Drivers are being warned by the DVLA that they could be slapped with a £1,000 fine if they ignore new rules, which come into effect on Saturday. The announcement comes as the unveiling of the new ’24’ number plates sparks excitement.
However, car hiring company Cuvva has advised motorists to familiarise themselves with the plate regulations or face possible penalties.
New guidelines from the DVLA include following specific typography and colour schemes on the plates. If not adhered to, operators may find themselves hit with a hefty fine and their cars failing the all-important MOT test.
Cuvva’s Darryl Bowman offered some words of advice: “When it comes to number plate changes, there’s always a rush for people to get their hands on the latest plate. But there are opportunities to score deals on slightly older cars with older plates. If you’re contemplating selling your car, doing so before the new plates are released could net you a higher price.”
On the contrary, he said: “While if you’re in the market to buy a new car, waiting for the new plates may result in a better price, as the current ones become one plate older.”, reports Birmingham Live.
As per the law, every vehicle in the UK must display a licence plate at both the front and back, with several rules applied to guarantee its validity.
Such rules included the plates needing to be reflective and devoid of any background patterns, maintaining black characters mounted on white for the front plate and black characters on yellow for the rear plate. Standard plates, a mixture of numbers and letters, must also follow a specific format that reveals when and where the vehicle was initially registered.
The DVLA changes the pattern of number plates from time to time. The current format includes two letters (which show where your car was first registered), two numbers (which tell you when it was issued), and then three random letters.
If your car doesn’t have the correct plates, you could fail your MOT and be fined £1,000.
The next set of new plates will be released in September.
