UK number plates could be scrapped under EU law

[Sparkymart]

Here we go again....http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/86597/uk-number-plates-could-be-scrapped-under-eu-law

[Norman Verona]

About time we had a single European registration system. This would enable cars to move around Europe easier than they do now. It's easier to move a person from one country than a car.

 

So:

 

Single European registration with European wide registration system

Insurance which is valid throughout Europe

Vertical dip headlights as standard

 

 

This isn't daft but helps job mobility which will help all business in Europe.

[Lawrie]

[Grumpy old git mode on]This sounds like a great idea at first, but you have to remember that as this comes from Brussels, it is to create a European number plate Supremo, in control of an enormous department and budget, and not to make like any easier for us.  The government won't like it as the DVLA was a job creation scheme for South Wales.  The police won't like it, as they'll have to change their number recognition system, and computer datebases which help them spot a wrong'un very quickly and they won't be able to spot foreign cars, which are often illegal with unlicensed drivers.  We won't like it as we'll need a 12 figure number plate bolted to the front of a sleek little car, which we still won't be able to sell abroad as it won't have passed the local SVA, and the steering wheel is on the wrong side

[Norman Verona]

Lawrie, it's not illegal to use a RHD car on the continent.

 

However in France they have ignored the legislation that called for them to honour another EU registration document and "exchange" documents and plates. This doesn't really matter with everyday cars as you only need get a certificate of conformity from the manufacturer. This can cost from zero (Lotus and Honda) to 150€ (peugeot) from my personal experience. However you will not get a CoC from Westfield (or Caterham) and you will need to go through a French IVA which will take 2 years and cost at least 2000€ and will probably fail. I run the 7 on UK plates and insure it in France on a collectors policy. The Midget being over 30 yaesr old was issued with a vehicle historique certificate and got French plates without hassle. We've done it so many times now I can go along and take all the docs they want and get it in one visit. I'm hoping to do it again soon as I'm trying to sell the Honda CTR and buy a MIN Cooper S. Just for record the CTR cost me £3,500 last June and is valued (as a LHD) at 9,500€. I've got it sale at 7,500€. May take a while but I think it will sell.

 

As I said elsewhere, we seem to be the only ones who follow every piece of legislation to the letter and the rest cherry pick what they want and ignore the rest.

[windy]

And we'll all be thinking as we look back in a few years we got out of Europe in the nick of time.  

[Norman Verona]

sure will with unemployment the highest it's ever been and people getting poorer by the week.

[iain m]

Why should we worry about selling/buying/car recognition in Europe??? all our cars are easily recognisable as Europeans have cars with the steering wheels on the wrong side :laugh:  

[jeff oakley]

It is another thing dreamt up by the EU which has little meaningful effect on people with massive cost implications. What they are talking about is enabling every plate to have a detectable chip as well as a single style. So what will that be used for, tracking peoples movement and every time a British car is seen doing wrong in Europe, they will send a fine and duitifully we will be forced to send the money, whereas every one else will ignore it.

I had a long conversation when I was with a lobbyist at the DOT, he had been at the front of the smoking ban and had made a fortune working for those supporting the ban. Once they had won he had to look around for the next big bucks to ply his trade. He had identified drinking, environment and obesity as the big three to work on. Here is a classic example of bureaucrats making work for themselves.

The easy way on this is just to make each EU member abide by the rules they have agreed to do, hence the IVA would count everywhere.

 

I am not a fan of coming out of the EU however the power that unelected people have is frightening and somehow must be curbed. When the rest of the EU has gone into austerity mode the EU wants to spend more without justification.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

What I want to know, is if the intent is to ignore the rules, what in heavens name are we doing spending vast amounts of money, desperately needed elsewhere, to create them in the first place.

[Barry Ashcroft]

As the dvla probably makes most of its money via personal numbers this will never happen

[iain m]

Spending money on knowing where every car in Europe is appears rather pointless when we do not know the whereabouts or total number of people living in the UK.

[SootySport]

There'll be a Pan European speed camera system for collecting fines,  so it's in the Euro Zones interest,  the rest of Europe is learning fast from us on how to extract the very last Pound/Euro from a motorist.

As said before, how long will our plate numbers be, there a finite combination of 7 letters and numerals.

[Norman Verona]

Remember that each country is supposed to report another counties cars caught speeding to the home country authority. Few bother. I'm told the French ignore the DVLA notifications about French cars speeding in the UK.

 

 

What makes you think it will change if there's a pan-European registration system.

 

In France they have on-the-spot fines so take the money from those that haven't a permanent French address. Those that do live in France can elect to pay by post or on-line.

[stu999]

As the dvla probably makes most of its money via personal numbers this will never happen

Agreed, and of course, the effect of making private numbers currently worth thousands to nothing overnight is likely to ensure this is fought vigourously by business leaders and politicians alike...as it is likely to affect a large number of them I suspect!!!

[Deanspoors]

What about the people who have spent from hundreds to hundreds of thousands on personalised number plates? I can imagine these people will not be happy.