Number plate changes launching this week could cause havoc as Britons don't know important rules
Millions of Britons do not understand what number plates mean
PA
Almost a quarter of motorists do not understand how number plates work even though rules are being updated next week to introduce new licence plates.
New research has found that 22 per cent of drivers do not understand what the letters and numbers on a car registration plate mean, with this rising to 27 per cent for those over the age of 65.
New number plates are being rolled out on Sunday, September 1, as the "74" plate will feature on new cars on forecourts and inside dealerships following the introduction of the "24" plate in March.
It has been customary for two new number plates to be rolled out in March and September since 2001 to denote when cars on the road have been registered.
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New '74' number plate changes will be launched later this week
GETTYNormal number plates follow a standard format of two letters, two numbers and three letters. This has been the procedure since 2001.
The starting two letters refer to the region where the vehicle was first registered, such as "BA" for Birmingham, "EA" for Essex and "YA" for Yorkshire.
The two numbers denote when the vehicle was issued. For example, "24" would indicate that it is after March 1, 2024, and before September 1, while "74" is anything after September 1, 2024.
The last three letters are chosen at random and do not have any meaning. Drivers can also choose to have a personalised number plate where the rules are slightly different and motorists have more autonomy over what they choose.
Tom Banks, car insurance spokesperson for Go.Compare, said: "If you’re going to be picking up a new '74' plate vehicle this September, you might be disappointed to know that almost a quarter of people won’t know that you’ve just driven this off the forecourt.
“It seems many drivers are still in the dark about what their number plate digits really mean, but it’s always good to be able to work out the age of any car you’re thinking of buying, particularly if it's second-hand."
Only 34 per cent of drivers who took part in the survey said they didn't know what the letters meant, while 29 per cent said they didn't understand the meaning of the numbers.
The data also found that 14 per cent of people "did not have a clue" how mfany times a year registration plates were updated, with 16 per cent believing it happens once a year, while 60 per cent knew it was twice a year.
The so-called "new reg day" usually sees a boost for car dealerships around the UK and results in a jump in sales in March and September as drivers want to get their hands on the latest cars.
This was seen earlier this year when there were 84,886 new vehicles registered in February, compared to 317,786 new vehicles in March, aided by the new number plates.
Banks added: "It’s equally important to be aware of the various rules and regulations regarding the colour of the plate, the size and spacing of the letters and numbers, and even the font required.
"Get any of these wrong, or try to change them to your own wants, and you could be facing a significant fine.”
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Drivers could face fines for not adhering to number plate rules
PANumber plates must be made from a reflective material, and display black characters on a white background on the front and black on yellow for the rear plate.
They are forbidden from having a background pattern and it must show who supplied the number plate. It must also have the British Standard number of "BS AU 145e".