Number plates

[Loggy]

In Austria we have metal plates which are fitted in to holders with clips to facilitate easy fitting and removing. The plates are issued by the Insurance Company and can be used on multiple vehicles (only one on the road at any one time provided it is legally on the shared plate)

If a plate is lost it cannot be re issued and you have to be issued with a new number for the appropriate vehicles. I've lost 2 in 4 years, both fell off somewhere along the way, one in Italy and one fairly near home here. Fortunately in Italy when I noticed it was missing I was close to the Austrian border and delayed reporting the loss until back in Austria. On both occasions the Austrian Police took a report and give me a copy. This entitles the vehicle(s) to be driven for up to a week on a hand written bit of cardboard. In reality, a quick visit to my insurance office gets me a new number, plate and associated paperwork for all the vehicles associated with it. Takes less than 15 minutes and costs about 12 Euros. The system works well.

On a slightly different subject, I have just had to renew my driving licence involving changing from a UK one to an Austrian one. You can do it at an office in your local licensing town which is fortunate as my German is rubbish and I would struggle with the form. Although the actual licence is printed in Vienna, you receive it within a couple of days and in the mean time you are given a certificate that acts as your driving licence for a specific period of time. Especially important in the event of loss of a licence as you are required to carry them out here. It is so much nicer to be able to interact with someone in person when dealing with these matters and to also be able to verify the details in front of an actual person.

I think the Germans and Austrians can have up to 10 different vehicles on the same "plate" as I understand it. This is a bit like the American system. Very convenient, and it saves money for the vehicle owner too. The trouble is this is the UK and things are done to earn money for the Government and keep lots of people employed through the public purse. Convenience and sense don't come into it in the UK!

Regarding pressed metal plates.

I know of a DSA Driving Examiner (the guy who passed me on my Coach test with zero minors ) who rides a Matt Black Harley Davisdson with highly illegal pressed metal plates that are Black and Silver. I wonder how he gets away with it.

Here is some info.


http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001 ... ule/2/made

[-Ralph-]

It's not a problem.

The only people who care whether a British plate meets British regulations, is the British police in Britain.

Authorities abroad neither know what the British regulations should be, nor do they care if it meets British regulations while you are in their country.

If you are abroad and break or loose your plate, just get one made up locally with your lettering on it. So long as when you are stopped or cross a border, it matches your the lettering on your V5 document, then you are fine.

[-Ralph-]

Remember in Mondo Enduro, Austin Vince took the V5 for his car by mistake. So he manually altered his V5 with a biro and put an official looking stamp put on it. He went round the world like that, and got through all the borders. The reason he got through is those officials in those countries had no idea whether or not the DVLA amended documents with a biro, and they had no idea what an official DVLA stamp looked like. At the end of the day the piece of paper matched the rear of his bike.

[misterlaffer]

Convenience and sense don't come into it in the UK!

You mean this has got past the Eurocrats ? They can't know about this surely, otherwise we would have been told to change to match the rest of Europe. yet another reason why we need to leave the bloody EU.

[Mad Cow]

It's not a problem.

The only people who care whether a British plate meets British regulations, is the British police in Britain.

Authorities abroad neither know what the British regulations should be, nor do they care if it meets British regulations while you are in their country.

If you are abroad and break or loose your plate, just get one made up locally with your lettering on it. So long as when you are stopped or cross a border, it matches your the lettering on your V5 document, then you are fine.

Very true!

Something I noticed in the regs for the Dakar Rally is that vehicles are supposed to have registration plates that comply with the laws in their Country of registration.

Yeah, sure like this "fully legal UK plate" on Lyndon's bike at the 2013 Dakar

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