Dangerous drivers are making themselves ‘invisible’ to speed and ANPR cameras – and the issue could be worse than first feared.
Cars have been fitted with “ghost” or “stealth” number plates which are reflective and cannot be read by police camera technology.
This effectively makes them invisible to authorities and allows owners to get away with speeding, running red lights and other acts of dangerous driving.
A West Midlands MP is now calling for tougher punishments for drivers caught with these ghost plates.
Currently, people face a £100 fine but no penalty points – a more lenient punishment than being caught speeding.
Number plates can also be cloned, made unreadable or altered relatively easily without detection by the authorities and it’s feared the crime may be “more widespread than initially thought”.
As well as reckless driving, other potential issues include ordinary drivers being left with huge bills if hit by a car on false plates which are not registered with insurers.
Sarah Coombes, the MP for West Bromwich, raised the issue in Parliament and is calling for tougher measures to clamp down on false plates.
She said: “This is a serious criminal issue. And at the moment, the penalties for covering up your number plate or changing it in some way is less than what you’d get for a speeding ticket.
“I know that most drivers in West Brom are just trying to get to work or drop their kids off at school. They are safe and careful drivers.
“But there are a select minority of people who think they are above the law.
“They think that by using a ghost plate they can get away with running red lights, drunk driving, ignoring speed limits and much, much worse.
“It can’t be right that these drivers are not being caught by police for creating so much danger on our roads. The punishments need to be tougher.”
Ms Coombes added: “ANPR and the humble number plate is hot-wired into the UK’s road safety.
“If people think, by doctoring their plates, they can speed, drive without due care or without insurance to evade prosecution – then we need to remove this temptation. Innocent members of the public are being put at risk.”
