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SORN
by OldSkrote - 31/07/25 02:07 PM
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by Rex_tulips - 30/07/25 07:59 PM
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Forums34
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Aug 24th, 2023
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,558 Likes: 5
Talk Morgan Enthusiast
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Talk Morgan Enthusiast
Joined: May 2009
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If I ran into the back of a car at night, in fog or poor visibility I would try to offset the blame by stating the owner had put themselves at greater risk by fitting non reflective plates. In an extreme case a cyclist could claim damages from your insurer
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,947
Talk Morgan Enthusiast
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Talk Morgan Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2011
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It's a view I've heard before, but I've never seen an insurance story to back it up. Generally cars are festooned with lights and reflectors and if a numberplate made all that difference, one would question whether the eyesight of the crasher was ok.
Not that I'm advocating illegal numberplates but I don't want to fuel the argument from a small group that says every car should have new style reflective numberplates - even a 1898 Benz!
1930 Super Sports Aero 'The Elk'
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,328
Gone to Porsche Part of the Furniture
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Gone to Porsche Part of the Furniture
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,328 |
If I ran into the back of a car at night, in fog or poor visibility I would try to offset the blame by stating the owner had put themselves at greater risk by fitting non reflective plates. In an extreme case a cyclist could claim damages from your insurer I am aware of someone who succesfully claimed against the owner of a Parked car facing the wrong way he had run into. !! i am not 100% sure but if i remember correctly it came to a knock-for-knock claim, as the owner of the parked car had not followed high-way procedure of parking correctly.
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Member of the Inner Circle
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I guess your insurance could be invalid if you were deemed to have modified the car illegally??
Richard
1976 4/4 4 Seater
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Roadster Guru Member of the Inner Circle
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Roadster Guru Member of the Inner Circle
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I don't understand the obsession with black & silver plates. It's obviously a widespread affliction, but it's never interested me. Reflective material must have been introduced to increase visibility (you would have thought), so it's a matter of self preservation. Break down on a dark country lane (or Mway hard shoulder at night) with a poor battery and all you have is the plates and rear reflectors. Unlikely I know but long shot accidents do happen.
The Lotus boys are obsessed with smaller front plates on Elises and I don't get what that's about either. I must be a conformist.
DaveW
'05 Red Roadster S1
'16 Yellow (Not the only) Narrow AR GDI Plus 4
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Joined: May 2009
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Talk Morgan Enthusiast
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Talk Morgan Enthusiast
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You can legally fit a smaller plate provided the correct font and spacing/border is retained ( letter 'I' or number 1 obviously take up less space and registrations can be between two and seven digits long)
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 358
Learner Plates Off!
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Learner Plates Off!
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 358 |
I don't understand the obsession with black & silver plates. It's obviously a widespread affliction, but it's never interested me. Reflective material must have been introduced to increase visibility (you would have thought), so it's a matter of self preservation. Break down on a dark country lane (or Mway hard shoulder at night) with a poor battery and all you have is the plates and rear reflectors. Unlikely I know but long shot accidents do happen.
The Lotus boys are obsessed with smaller front plates on Elises and I don't get what that's about either. I must be a conformist. Its aesthetics and nothing more though I've never felt the need to change the numberplate on my modern Bonneville. That and the fact I don't like being told what to do. As I believe Mark Twain said "Laws are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools."
Last edited by Bobajobbob; 06/01/13 09:13 PM.
92 Connaught Green Plus 4
Triumph Bonneville 865
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Charter Member
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Charter Member
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A mahoosive number plate on the front of some sports cars looks awful - in fact there's no sensible place to put it on some. It spoils the rather beautiful line... So I can understand why smaller plates, on occasion, are better than having the first chapter of Nicholas Nickleby on your bumper.  Rear plates are a slightly different story.... Although I have fitted fractionally smaller ones to some of my cars to fit in the space provided by the designers.
+8 4.8
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Member of the Inner Circle
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I think teh DVLA are missing a trick here. In OZ (I speak from experience in WA, but believe it similar elsewhere), you can choose from metal or acrylic plates, in a range of colours and two sizes.
On the plates you can have up to 9 letters/numbers (and a space if you wish) making up more or less anything you want (normal rules apply about decency etc.).
All therefore legal as only the Tranport Department can make/issue them......All for a fee of course!
Richard
1976 4/4 4 Seater
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Joined: Feb 2011
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Member of the Inner Circle
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Member of the Inner Circle
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The worst plates in my view were the ones fitted to the Rover 75s...huge strangely shaped things.
Talking about legality though......how about the ones stuck on the front wings of Plus4 Supersports? Are they going to get pulled by the police or fail MOTs?
Jays
Former Morgan owner. Gone but hopefully not forgotten!
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