Theft Resistant Number Plates.
Date Published: 02/09/2012
Theft Resistant Number Plates
To combat ‘cloning’ and other crimes
If the number plates are stolen from your vehicle you should report it straight away – you might start receiving parking fines, speeding fines or worse as number plates are used to disguise the identity of vehicles used in a wide range of crimes.
Number plate theft is a big problem – rates have more than doubled in the last five years and there were at least 40,000 cases last year. Thefts from vehicles are significantly under – reported.
According to the DVLA Stolen plates are used by criminals to;
·
Change the identity of stolen vehicles so they can be sold.
·
Disguise vehicles used in activities like ram – raiding or driving from petrol stations without paying.
·
Evade congestion charges, parking and speeding fines.
If Your Plates Are Stolen
Contact the Police immediately.
It may seem trivial at the time but it’s no fun if you subsequently start receiving fixed penalty notices or are suspected of committing crimes yourself.
New Standards
Number plate manufactures, DVLA and others have developed a voluntary standard for theft resistant number plates.
Plates that meet the standard will resist known attack methods for a minimum of three minutes and can be expected to cost around twice the price of normal plates.
Suppliers
If you’re in the process of buying a new vehicle ask the dealer to fit theft resistant number plates when the car is first registered.
There are two main aftermarket suppliers with a small but growing network of agents across the country;
·
Hills Number plates Ltd –
telephone 0121 623 8050 or visit website.
·
Secureplate –
visit their website to find suppliers by county/region.
·
If you have a used vehicle –
visit the dealerships or other local vehicle accessories/parts stores.
Benefits
·
Fewer motorists facing fines for crimes they didn’t commit.
·
Fewer motorists innocently buying vehicles that turns out to be stolen.
·
Reduce incidents of fuel theft.