Fine for 'road legal' pressed plates

Cops just gave my wife a 60 pound fine for having pressed metal plates on our passat. Even though they are dubmeister reflective 'road legal' ones. Said to her 'raised metal ones aren't legal' She's in tears as we've now overspent on xmas. ****s sake why don't u go and deal with some real criminals.

 

If they're road legal then you don't have a worry - you can tick the box that refuses to take the fixed penalty and it will get thrown out in court

 

Useful link:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=205714

 

I would be going down to the local station armed with these two pages and asking for a repayment of a wrongly accused fine...... It maybe worth writing a letter of complaint that you can hand over if they don't want to deal with it at the time while you are there.

https://www.gov.uk/displaying-number-plates/rules-number-plates

and this
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consu...n/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_067666.pdf

If that fails go here,

http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/en/Pages/your_complaint_.aspx

 

Talking of plates.
When I got my personal plate about 7yrs ago, I got mine made up from halfords because they're legal bit which has to be displayed was clear instead of black, does anyone know if they still do it this way or any company that does?.
Reused the same plates from golf to passat but someone smacked my front end the other month and cracked it, passed m.o.t though...

 

As far as I know they still do it this way. I had some plates made up in Halfords late last year and the 'legal bit' was a light grey sort of colour - barely visible.

 

cheers Ed

 

Here's an update. This all happened at 1am when the police were pulling everyone over into a retail park for breath-testing. My mrs was on the way to pick me up from train station after work xmas party. She is 8 months pregnat, was in her pyjamas and had obviously not been drinking however still had to stand outside in the cold for ten minutes whilst our car was checked tooth & comb. The police officer told her that "german style plates are not legal and you'll have to pay a 60 fine" - my mrs didn't know that mine AREN'T german style but are UK style charles wright font ones so she just had to accept it. The annoying copper also said to my mrs "you can have a laugh with your husband in a few years about when you were pregnant and because he fitted stupid number plates you had to stand out in the cold and pay a fine". I was f ing livid about that seeing as I bought them as UK legal versions. At the time I had been out drinking so after the mrs picked me up she wisely convinced me not to go back there on the way back to argue. I am glad we didn't because they wouldn't like to be told they are wrong.

I was going to contest this but my mrs mentioned the next day that they also said there was a slight bend to the plate which also is not allowed. I have got plastic surrounds screwed onto the front bumper of the passat which has given them a slight curvature which is hardly noticeable but for this reason I think I can't take this to court as they could argue that point which may well be valid. Also the mrs is about to give birth in a few weeks and we can't be bothered with the hassle so best just to pay and consider it an unlucky event.

Plates will be staying on however

 

I have the same plates as you and they are 100% road legal I'd be contesting it for sure

 

I would NOT pay the fine!

 

He's kind of got a point though

Its abit like tinted windows. I could get them tinted 70% (road legal) but i wouldn't because i know every copper i drive past is going to pull me over & check them. Ok, he might find they are legal but i don't want the hassle.

 

Just a fine?

Personally I think crushing the car and an idefinate drjving ban until such time as you learn not to be a sheep and develope some tastewould be a more fitting penalty lol.

Seriously though there should be an option on the FPN no contest it and go to court but only do this if you are 100% certain that the plates are legal as the penalty at court will be greater if you are convicted. The court will be guided by construction and use regs to ascertain guilt

 

Out of curiosity what colour are the letters and background of the plates?

 

Right, I would 100% contest this. Your plates are completely legal and even though its got a slight bend in it they are still fully legal. As long as a number plate is displayed on a vehicle in a vertical plane and not at an angle then there is nothing they can do. Think the standard number plate will have a slight bend in it as well duw to the shape of the bumper.

 

Ive got german pressed plates on my Mk2, and have never been picked up on it, even when i have been pulled over. Must of been lucky.

I'm going to get some uk dealer ones made up i think just incase.

 

Check your plates show BS AU 145d and show the business name/postcode you bought them from.

 

Thought the business and post code thing got dropped?

BBB

 

I bought a car with pressed plates on it once & on the drive home with it i got pulled & 60 fine

I explained this to the copper & showed the hand written receipt but he said tough. He said i should have taken legal plates with me to buy the car.
But how, when you need the V5 to buy plates? Still your problem he said, you were driving it, end of

 

DONT PAY THE FINE!!! Reading this made my blood boil! A jumped up little hitler who doesn't know how to do his job properly making a pregnant woman stand in the cold for no reason other than his own stupidity and arrogance?!

If I were in your shoes I'd not pay the fine or make any contact with the police/courts, let them waste their own time and resources by issuing a summons and then show the judge your plate and a copy of C&R regs. IT will be thrown out instantly. Then take legal action against the officer in question to be compensated for loss of earnings, transport, babysitting costs etc aswell as making a formal complaint against him to his cheif/sergeant whoever, aswell as the IPCC.

At best he should get the sack, and at worst get a severe dressing down from his superiors and be made to think twice before issuing speculative fines with no basis in law.

(not that I'm a stubborn b@stard in the Legal industry, oh no, not me..)