Archive for the ‘car number plates’ Category

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The Cost Of Running A Car

Tuesday, January 29th, 2013

If you own a car you’ll be aware how much money it costs to run and service. There are however some things you can do to reduce these costs and bring the fun back in to motoring.
Car ownership has a huge number of benefits; however it comes with a price to pay. The costs of running a car are increasing all the time. Here are some of the things you might have to pay for if you own a car:

MOT

A valid MOT certificate is needed for every motor vehicle. The MOT cost for standard cars currently stands at around £55. However, if you look around and phone a few local garages you’ll find that they will drop the price if you agree to a service or other work at the same time. Some will even do a price comparison if you quote a competitive price you’ve found at an alternative dealer.

Fuel

The price of fuel is a bugbear to any type of motor vehicle user. There is a huge amount of tax placed on fuel and even though the government have put a freeze on price increases recently, road transport groups are still calling for the duty on fuel to be reduced. Some of the ways you can save fuel include:

o    Only make necessary journeys
o    Make sure tyres are inflated correctly
o    Take heavy items out of the boot
o    Don’t drive with roof racks in place
o    Drive carefully and conscientiously – putting your foot to the floor is a sure way to burn fuel

Road Tax

The amount of road tax you’ll pay is linked to your specific vehicle and its engine size. This is set by the DVLA and you have to pay the amount every year.
Servicing
Even if you only have the oil changed you should factor servicing costs into your annual vehicle expenditure. As a rule of thumb things which may be changed as part of an annual service include spark plugs, oil filter and oil, fuel filter and air filter.

Non-service parts

As part of the ongoing maintenance of your vehicle you will have to pay for parts which may wear out. Some of these parts include brake pads and brake discs, exhaust parts and tyres. It’s worth putting some money aside to pay for replacement car parts every year so you won’t be shocked when your local garage says you need to have a non-service part replaced.

Fred Charles wrote this article about car service parts such as spark plugs on behalf of eurocarparts.com.

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Replacement Number Plates and the Added Security Features

Wednesday, December 12th, 2012
Avoid Replacement Number Plates

Secure your Number Plates

Your car is most probably your most valued possession. We are not, of course, only considering its retail value when we mean that. A car is considered to be a necessity, rather than a luxury item, these days. It has become an indispensable part of our lives as we have to deal with more than ever complicated schedules of dropping children off to school, driving ourselves to and from work and running errands on a daily basis. But, have you ever stopped to consider that your number plates are the weakest point of this very important contraption in your life? That’s right, stop and think of what comes to mind when you are asked about what you would do to secure your vehicle. There is a high chance that you will be thinking of the central locking system, your car alarm system and how and where you park your car every time you stop. Very few people consider their number plates to be a security risk and take the appropriate steps to ensure their safety.

But, all over the UK there has been a huge rise in the theft of number plates. Most of the stolen number plates are used to ‘clone’ a car to allow the further committing of crimes. The most common crime that is committed using stolen number plates is the theft of fuel at petrol pumps. If your plates were stolen, the thief could easily attach them to his car (which usually matches yours in type and color), fill up his tank of fuel and just drive away without paying. All the evidence, whether via security systems and/or personal witnesses, would be pointing towards your car. You need only imagine the implications of worse crimes and how it could make life difficult for you, to realize that it is about time you had your replacement number plates have the necessary security features built into them.

At present, there are some security features that can help you when you replace your old number plates with new ones:

-          Some replacement number plate dealers have now come up with plates that shatter into pieces if any attempt to remove them is made. While it will still involve your having to pay for another set of replacement number plates, it will keep you safe from more serious crimes being committed that could cost you an incalculable price.

-          A more common, and much cheaper, method of number plate theft prevention is achieved by way of anti-tamper screws that are provided by some police forces across the UK. For example, the Metropolitan Police supplies London residents with these tamper-proof screws. You can get a hold of them by contacting your local police Safer Neighborhood Teams.

