Why is there a year on a number plate?

Live65a846d0ee

Of course the only country in the world. So I buy a car and I have to show everyone ''Oh look at me can you see? I have a new car that I just bought'' it's a problem for me as I am a humble person and want privacy and not for everyone to see that I bought a new car.

byte

Isn't the year on current UK plates too?

Live65a846d0ee

byte wrote: »

Isn't the year on current UK plates too?

It does but it is much more subtle, hard to tell without looking at the table.

Duke O Smiley

UK plates show the year too.

To my mind our numberplate system works very well. Numbers are a lot easier to remember than letters.

On why we display a year - if we didn't we would soon be running into huge silly numbers that could not be remembered in an emergency. For example, if we used no year; there could only be one D-12345 but with a year in front we can have 00-d-12345, 01-d-12345, 02-d-12345 etc

Duke O Smiley

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

It does but it is much more subtle, hard to tell without looking at the table.

What table?

My dad's has a UK reg number XX 10 XXX

Its as simple as that

byte

The UK letter system for years is gone (excluding NI which is different again). It's numbers now.

Letters16 is early 2016, letter66 is late 2016, IIRC.

Live65a846d0ee

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

UK plates show the year too.

To my mind our numberplate system works very well. Numbers are a lot easier to remember than letters.

On why we display a year - if we didn't we would soon be running into huge silly numbers that could not be remembered in an emergency. For example, if we used no year; there could only be one D-12345 but with a year in front we can have 00-d-12345, 01-d-12345, 02-d-12345 etc

That is a lie. What about Sweden and Netherlands? They have 6 characters. XXX 999

hungry hypno toad

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

Of course the only country in the world. So I buy a car and I have to show everyone ''Oh look at me can you see? I have a new car that I just bought'' it's a problem for me as I am a humble person and want privacy and not for everyone to see that I bought a new car.

Don't get a new car then. Simples.

Live65a846d0ee

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

What table?

My dad's has a UK reg number XX 10 XXX

Its as simple as that

No it's not as simple as that, stop spending please I beg you stop spreading misinformation.

hungry hypno toad

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

Anymore retarded suggestions?

Yeah but I will get a card for saying it. Use your imagination.

Live65a846d0ee

hungry hypno toad wrote: »

Yeah but I will get a card for saying it. Use your imagination.

Send a private message big boy.

Joeseph Balls

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

Anymore retarded suggestions?

TBH no one gives a **** what you drive, having a new car isn't a definition of wealth. Are we talking a 171 Ferrari or dacia

Atlantic Dawn

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

Of course the only country in the world. So I buy a car and I have to show everyone ''Oh look at me can you see? I have a new car that I just bought'' it's a problem for me as I am a humble person and want privacy and not for everyone to see that I bought a new car.

Well unless someone is a fool they will know by the model roughly what the car is worth, if we had no years on the plate do you really think someone wouldn't know that a 2017 BMW 3 Series was newer than a 1999 BMW 3 Series?

ZeitgeistGlee

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

Of course the only country in the world. So I buy a car and I have to show everyone ''Oh look at me can you see? I have a new car that I just bought'' it's a problem for me as I am a humble person and want privacy and not for everyone to see that I bought a new car.

Surely if you're familiar with it any other country's plate system would just as easily tell people you had got a new car?

You could always buy the car right before 172 comes in I suppose if it means that much to you.

Live65a846d0ee

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Well unless someone is a fool they will know by the model roughly what the car is worth, if we had no years on the plate do you really think someone wouldn't know that a 2017 BMW 3 Series was newer than a 1999 BMW 3 Series?

They would but they wouldn't know exact year. On some years there is only subtle changes. I prefer no year like the rest of the world or at least more similar to UK

Duke O Smiley

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

No it's not as simple as that, stop spending please I beg you stop spreading misinformation.

Its as simple as 1 2 3 !

Init?

Victor

In some countries, you need to renew your registration plate every few years - you don't necessarily have the same plate for the life of the vehicle.

pa990

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

Of course the only country in the world. So I buy a car and I have to show everyone ''Oh look at me can you see? I have a new car that I just bought'' it's a problem for me as I am a humble person and want privacy and not for everyone to see that I bought a new car.

Well... everyone on boards now knows.

colm_mcm

Italy has the year on the registration plate too.

TheAnalyst_

Irish plates are incredibly crap. 171 - KE- 10987
Might as well use the ****ing VIN at this stage.

Fr Tod Umptious

Victor wrote: »

In some countries, you need to renew your registration plate every few years - you don't necessarily have the same plate for the life of the vehicle.

And in the US the license plate is registered to you not the vehicle, so when you change vehicle you bring the plate with you.

Icaras

My understanding is the troubles influenced a change into the new style, they were made simpler for people to understand and remember to help the guards identify cars used in robberies.

Not sure how true this is as I heard it in a pub but it did make sense to me.

scuby

Does it really bother you that much about the year on it !! You think that people are that opinionated about the year on your car reg !..
More important things in life to worry about........like its nice & sunny this morning, where to take the wife, kids and dog for a walk, lunch somewhere by the sea or picnic....oh wait, there is someone smirking at me for for driving a 12 reg car..... jeez, if you want to buy a new car just do it !

colm_mcm

A what now?

jester77

ZeitgeistGlee wrote: »

Surely if you're familiar with it any other country's plate system would just as easily tell people you had got a new car?

