Search In The AnswerBank

Registration Plate Colours

What is the reason for British number plates being white at the front but yellow at rear?

Sammy Snake (Sat 20:42 26/Feb/05)

Please describe this clip for users who are unable to view You Tube videos, this is for their benefit.

Type your answer here
I want to subscribe to this thread

Answers 1 to 3 of 3

Avatar Image
KebabMeister
(Sun 01:24 27/Feb/05)

I can only imagine that the white is so it can be seen clearly.  The yellow being toned down so it doesn't glare from headlights at night.  It also helps differentiate the front and rear of the vehicle (!).

I think they were introduced in 1974, replacing the silver on black plates.

Avatar Image
sddsddean
(Sun 12:07 27/Feb/05)
The original reason (as KebabMeister intimates) was so that you could tell which end of the vehicle you were looking at. I don't really know why this was thought to be so important, unless the 'nutter' was driving it in the dark with no lights! As far as I know, no other country has a similar requirment for different colour number plates. 
Avatar Image
Hippy
(Sun 13:52 27/Feb/05)
I think this arises from the pre-existing rule that there should be no white reflectors or lights (except when reversing) on show at the rear of the vehicle. The 70s change was for more legible number plates, hence the reflective background. I think other countries do not have reflective white number plates at the rear.

A white light or reflector should immediately signify the front of an oncoming vehicle, or an obstruction that should be treated as such and passed to its left as seen from your direction of travel (in left hand drive countries).

Answers 1 to 3 of 3

Search In The AnswerBank

Latest posts [refresh]

0 min ago

paulineward

MM Links November 2009 [Week 3]

in Quizzes & Puzzles

1 min ago

bigmamma

well good morning

in ChatterBank

5 mins ago

4getmenot

LOL at KP

in Media & TV

7 mins ago

mollykins

time off sick/ grades

in Jobs & Education