The British Number Plates Association (BNMA) has raised concerns about the number of illegal number plates on the road, which can lead to stolen identities and provide cover for serious crime
Ghost plates can bounce back camera flashes(Image: Alphotographic via Getty Images)
Plans to crack down on counterfeit and tampered with number plates are “incredibly vague” and “not fit for purpose”, ministers have been warned.
The British Number Plates Association (BNMA) has raised concerns about the number of illegal number plates on the road. This includes so-called -“ghost plates”, which can bounce back camera flashes, thwart detection by speed and bus lane cameras and are also known as 3D or 4D plates.
It follows concerns from the the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety who claimed that up to one in 15 vehicles on UK roads might have modified, non-compliant plates that can evade detection.
Ministers published the Road Safety Strategy earlier this year, which promised to introduce tougher penalties for driving with illegal plates, including seizing vehicles. Ministers also pledged to give more robust powers to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Authority (DVLA).
However, concerns have now been raise things are not going fast enough. Urging action, BNMA Chair Michael Flanagan said: “The scourge of illegal number plates is only getting worse. Ministers have finally recognised the problem in the Road Safety Strategy, but now they need to get a move on with the detail of cracking down on these crimes. The plans are incredibly vague and risk not being fit for purpose.”
Labour MP Sarah Coombes said: “What we have in this country is a number plate wild west. With over 34,000 DVLA-registered suppliers and little to no oversight it’s no wonder that ghost and cloned plates are rife on our roads. They pose a serious risk to public safety, national security and enable criminals to roam undetected, leaving law-abiding drivers to pay the price. I’m calling on the government to increase the penalty for using or supplying a ghost plate, and for the DVLA’s register of suppliers to be tightened.”
Liberal Democrat MP Al Pinkerton, said: “The UK’s vehicle registration mark system is not fit for purpose. In an age of sophisticated digital security, it is absurd that cloning and ghost plates remain so easy to exploit. Innocent motorists are being hit with wrongful fines, enforcement action, and months of stress trying to clear their names for offences they never committed. Ghost plates are also creating a major blind spot in policing by reducing ANPR detection and allowing offenders to evade the very systems the UK relies on for road safety and enforcement.”
A DfT spokesperson said: “Our Road Safety Strategy takes direct action to crack down on illegal plates that help criminals evade detection. We have consulted on proposals for tougher penalties for driving with illegal plates, reviewing the standards for number plates and better enforcement. These consultations have now closed, and we are carefully considering the substantial number of responses we received before announcing next steps.”