You could always buy the car right before 172 comes in I suppose if it means that much to you.

Not in Germany, number plate here is "state where registered, letter, number" letter and number are wherever you want that is not registered, e.g. B ZZ 100

And when you buy a new car you just move your plates to the new car.

Del2005

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

Of course the only country in the world. So I buy a car and I have to show everyone ''Oh look at me can you see? I have a new car that I just bought'' it's a problem for me as I am a humble person and want privacy and not for everyone to see that I bought a new car.

I think the year on the plate is good. It means that people who buy a car can get great value as most people buy the plate. Just look at the amount of people who won't buy a car because it doesn't have a D or their county on it.

Isambard

the year is there simply to drive envy on behalf of the Motor Trade.... to sell more cars.

Oh and btw, ask the average UK person how the year system works on their plates and they'll tell you exactly. It's just as clear as ours is.

Now then, I'm off back to After Hours for some intelligent conversation

CiniO

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

Of course the only country in the world. So I buy a car and I have to show everyone ''Oh look at me can you see? I have a new car that I just bought'' it's a problem for me as I am a humble person and want privacy and not for everyone to see that I bought a new car.

Seriousy, if you don't want people to see you bought new car, then just don't buy new car.
If you buy it, never mind reg number, people will notice anyway.

Live65a846d0ee

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

Of course the only country in the world. So I buy a car and I have to show everyone ''Oh look at me can you see? I have a new car that I just bought'' it's a problem for me as I am a humble person and want privacy and not for everyone to see that I bought a new car.

In the Uk the current system is as follows.
First 2 letters is a code for the DVLA office where first registered eg London is LA to LY.
Next 2 numbers are the time of year registered. eg if registered in March 2015 - 15. If registered in Sept 2015 - 65. Last 3 numbers are random and individual to that car.
eg LA15ABC = London march 2015 ABC. Not too dis similar to our own system. only we use more numbers than letters. The same car in Dublin would read 151D123

Seve OB

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

No it's not as simple as that, stop spending please I beg you stop spreading misinformation.

It it is as simple as that........ I beg you to look it up

Gumbo

UK system just as easy to read as ours.
My uk car is SM14. 2014 car, simples.

Our system is one of the easiest systems in existence and works perfectly. My only gripe is the 161 and 162 fiasco that SIMI lobbied for.

CiniO

UK system is as clear as Irish.

It takes only few second to understand it once someone explains it to you - same as Irish.
On the other hand, person from abroad won't know what it means without explaining - same as Irish system.


Only difference is that UK system provides reg number for over 30 million register vehicles with just 7 characters on the plate, while Irish system needs up to 9 (or soon enough 10) characters to provide regs for just over 2 million vehicles.

Irish system is probably the worst in the EU for hit&run where number plate needs to be read quickly and memorised from running away car.

bear1

Jesus the crap spouted here.
How is our number plate system any harder than other countries?
Italy used to put the year on their plates, Mauritius uses the year, Portugal I believe a so does it.
The idea that it would be impossible to memorise the plate has more to do with your memory than anything.
There are far more complicated versions in my opinion.

GM228

Icaras wrote: »

My understanding is the troubles influenced a change into the new style, they were made simpler for people to understand and remember to help the guards identify cars used in robberies.

Not sure how true this is as I heard it in a pub but it did make sense to me.

This was the main reason for the change, in 1986 John Boland suggested and implemented the change form 1987 to distinguish between North and South as both sides used the same registration system.

stefanovich

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

It does but it is much more subtle, hard to tell without looking at the table.

Not true. They moved on from letters and now the 3rd and 4th digits are used.

13 is 2013 63 is the 2nd half of 2013

stefanovich

kceire wrote: »

UK system just as easy to read as ours.
My uk car is SM14. 2014 car, simples.

Our system is one of the easiest systems in existence and works perfectly. My only gripe is the 161 and 162 fiasco that SIMI lobbied for.

UK has the same system now. It's because every Irish person wants the newest lowest spec 1,4 diesel ****box going.

Allinall

stefanovich wrote: »

UK has the same system now. It's because every Irish person wants the newest lowest spec 1,4 diesel ****box going.

Yeah- that's really true.

Not.

Marcusm

stefanovich wrote: »

Not true. They moved on from letters and now the 3rd and 4th digits are used.

13 is 2013 63 is the 2nd half of 2013

Nearly right. 13 is from 1 March 2013 to 31 August 2013. 63 is 1 September 2013 to 28 February 2014.

colm_mcm

stefanovich wrote: »

UK has the same system now. It's because every Irish person wants the newest lowest spec 1,4 diesel ****box going.

They've had it since 2001 in the uk

CiniO

bear1 wrote: »

Jesus the crap spouted here.
How is our number plate system any harder than other countries?
Italy used to put the year on their plates, Mauritius uses the year, Portugal I believe a so does it.
The idea that it would be impossible to memorise the plate has more to do with your memory than anything.
There are far more complicated versions in my opinion.

