THE rules for number plates updated in September 2021 with new technical standards.
If you’re curious about 4D number plates and their legality, here’s what you need to know before hitting the road.
What are 4D number plates?
4D plates are one step up from 3D number plates.
While 3D plates have the numbers and letters slightly raised – 4D features laser-cut acrylic numbers and letters bonded to the plate.
Sometimes two different colours are used to give a two-tone striking effect.
Are 4D number plates illegal?
In 2021, new rules were brought in making 3D and 4D plates illegal.
The new revisions to number plates have been made to reflect changes to our roads.
As of September 1, 2021, cars registered with 71 number plates were the first to be issued with an updated design that will now meet the new British Standard for Retroreflective Number Plates.
They are known as the BS AU 145e, replacing the old BS AU 145d standard which has been in use since September 2001.
They will meet a whole host of criteria that will reflect the new British Standard for Retroreflective Number Plates.
According to Autotrader, the main benefit of the new 145e standard plates is that they’re more durable.
The plates are made from tougher material and need to pass 10 tests – including the newly added abrasion test, which checks if the number plates can withstand debris like road salt and dirt.
Furthermore, the new number plates can now only display solid black lettering.
This change rules out two-tone number plates, that typically use different shades to create a 3D or 4D effect, which have now been banned.
According to the new legislation, the lettering can still be Perspex or acrylic lettering, provided it meets all other requirements.
They must, however, be black and cannot have different colour sides.
The move to make these changes is to help make plates more readable for Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that are becoming more common across the country.
What we know currently is that the DVLA uses the technology frequently to catch lawbreakers and detect offenders.
The new number plate design, therefore, will theoretically make this task a lot easier for the authorities.
Motor experts also cite that the new number plates will also have to include the supplier’s business name and postcode, along with the name of the number plate manufacturer, in order to match the new BS AU 145e standard.