Are Euro Pressed Metal Plates Legal?

[mk1vts1]

i had them on my euro'd clio when i was 17 and never got into trouble for them, its just a risk you have to be willing to take

[Matty_VTR]

I was pulled for them on my old car a while back, I had the Dubmiester? ones that had the stamp mark and postcode on and the police at first said they were illegal and then after seeing the stamps said they weren't too sure, but concluded by saying they aren't reflective enough but didn't fine me and said they would be looking into the website where I got them from, they probably never did though.

I haven't bothered with them on my current car as they have the potential to attract unwanted attention and I don't fancy trying to dispute a fine if I got given one.

[bmxbannanas]

Originally Posted by RossDagley

FYI - full wording available here - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2...chedule/2/made

Note section 2, paragraph 1 applicable to most saxos. Section 1, part 1 covers those 2001 onwards cars (says the same thing regarding material though so no difference)

read this mines a 1999 saxo does this make them legal to me ?

[GolfJay]

Dubmeister pressed plates ARE legal. Specifically manufactured to be the only legal pressed plates.

[Rossp]

Originally Posted by SaxoJay88

Dubmeister pressed plates ARE legal. Specifically manufactured to be the only legal pressed plates.

Proof please? (I'm not interested in what they say on their site... )

[AdamH]

i once had an email from dubmiester and even attempted to create a group buy on these. ill have a looky to see if i posted it in that thread


Edit: Found it..

It must be realised that there is an increased amount of work that goes into producing the legal plates ie we have to laser our details on the bottom of every plate (with a £30,000 laser). Also, it is worth remembering that these plates are exclusive to Dubmeister, they aren't available anywhere else. We have a network of dealers but they won't be cheaper

[Rossp]

The problem is a company selling something has a vested interest in convincing you to buy the product. Let's use hid lights as a great example. Google for "legal hid conversion lights" and youll get a gazillion results all screaming how they're eu marked, tuv this, dot that. Doesn't matter - you know as well as I do that they're not legal...

The regulations state clearly that the plates must be MADE of a retro reflective material. Metal isn't. Not sure where dubmeister can think otherwise personally.

[devilsadvocate]

Originally Posted by AdamH

i once had an email from dubmiester and even attempted to create a group buy on these. ill have a looky to see if i posted it in that thread


Edit: Found it..

As Ross said, a company will tell you anything so you (and your mates) buy their product.

They are not legal but lots of people use them and most get away with it so its upto you to take the risk of a fine.

[CC06NBA]

If you're that concerned about them then you can always try calling dubmeister and see what they say and if they can provide any proof. I use their plates and haven't had any problems with police... so far.

[Pricklep]

I had the dubmeister plates on my old car and had no bother what so ever.

They reflected, font looked fine and had all the correct markings.

[frenchcarparts]

I've never had any problems with pressed plates...always had them, depends on which idiots checking them suppose

[Baz]

Not saying they are legal but i've had these on for 5 years now and never had any problem....



However I did with these lol

[KyleBailey7791]

Originally Posted by LSOfreak

depending on how strict the old bill are, sometimes they dont even care as long as the fonts correct

if not then its either a £30 fine, £60 fine or just a warning to take them off

Ye it's basically what mood the police are in lol, I'm gettin pressed plates whatever the law, plus I don't see how websites can advertise them as legal iff there not, I mean isn't that false advertisement .

[devilsadvocate]

Originally Posted by KyleBailey7791

Ye it's basically what mood the police are in lol, I'm gettin pressed plates whatever the law, plus I don't see how websites can advertise them as legal iff there not, I mean isn't that false advertisement .

Its the internet....basically its full or unregulated companies who sell and do whatever they want and porn, not much else.

[KyleBailey7791]

Originally Posted by devilsadvocate

Its the internet....basically its full or unregulated companies who sell and do whatever they want and porn, not much else.

Haha ye , true

[Beaniemoo]

I have Dubmeister pressed steel plates on the Clio (K reg 1992) and was stopped leaving the cruise in MK the other day. The copper walked up to the front of the car, scraped the dead flys off the BS stamp on the plate, gave me a thumbs up and sent me on my way. True story. Lol

[Rossp]

I'll paint my front plate green with pink italic lettering and stencil in a BS mark.

Legal y0

[Rossp]

Well, it's not often I admit I'm wrong...

But...!

I managed to get hold of a copy of the BS document (BS AU 145D) - bloody elusive. Read that cover to cover, then read the The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001, and all it's amendments. Phew. Geeky, yes, but I wanted to know.

The main issue the argument is over is to do with the retro-reflective properties of a numberplate. (Retro-reflective is where a proportion of the light shone on the numberplate must "return to source", as opposed to reflex-reflecting, where it basically scatters in all directions).

There are comments in the Road Traffic Act around how a plate must be MADE of a retro-reflecting material:

VEHICLES REGISTERED AND NEW REGISTRATION PLATES FITTED ON OR AFTER 1ST SEPTEMBER 2001 (MANDATORY SPECIFICATION)
1. The plate must be made of retroreflecting material which, as regards its construction, colour and other qualities, complies with the requirements of—
(a) the British Standard specification for retroreflecting number plates published on 15 January 1998 under number BS AU 145d(a)

And people, including me, interpreted that to mean the ENTIRE numberplate must be made of retro-reflective material (IE, some form of plastic presumably, because metal is of course NOT retro-reflective by it's nature). However, the law also requires (in the very same paragraph) that the plate must meet BS145D.

Here's the kicker. There's actually a specific comment in the BS AU 145D standards document which affects the above. The very first section in fact:

1 Scope
This British Standard specifies requirements for retroreflecting number plates for vehicles. The standard includes requirements for colorimetric and
photometric properties and tests for weather resistance, resistance to impact, bending, vibration, corrosion, solvents, water and extremes of
temperature.
NOTE. Retroreflecting number plates may be manufactured from
any material which performs satisfactorily in service, providing
the requirements of this standard are met.

The standards also made specific reference to the background of the numberplate:

3.6 retroreflecting number plate
A plate exhibiting the registration mark of a vehicle in which only the background to the registration mark consists of retroreflecting material.

This is important in just a sec. Bear with me.

So - the Road Traffic Act requires a number plate to meet the requirements of BS AU145D. the Standard specifically says a numberplate can be made from any material so long as the requirements of the standards are met <with regard to size, position, font, etc>.

So, in summary, I can find nothing wrong with the "legal" Dubmeister pressed numberplates now. they have the correct layout, font, spacing, standards stamp, makers mark and border. The only issue was that of the retro-reflectiveness, and they meet this by the use of a retro-reflective BACKGROUND as per the standards - the letters themselves are not retro-reflective, just the background, and so this standard is met.

I conclude that the pressed plates advertised by Dubmeister, and possibly others, are therefore in principle "legal" as advertised (talking exclusively about the retro-reflectiveness of course - I'm presuming they meet the other standards with regard to resistance to corrosion, bending, etc).

Essay over. I hope you didn't fall asleep and found it useful.

now go buy your pressed plates - just remember if stopped to have a copy of the The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 in the glove box

[Pricklep]

Good stuff buddy