Drivers warned over banned number plates that could cost them £1,000 fine and failed MOT
DRIVERS could be slapped with a huge £1,000 fine and a failed MOT due to a little-known DVLA number plate rule.
Customised license plates are a common addition, however because of basic traffic restrictions, making jokes with specific wording could backfire.
Experts at Swansway Motor Group said that earlier this year, the DVLA made the decision to exclude more than 300 designs before their March release.
Some of the sentences on the list may be interpreted as being vulgar, in poor taste, or spelling out unsuitable words.
They said: "When drivers choose plates close to the line of what's deemed acceptable, they risk having the plate banned and all the unnecessary hassle and costs that comes with that.
"The DVLA already banned a total of 334 number plates ahead of the release of the 24-plate on Friday, March 1.
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"Ranging from childish registrations like F24 RTS and **24 RSE, to ones with a more political stance, for example, anything relating to the war in Ukraine with number plates such as NO24 RUS, WA24 RUS, WA24 UKR and FK24 RUS.
The experts added: "We advise you to choose wisely and stay informed about the DVLA's latest updates to avoid any potential issues."
Swansway emphasised that if a car's number plate doesn't match the regulations, mechanics risk failing it before "anyone's even looked under the bonnet."
Registration numbers must be free of background patterns and designed for reflecting materials.
The front of the plates must have black text on a white background, and the reverse must have black text on a yellow background.
Characters cannot be changed or made reflective, and each plate needs to have a British Standard number on it.
It comes after drivers were warned of an invisible "mechanic scam" which could cost them hundreds - but is actually easy to fix for free.
Expert mechanic Scotty Kilmer, who has been in the motor trade for over half a century, explained the sneaky trick on his YouTube channel.
He alerted motorists that a whole range of symptoms could be cause by manipulating a little-known component in the engine bay.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that drivers are ripped off to the tune of £1.6 billion a year as fuel retailers bump their margins.
