AN URGENT warning has gone out to drivers as a major change from next week could see them slapped with a £1000 fine.
The huge change will affect laws surrounding number plates and could lead to thousands of plates becoming invalid.
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A new range of number plates marked with “75” will roll out on September 1 and drivers have been urged to check their current plates.
Failing to meet the strict rules could lead to you being handed a £1000 fine.
Your plates must display black characters on a white background on the front of your car, with the plate on the rear of your car being painted yellow.
The surface of both plates must be reflective and not have a background pattern.
They must be marked with the British Standard number, as well as the name of whichever company supplied the plate.
Plates fitted after September 1, 2021, must also have characters which are painted in a single shade of black.
Ahead of the new plates being rolled out, a spokesperson for the DVLA said: “Number plates (also known as license plates) must show your registration number correctly.
“You cannot rearrange letters or numbers or alter them so they’re hard to read.
“You could be fined up to £1000 and your vehicle will fail its MOT test if you drive with incorrectly displayed number plates.”
The news comes after it was revealed that four new driving laws could be introduced this autumn, in the “biggest shake-up since 2006”.
The drink-drive limit in England and Wales may be reduced from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath to 22 micrograms which would be in line with rules in Scotland.
Also, the Government is planning to simplify drug-driving prosecutions by allowing police to use roadside saliva tests as evidence.
Drivers over the age of 70 may be required to undergo compulsory eye tests every three years when renewing their licence.
The UK is one of the only European countries to allow self-reporting of visual conditions when it comes to driving.
Meanwhile, uninsured drivers may face unlimited fines and possible disqualification from driving if a case goes to court
Currently, drivers face a £300 fixed fine and six licence points if they drive while uninsured.
The important criteria that your number plate must meet
Your number plate must meet some essential criteria or you could face some hefty fines.
Some of the fines could be as high as £1000.
The rules include
- Number plates must made from a reflective material
- All displays on the front plate must be black characters on a white background
- All displays on the black plate must be black characters on a yellow background
- Plates must not have a background pattern
- All license plates need to be marked to show who supplied the number plate
- Plates need to be marked with a British Standard number – this is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 September 2021
- Characters must not be removable or reflective. If your number plates were fitted after 1 September 2021, they must also be a single shade of black.
Other features your number plates can have include:
- have 3D (raised) characters
- display certain flags, symbols and identifiers
- display a green flash, if you have a zero-emission vehicle
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