

I've had these made to put on relatives cars when they visited me in NI. I lived on a main road and it made them stand out less to a glance. I used to stick one on my own if I was going there too after I moved back.

I get fake D reg plates put on my relatives' cars if they're going to Dublin because there's much more chance of them coming to harm there then in the North.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Lord Nikon

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

I presume the correct plate is put on for the test. Easy done. Otherwise, straight fail. As are the German plates or alternative & decorative fonts, drop shadows etc.

I have German font plates, and they have passed the NCT, on two separate vehicles.

millington

I don't mind fancy style plates or German style plates but re-arranging them as such is a bit much!

Interestingly enough, we were stopped in the North about 2 years with southern number plates and given a lecture by PSNI. After saying that they had passed the NCT in Ireland, the officer responded "well you're in my country now" did he expect us to change to UK style plates at the border?

Kaisr Sose

Lord Nikon wrote: »

I have German font plates, and they have passed the NCT, on two separate vehicles.

Lucky you. They are supposed to be a fail! What's the point of these on an Irish car?

Kaisr Sose

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I get fake D reg plates put on my relatives' cars if they're going to Dublin because there's much more chance of them coming to harm there then in the North.

What's the danger with NI plates in the ROI?

The Backwards Man

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

What's the danger with NI plates in the ROI?

Donegal isn't in NI.

It was just a flippant response to the usual ' I got me car damaged because of its plate' nonsense.

ba_barabus

Patww79 wrote: »

2 damaged cars without, 0 with. I stand by it.
It's good that youre taking precautions going to Dublin too.

Do you mind me asking what would be the prevalent political thinking in the area? I've spent a huge amount of time in NI over the past 10 years and never had an issue but the car was mainly left in South Armagh.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

VincePP

Jayop wrote: »

I honestly don't see the problem or why people would get worked up about it. I'd be more annoyed about people driving actual UK regs and not paying their vrt and road tax.

That doesn;t happen much these days due to the very strictly implemented rules - if you are caught you pay on the spot or the car is taken off you.

Remember there are thousands of British registered cars here on either holiday or business at any one time.

Silvera

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I get fake D reg plates put on my relatives' cars if they're going to Dublin because there's much more chance of them coming to harm there then in the North.

So you are admitting to blatantly breaking the law by fitting FAKE plates to their cars??! .....btw dont forget to remind them to just drive off if they are involved in an accident ...seeing as they cant be traced with their FAKE plates?! :rolleyes: :mad:

ba_barabus

Silvera wrote: »

So you are admitting to blatantly breaking the law by fitting FAKE plates to their cars??! .....btw dont forget to remind them to just drive off if they are involved in an accident ...seeing as they cant be traced with their FAKE plates?! :rolleyes: :mad:

I think you may need a new sarcasm detector fitted

Vabal

Lord Nikon wrote: »

I have German font plates, and they have passed the NCT, on two separate vehicles.

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

Lucky you. They are supposed to be a fail! What's the point of these on an Irish car?

Using German font does not make the plates German. There are the regulations: http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/format-vehicle-registration-plates.html and more in detail here: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1992/si/318/made/en/print

It says nothing about font. So as long as the plates are of correct size, and have IRL + euro stars and county name in Irish - that's valid plates and should pass NCT.

mgbgt1978

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

Lucky you. They are supposed to be a fail! What's the point of these on an Irish car?

German Font is an NCT Fail ????
Legislation to back this up please. :rolleyes:

Marcusm

Why would you want anyone to believe you were driving a car from a failed state?