Police chiefs are celebrating a major victory in the fight against a dangerous driving trick, as the government unveils new national powers to crack down on illegal number plates.
Government Launches Road Safety Offensive
The move forms a key part of a landmark national Road Safety Strategy. It specifically targets so-called 'ghost plates' – reflective or otherwise non-compliant number plates that are deliberately designed to evade detection by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras used by police forces across the country.
This crackdown follows a sustained campaign led by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster and West Bromwich MP Sarah Coombes, who pushed for the specific outlawing of plates made to deceive camera technology.
The Scale of the 'Ghost Plate' Problem
The issue is far from minor. In a stark illustration of the problem's prevalence, Operation Phantom identified 4,335 instances of non-compliant plates at a single location in Birmingham over just a two-week period in September last year.
The new strategy aims to stop criminals and dangerous drivers from moving across the road network undetected, closing a loophole that has been exploited for too long.
"This is a significant win for law and order and a huge step forward for road safety," said Mr Foster. "For too long, criminals have used 'ghost plates' to operate under the radar, evading the technology available to keep our streets safe."
He added that his tireless campaign to Westminster would help "catch criminals, protect the public, and ensure that no driver is above the law."
Broader Road Safety Measures Introduced
While the focus on ghost plates is a central win, the new Road Safety Strategy contains a string of other proposed measures. Mr Foster welcomed consultations on:
- Lowering the drink-drive limit.
- Introducing minimum learning periods for young drivers.
- Clamping down on uninsured drivers.
These tools, he stated, are vital to tackling the 'fatal four' main causes of road deaths: speeding, drink and drug driving, seatbelt neglect, and mobile phone use. "It will save countless lives in the West Midlands and beyond," he affirmed.
However, the Police and Crime Commissioner expressed disappointment that a bid to allow local areas to retain revenue from fixed penalty fines, for reinvestment into regional road safety schemes, was not included in the strategy.
MP Sarah Coombes echoed the positive sentiments on the ghost plate ban: "After a sustained campaign about the hidden menace of unreadable ghost number plates in parliament, I am delighted that the government has listened. There is no good reason to use a ghost plate... But they've now been rumbled."
She described the government's strategy as taking "decisive steps to end this number plate Wild West."
