ALMOST 400 drivers have been fined for having incorrect customised car registration plates in Tayside since the start of 2005.

Officers in the road policing unit will be watching out for vehicles with illegal number plates during their crackdown on anti- social motorists over the next two weeks.

The issue was brought to light by a Kirriemuir man who was fined £30 this week for having an incorrect font on his customised registration plate.

He argued that his registration plate was legible. However rules for the correct display of number plates are set out in law.

Inspector Gordon Taylor of Tayside Police said it is extremely important for vehicle registration plates to follow the correct guidelines.

“The rules are there for a good reason and should be correctly adhered to,” he said.

“We have caught 400 vehicles with illegal registration plates, but there are still many others out there and we will catch up with them in due course.”

According to The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001, number plates must display the mandatory character font, and letters and numbers must be of a set size.

Number plates must be replaced if they have been customised by stylised letters and figures such as italics.

Number plates must be easy to read—by people who may witness accidents or serious crime involving motor vehicles and by roadside cameras.

An increasing number of motorists use number plates that are difficult to read.

The introduction of cameras for enforcement purposes means that it is more important than ever for number plates to be legible.

The regulations introduced in 2001 will ensure that there is clarity of numbers and letters through the use of a standardised mandatory font.

Inspector Taylor added, “We receive regular complaints from the public about some of the personalised number plates people have on their vehicles.

“We are clamping down on vehicles with incorrect registration plates.”

For more information visit www.dvla.gov.uk.