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Avoiding the Need of Replacement Number Plates

Tuesday, December 11th, 2012
Care for Your Number Plates

Care for Your Number Plates

Accidents are synonymous with car ownership. There are very few people on this planet that can actually boast of never being in an accident. At one time or another, the vast majority of us will bump or scratch our cars. And although it might not occur in a large number of such accidents, number plates do get damaged and make it necessary for us to go in search of cheap replacement number plates.

In the case of an accident there is not much you can do than to simply replace your number plates. But, just like any part of your car, your number plates too need special care and handling if you do not want to incur any unnecessary and unexpected expenses because of neglect.

Below are a few tips on how to take care of your number plates:

 Be Gentle

The first thing to remember is that you should always be gentle with your number plates. Just like you would take extreme care to ensure that the paint on the body of your car isn’t damaged by using too strong of a chemical cleaning solution or scratched by using abrasive ones, so too must you deal with your plates. Make sure all the cleaning solutions that you use are actually made for cars.

Remove Rust

Rust is not only ugly to look at, but it also damages the plates themselves. If there are any rust spots visible, removing them should be your first task.

The best way to go about it would be to use WD-40. Spray the spots generously with it and gently rub away until the spots disappear. You might not get it all in one go, so have a little patience and repeat the spraying and rubbing as many times as necessary.

Remove Dirt

Another thing that reduces from the looks of your number plates is dirt. But, you shouldn’t just be worried about the looks but more of the fact that it is illegal to have number plates that are not clearly visible.

To remove dirt you will have to do some washing. Fill a sink or large vessel with warm water (too hot and it will damage the number plates, too cold and it will not be as effective). Liberally add some of your favorite dishwashing soap.

Let the number plates soak in the solution for about 5 minutes. Take out the plates and see if there is any dirt still clinging on, in which case you might need to soak it a little longer.

Next, take out the plates and gently rub them with a soft (wool or cotton) cloth until all trace of dirt is gone. To get at any left on the edges of the numbers or letters use a Q-tip.

The Coat

Finally, to keep your number plates clean for a longer time, apply a generous amount of wax over it.

And there you have it – a set of shiny new number plates!

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Replacement Number Plates In The UK – Why Would You Need One?

Tuesday, December 4th, 2012

 

Although they are more commonly known as ‘license plates’, your car doesn’t have a ‘license’ but rather ‘registration plates’. This is because you get your car registered and not licensed when you get to put new plates on it. But, even more commonly, these plates are also known as ‘number plates’. Therefore, ‘replacement number plates’ are those that you buy or obtain when the original ones need to be replaced.

UK Replacement Number Plates

UK Number Plate

But what are the reasons for getting replacement number plates? Also, do you get new registration numbers or are the ones that you have been using re-assigned to you?

To begin with, let us answer the last question first:

You can get new numbers for your car, but it is more common to have your old numbers re-used. The main reason could be due to the fact that you just want new number plates and have no issues with the original numbers.

Going back to the first question we can assume that the reasons you might need new number plates would be because:

  1. You have somehow damaged your old number plates and need to have them replaced. Your number plates could be damaged due to your being in an accident, poor handling of your car (careless parking etc.) or bad craftsmanship when the plates were initially attached to the vehicle. You may, for example, also damage it when you have to move the number plates so that they are clearly visible (as the law requires) on the vehicle. Or,
  2. The number plates that you have on your car do not adhere to the rules and regulations that have been set out by the government of the UK. This could be due to your not having them made by a number plates dealer that has been approved by the DVLA. The result can be that the number plate as a whole does not adhere to the dimensions that are legally required: the lettering is not done in the required font and/or the spacing between the characters is not as it should be. This can earn you a fine if you are stopped by the police and repetitive fines could earn you some unwanted points on your license.

With that being said, there might be times when you want to have new numbers assigned to your car. This may be in the cases where you want specialized number plates that spell something or have numbers and characters that have a particular meaning to you. These are known as personalized number plates. These too come with their own sets of rules and regulations of which you should be aware of before heading out to get them.

