Safe Speed Forums

I was wondering, why do we have to display numberplaes? What is the purpose of this?
When you walk, cycle, ride a horse, etc. you don't need to display one.
Disconnect your car's engine and attach a horse and you don't need any displayed.
I don't think an electric bicycle requires one either.

So why should sticking an engine in a vehicle require displaying a numberplate?

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Andrew.

Not if Red Ken gets his way

Because generally speaking 3500 people don't lose their lives in accidents involving horses, or pushbikes.

No licence plates = massive increases in crime.

1500 people lose their lives annually falling down the stairs
5000 people lose their lives annually from MRSA
Do we even want to estimate lives lost from smoking and drinking?


Petty crime - yes; accident rate - I would have to agree.
However, the real dangerous drivers and criminals circumvent the registration system anyway.

Your examples are spurious. I can't think of a single reason not to retain the licence plate system. Not one.

The really dangerous drivers are very often caught while circumventing the registration system.

Some, but not all I’m sure. Those who are not caught have a free ride, so long as they are not caught by a switched on patrol.

However, I will agree with you that, with today’s policy, the benefits of the VRM system outweigh the harm, but I see that changing if the authorities come to heavily too rely on these.

Is there any proof of that or is it just an assumption? I'm sure it's an assumption that most people make, but is it really true?

I think there used to be a time when there were hundreds of horsedrawn vehicles running around the country, not one with a numberplate.

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Andrew.

how would police check for tax/insurance/<other issues> without pulling you over if you didn't have a plate?

[quote="Ziltro


I think there used to be a time when there were hundreds of horsedrawn vehicles running around the country, not one with a numberplate.[/quote]

Take it back far enough and the highwaymen rode horses - not a horseless vehicle

Is there any reason they need to be able to check this without pulling you over?

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Andrew.

Suspicion of a crime?

So how do you propose we identify different vehicles instead of license plates?

I guess that depends whether you think untaxed/uninsured/<wanted for other reasons> drivers should be allowed to continue unhindered.

Most of the crime seems to be tax discs out of date and insurance or MIDS database out of date

Because after your house - it's probably the next most expensive thing you buy for most of the population out there.

Makes and models look similar as well. I once mistook my car for an identical one parked nearby The plate distinguishes my car from its lookalike "stable mate"

Race horses by the way have a chip to identify them these days - and I think soem pedigree dogs and cats also have these to prove "vaccination" - and I think some even have a tattoo. All USA racehorses have a tattoo somewhere - so I was told when visiting a Kentucky racing stable with Krissi when we did a holiday together many years ago.


Helps me detect crime - be it car jacking, car theft, car vandalism, moving and stationary traffic offences and so on. You want us to be able to find your car if someone nicked it?


There are plans currently being discussed - which Mad Doc brought to the board's attention ages ago - concerning cyclists displaying a reg number on their hi-viz or lycra to identify them and their bikes in a bid to encourage safer and legal practices!

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Sorry i don't get your point. What does it matter what crime / type of crime it is? If the Police are looking for a car which is the better description?

- Blue Astra with registration X123 ABC (or even just starts with X123)

or

- Blue Astra.......

[quote="PaulB2005Sorry i don't get your point. What does it matter what crime / type of crime it is? If the Police are looking for a car which is the better description?

- Blue Astra with registration X123 ABC (or even just starts with X123)

or

- Blue Astra.......[/quote]

Mind you when the police go looking for a car ,would they be seen dead in a blue astra --those sort prefer range rovers or volvos.

Seriously -
WIth the proliferation of dodgy plates chances that all astras coloured anywhere near blue regardless of plate would get pulled, just in case.

On the other hand, if you legislate all cars off the road (except for Beemers, Mercedes etc) then you don't need to have number plates.
All the drivers of remaining cars will have so much dosh that they won't need plates....anyone they knock down will be a peasant, and they don't matter.

Shush ( you've found out Brown's plan - only he ain't worked out how to pay all the civil servants that will be made redundant)

if you want to buy a cow (I think this applies to pigs and sheep too) then she needs to have a passport that shows the number in her ear tag and it must match. There is other info on there too, but my memory is foggy, such as when she was born and each time she was moved. I think there is holding numbers of where she's lived too. All cows do is eat and shit, I can get up to all sorts of mischief in the car.

So I'm not that bothered about registering my £6.5k car when a £300 cow needs all that bs

Don't you mean all that bse? <ducks and exits stager left>