Irish system has probably reg numbers with the most characters on the plate all over EU.
More characters is more difficult to remember, and even more importantly more difficult to read from running away vehicle.

Alun

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

That is a lie. What about Sweden and Netherlands? They have 6 characters. XXX 999

The problem with the Dutch system is that they keep changing the sequence of letters and numbers around when they run out of registrations.

So, for a while it was XX-NN-XX, where N is a digit and X is a letter, and then they ran out and it became XX-XX-NN and then NN-XX-XX. Now they've completely mixed it up and it''s become N-XXX-99. Then there's special combinations for goods vehicles, mopeds, motorbikes, agricultural vehicles. In short it's a complete mess.

737max

If there wasn't a year number then the Insurers couldn't load based on vehicle age.
In Ireland there is a ridiculous situation where it is possible to insure a year 2004 but not a 1998 VW Golf Mk4. Both can be roadworthy but one gets insurance loaded while the other doesn't.
In Germany you provide the HSN/TSN number for the model of car you have and that is all that the insurer needs to know
http://hsn-tsn.de/

Germany is a car manufacturing country but doesn't put the year in the number plate to try to force people to buy newer cars.
Ireland produces no cars and incentives people to send cash out of the country rather than keeping it in the country by putting a full 3 more numbers at the start of the number plate.

colm_mcm

737max wrote: »

If there wasn't a year number then the Insurers couldn't load based on vehicle age.
.

Why not? They'd still have access to the registration date

InTheAttic

Live65a846d0ee wrote: »

Of course the only country in the world. So I buy a car and I have to show everyone ''Oh look at me can you see? I have a new car that I just bought'' it's a problem for me as I am a humble person and want privacy and not for everyone to see that I bought a new car.

It's to boost sales. Introducing the bi-annual numbering system was to try and boost car sales even further. Us Irish are suckers for begrudgery and wanting to show off. And then when you factor into account that most cars are bought on credit, it makes the whole thing even more laughable.

737max

Because it would be exposed as the totally senseless and despicable money making wheeze that it is.
If the two cars have the same hsn/tsn number then they are undeniably inherently the same and there is no justifiable reason to distinguish between them based on an arbitrary age threshold.

TheAnalyst_

The bi-annual system was brought in because some politicians were worried 13 cars wouldn't sell because its an unlucky number. Shambolic.

colm_mcm

737max wrote: »

Because it would be exposed as the totally senseless and despicable money making wheeze that it is.
If the two cars have the same hsn/tsn number then they are undeniably inherently the same and there is no justifiable reason to distinguish between them based on an arbitrary age threshold.

They're discriminating on age rather than the reg number, the age would still be the same regardless of the registration number system we might use.

(Age being from when they were first put into use)

Brian Scan

stefanovich wrote: »

UK has the same system now. It's because every Irish person wants the newest lowest spec 1,4 diesel ****box going.

If you're Irish surely you've disproved your own thesis.

colm_mcm

1.4 litre diesel cars and under account for 11% of new car registrations this year.

Dial Hard

737max wrote:

If there wasn't a year number then the Insurers couldn't load based on vehicle age.

Sorry, what?

newacc2015

737max wrote: »

If there wasn't a year number then the Insurers couldn't load based on vehicle age.
In Ireland there is a ridiculous situation where it is possible to insure a year 2004 but not a 1998 VW Golf Mk4. Both can be roadworthy but one gets insurance loaded while the other doesn't.

The age of the car has nothing to do with its road worthiness. The maths guys in the insurance companies look at risk constantly. They noticed cars older than than 15 years old were statistically more likely to be used in sham car accidents, as it is cheaper to buy a 92 golf and do a sham claim, than a 2012 golf. So to stop people buying bangers and committing fraudulent claims, insurers have don't insuring cheaper cars ie older than 15 years.

FYI is possible to get insurance on that 1998 VW Golf Mk4. It is just very expensive, as I have stated it is based on the extra risk of that car being used in a claim. Think about it for a minute. If there was no risk of that 1998 Golf being used in an accident, it would make sense for an insurer to sell a policy for it as it is risk free money.

737max wrote: »

Germany is a car manufacturing country but doesn't put the year in the number plate to try to force people to buy newer cars.
Ireland produces no cars and incentives people to send cash out of the country rather than keeping it in the country by putting a full 3 more numbers at the start of the number plate.

The Irish Government forces people to buy new cars??? :eek:

If you go to the leafy suburbs of Dublin, where people are living in €5-10m homes. You will see driveways filled with 98, 02, 01 cars. As these people have nothing to prove. If you go to the midlands or the West, you will see a ton of 161, 171 etc cars as people who have living in a 2 up, 2 down subsiding in the ground need to prove them have money, they dont have.

The year of reg on car plates is a tax on stupidity. Its a tax on people who are so shallow and concerned about others who dont care about them, think about them. That have to buy a new car they can't afford every 3 years. The smart people living in a €5m home don't care what their neighbours have to think and will happily buy a value second hand car that a poor office worker can't be seen dead in...