Number plates, or licence plates as they are known in some parts of the world, are your vehicle’s unique identity that helps authorities recognize it. Like identity cards that let governments keep a record of all the people living in a county, number plates do the same for cars and other types of vehicles.
Number plates carry a lot of information and indicate a lot of other things about a vehicle. The numbers, appearing disorderly to the layman, inform an informed observer about various aspects of the car, like its year of manufacture, the time of the year that the car was registered, the vehicle classification, and the town, city, or state in which it was registered.
Besides the visual clues, the car’s number plate is a kind of file number that lets authorities track the ownership and other information about the legal status of the car, something that is crucial if a vehicle gets involved in an unfortunate incident.
Each country has its own set of rules regarding the display of number plates on a vehicle. Western countries like the US and the UK specify a specific layout and dimension that the plates must have, and in most cases, the motor registering authority provides these plates for the sake of uniformity. These plates provided by the authorities are also readable by machines, meaning the car can be tracked by monitoring devices anywhere it goes.
While it is a fairly easy process to remove and install number plates on your car, it is best to consult a professional car services provider to have a clear idea of what kind of number plates are allowed to be put up on the car. There are a number of aspects you should look into before fitting a number plate. Read along so that you have a clear idea about what needs to be done.
Legality
One of the most basic understandings you must have about the number plates is why there is a need to put them up in the first place. The number plate is a legally binding display that is to be made on a car for all to see its credentials. It lets authorities as well as other owners identify the vehicle both visibly and in terms of its records. Driving cars without number plates is a crime in most countries, including the United Kingdom.
Layout and design
Most authorities would specify a certain number plate layout design that is to be followed by motorists. This only makes the number plates on all car plying the road look uniform and makes for easy observance and instant recall by traffic and other officials.
Material
Before putting up number plates, be sure to check the kind of materials that are allowed by the authorities to be used in a number plate. Reflective plasters or fancy fonts that make for poor readability are often discouraged and even banned. Colour schemes also differ from city to city, county to county and country to country, so make sure you choose a colour that does not invite fines.
Also, be wary of the material that the number plate is based on. As a number plate is an external feature, be sure to choose a material that can withstand the pressures from natural elements like the sun, rain and snow.
A number plate made with metal that will catch rust quickly will damage not only the number plate but also the area around it.
Vital information
If you are not supplied with the standard number plate by the authorities themselves and have to do the task yourself as a routine, be sure to include all the information that is mandated by the law to be displayed. Also, steer clear of adding elements like stickers and pictures etc on the plate. The number plate serves an official purpose and any unnecessary information should be kept off of it.