UK: Experts warn drivers against using ‘ghost’ number plates

Experts have raised alarms over the growing use of illegal “ghost plates” by drivers in the United Kingdom to evade speed cameras and traffic enforcement.

According to GBNews, recent estimates suggest that one in 15 motorists is using anti-ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) technology to dodge fines and charges.

The trend involves equipping vehicles with “invisible” licence plates designed to escape detection by speed and bus lane cameras. These illegal plates, also known as 3D or 4D number plates, utilise reflective materials and intricate designs to confuse camera systems. Additionally, some drivers distort their registration numbers with reflective tape or purchase “stealth plates” online.

Professor Fraser Sampson, former Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner has drawn attention to the issue, stating in a resignation letter to former Transport Secretary Mark Harper that the manipulation of number plates is widespread.

He warned, “For all its technological advancement and operational indispensability, the ANPR system still relies ultimately on a piece of plastic affixed to either end of a vehicle.”

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Professor Sampson described the system’s vulnerabilities as “staggeringly simple,” particularly given the unregulated market for number plates, which enables the proliferation of stealth plates and cloned registrations.

Wolverhampton City Council has emerged as a frontrunner in tackling the problem, becoming the first local authority to invest in cutting-edge technology designed to detect such illegal plates. Enforcement officers are now equipped with advanced cameras capable of identifying vehicles using deceptive number plates.

Councillor Craig Collingswood, the cabinet member for environment and climate change, stated, “Wolverhampton is leading the way as the first council investing in this state-of-the-art technology to deter and detect offenders.”

Drivers caught using ghost plates face a £ 100 penalty, and licensed taxi drivers in Wolverhampton risk having their licences suspended or revoked.

The ANPR system, which oversees 15,400 traffic cameras across the UK, processes between 75 and 80 million number plate reads daily with a 97 per cent accuracy rate. However, this still results in approximately 2.4 million misread plates each day, further exacerbating concerns about enforcement reliability.

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