So, there you have it – you now know why you may need replacement number plates.

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How to Choose the Best Replacement Number Plates Business for You

Wednesday, November 28th, 2012

 

Car License Plate

Whether it is a motorcycle that we zip around town on to run random errands or a mighty SUV that we take on family trips into the country they all have one thing in common: they are registered in a national database by means of their vehicle number plates. These number plates uniquely identify your vehicle. But what happens when you need to get the license plates replaced? How do you choose the right business to handle the job for you?Before we go into the actual choosing of the replacement number plate makers, you need to be informed that in the case that your

plates have been stolen the first thing you might actually want to do is report it to the police. You shouldn’t drag your feet on this one,

considering the fact that the only reason someone would want to steal your number plates is to do some mischief using them as cover. The mischief may be something as relatively innocent as getting out of paying a parking ticket to a more sinister and serious crime which we will leave to your imagination. It would be pretty hard for you to explain how a car, that looks like yours (the thieves always make sure to nick the plates off of cars that look like theirs) and has your number plates on it, isn’t actually the real thing when faced with pictorial evidence

and/or witness testimony. So, go to the police – first and immediately.

To start choosing the best replacement number plates business for you:

  1. Start your online search of all the license plate makers in the UK. You can look for only those that are in your area, but why limit your choices? Besides, today there are businesses that can ship your plates to you wherever in the country you may be. Once you have a list of suitable businesses, search further for reviews that they have received from their clients. Just adding “review” or “reviews” in front or after the business’ names should give you a decent number of search results. Go through the results, and the more you do so, the better a feeling you will have about whether or not you want to deal with them.
  2. Once you have further narrowed down your choices find out their accreditations and affiliations. To begin with, any replacement number plates business in the country needs to be accredited by the DVLA. A professional business will take it further by being a member of organizations that represent their profession and will be proud to show it.
  3. Next, when you start dealing with the business of choice they should be more than happy to be transparent with the paperwork. Try to avoid any shady deals – it might cost you a lot.
  4. Finally, it is the price. It needs to be said, although you know it well: choose the lowest price.
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Getting Number Plates – to Keep Drivers Entertained

Tuesday, November 27th, 2012

 

Birmingham number plates

Birmingham number plates

One of the joys of driving on long trips is reading and interpreting the number plates on vehicles that are in front of you. Apart from being the source of hours of entertainment, reading number plates also helps keep you awake. The challenge of deciphering the various words that are implied on the plates works to keep the mind sharp and focused.

The Plates

The formats of the number plates in the UK follow a pre-defined structure that makes it easy to form words. For example, the format now in use and introduced on September 1st, 2001 consists of seven characters:

- The Local Memory Tag: consists of two alphabets (with the exception of the letters I, Q, and Z) that identify the localregistration office. For example, BD would imply that the vehicle was registered in Birmingham.- The Age: two digits follow next. They are used to identify the year that the vehicle was registered. If it is registered between March and August the last two digits of the year are taken and if it is registered between September and February of the following year 50 is added to the two digits. As an example, a car registered on March 1st, 2010 would have a 10, while another one that was registered on January 1st, 2011 would have a 60 as its age.

- Random Letters: finally, three random letters are appended to ensure the uniqueness of the vehicles. These three letters do not include the letters I and Q and also words that are offensive in English or any other major languages.

The AuthoritiesThe two administrative bodies that overlook the issuance of number plates are the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for Great Britain and the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) for Northern Ireland. But, if you want to get your hands on special number plates that spell out words or phrases you will have to look into the domain of the private number plate dealers.

A few cautions that you might need to consider before making a purchase are:

- That the age on the new number plate is not less than the one on the original one. For example, a “51” plate cannot be replaced with a “50” one.

- And that the number plate dealers are actually accredited by the DVLA – Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS).

This being said, you can now go and look for number plates that will make other drivers read your plates and say “T5 HRT” – t-shirt! Or “OHY 3S” – Oh, yes! You can give yourself a pat on the back – you are doing your part in ensuring road safety by keeping the driver behind you entertained and awake.

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Number Plates Replacement – Because someone is Out There to Get You!

Monday, November 26th, 2012

 

UK Car Number Plate

UK Car Number Plate

There was a time when people could trust others when it came to their license plates. Sadly, those times are long gone. It is now a common thing, all over the UK, to hear a firsthand story of how car number plates have been stolen. And although this is a very serious crime, there are the odd drivers that do not know how serious of an issue it is to have ones number plates stolen.Well, to show the seriousness of it all, let us have a look at a probe into cases of stolen number plates that occurred in the North. The results show that in the last six years alone there have been around 4500 number plates stolen from cars, with almost half of these plates being stolen over the last two and a half years alone – indicating that the crime is actually getting worse. Further proof can be seen in the fact that in April of 2012, 17 cars’ number plates were stolen in Consett in, get this, just two hours!

The main reasons that people would want to steal your car’s license plates would be due to many reasons. To name a few:

-          The first and obvious reason would be to commit a crime with the victims’ number plates in plain sight. This would throw off the police and make their enquiries a little harder as the witnesses or the cameras that caught the numbers would have seen or shown a number that was stolen.

-          Some thieves steal license plates so that they can zoom around the cities recklessly and do whatever they want. The speed cameras that would capture them would show a car with the stolen plates and looked exactly like the original owner’s car. This is known as ‘car cloning’ and all bills that are incurred on the license plate (e.g. road tax) would be charged to the original owner.

 

Now, whatever the reason may be, you know you do not want to be caught in a nightmare situation like this. So, what are you expected to do before the theft happens to you?

 

There are theft resistant number plates on sale. You can have them installed and know that it will take a while longer to remove them thus discouraging any thief looking for a quick getaway. The negative aspect of these plates is that they can still be stolen (albeit after more than 3 minutes) and they cost you a lot more than the normal number plates.

 

As to what you can do after the theft has occurred is to report it immediately to the police who will record your number. Any expenses that are incurred on that license plate will not be your responsibility. Next, you can go and get yourself cheap replacement number plates and then have your car transferred to the new license number.

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How to Go About Getting Your Replacement Number Plates

Friday, November 23rd, 2012

There are a number of reasons why you might suddenly up and need new replacement number plates for your vehicle. And there are a number of ways that you can go on to deal with the problem. But one thing that can’t be forgotten is that no matter how you go about it, you should always stick to the law.

UK Rear License Plate

UK Rear License Plate

Therefore, before we look at the process of going about getting your number plates, let us take a brief look at the legal

aspects that need to be adhered to:- The first, and most important, thing is that you will need to go to a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) authorized number plates dealer, if you opt to not go to the DVLA itself, that is. The name of the supplier needs to be printed or embossed at the bottom of each number plate so it can be traced back.

- Your license plates need to adhere to strict lettering, sizing and spacing formats.

- The colors of the plates have rules too: the front plates should be in black lettering on a white background, while the rear ones should be in black lettering but on yellow backgrounds. They need to be made of reflective materials so that they can be seen at night or in poor lighting.

- The background of the number plates should be plain with no patterns on them.

- You will need to display your number plates clearly so that all characters and digits are clearly seen. Also, you should never add things, like screws or stickers, in places that could make the numbers or alphabets look like something they are not. (Example, placed between two 1’s or two I’s – they could be mistaken for H’s).

Having license plates that do not adhere to one or another of these rules could lead to you being fined a whopping £1,000.

What to Take

You will need to confirm your identity when you go to get your replacement identity plates. So, make sure that you bring an ID document that can serve the purpose. Examples could be:

• Your driving license, your passport or any identity card with your picture on it

• Your utility, Council Tax or rates bill from the past 6 months

You will also need a document that proves you are the owner of the license plate. Examples could be:

• The vehicle’s registration certificate or certificate of entitlement to the number

• Temporary registration certificate

• In case you are doing the job for someone else you will need the appropriate letter of authority from them.

Once you’ve got these points settled you are ready to get your replacement number plates in a matter of hours. You can even just go home and wait for them to be sent to you.

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Big Brother is watching you park

Thursday, October 18th, 2012

George Orwell’s dystopian view of the future, written in 1948, was of a society where everything was watched and controlled by Big Brother. In more recent times of course, the television show using the name ‘Big Brother’ has become really popular as the public watch every move made and every word said by a group of strangers forced to live in a house together. The amount of our lives that is being watched by cameras, tracked online and via mobile phones, and watched over in ever-developing ways concerns many people, but this shows no likelihood of decreasing.

Many car parks have auto number plate recognition systems now, and one company in the forefront of this is a company called ParkReg, using PayThru software. Their SwishPark system is now in operation in 11 car parks, most of which are in Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire. The system reads the number plate on entry and exit, and then debits the user’s account, if they have one. If there isn’t an account set up, then there are various ways for drivers to pay the charges. More than one car can be added to each account, and it doesn’t matter who is driving the car at the time of parking.

Of course, this system makes car parking easier for drivers but there are concerns. For example, there will be a lot of data created about where people are, and when, and some people are worried about how this data might be used. The company running the system insist it’s for private commercial purposes only, but some people still don’t like the idea that the information is out there. There are also concerns of possible fraud, and people are writing on internet forums about ways to cheat the system, which may or may not work. The system does, however, rely on people using legal format number plates, and it can’t yet read smaller motorcycle plates.

Automatic number plate recognition software has been used in petrol stations, toll roads, and to issue fines in cases of motoring offences for a while now but the development into car parks is relatively recent.  With all the other shared information about us that is held on computers and in electronic files, does this mean that our every move is tracked? It certainly feels that way sometimes. However the move to use the information as to when we park in a cinema car park and which films are on, whether we park in Waitrose and cross to shop at Aldi, or whether we are in a place or with people that maybe we shouldn’t be with is a big step from using number plates to generate parking charges and it remains to be seen how this data will be used.

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New ’13′ Registration plates to be released in December

Monday, October 15th, 2012

Drivers called Robert or Albert who fancy a number plate that spells their name should be alert in December when the DVLA releases the new 13 registration numbers. As the number 13 can look like a ‘B’, the plates RO 13 ERT and AL 13 ERT could turn out to be a good investment.  Likewise the 13 could be LB or LE so that gives even more potential names. Registration numbers can often increase in value if they spell words or names and as with any newly released registration numbers, the DVLA will hold some back from general release and will sell them at a premium or auction them. Numbers that make obvious words or names are usually not in the generally released plates so drivers who are interested can register their interest now to reserve the plate ahead of purchasing a new car, as the 13 plates can’t be put onto a vehicle registered before 1 March 2013. This is part of the law that a car can’t be made to look newer than it actually is by using plates newer than the registration date of the car. Even if you have no intention of buying a new vehicle, you can buy the plate and keep it on a certificate to transfer it to a vehicle at a later date.

Even though the 13 registration numbers will make some great words, not everyone is looking forward to the 13 number plates. Traditionally in British culture the number 13 is considered unlucky and the car industry had been concerned that the superstition might hit sales next year. As a result, the DVLA have suggested that any driver who doesn’t want the number 13 on their plate can have a 62 registration number instead. It isn’t known yet how many buyers would take this opportunity, and at the moment it isn’t certain it will happen, due to the fact it might impact future second-hand sales as cars will appear older than they really are.

Superstition in car sales has other effects, green cars are not as common in the UK as they are in many other countries, partly as the colour green can sometimes be thought unlucky in certain situations. Also, in other countries numbers on registration plates can cause problems, with the unlucky number 39 causing a dip in sales in Afghanistan in 2012.

Whether you are anticipating or dreading the release of the 13 licence plate number, it’s worth keeping an eye on developments with this story.

 

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