A troubling trend has emerged on Britain’s roads that poses a serious safety risk to UK motorists and transport authorities. “Ghost” plates will come under Parliament scrutiny as they become more common on the roads. Ghost plates are car registration plates that have been sprayed with a special coating, making them invisible to police. The government has initiated a parliamentary inquiry into how many of these ghost plates are currently being used on UK roads, and the findings point to a larger and more systemic problem.
The West Midlands authorities have initiated an inquiry into the troubling “ghost” plates
For any nation, ensuring safe roads for the public to use is essential for the greater good. In a recent string of reports, several instances of “ghost” plates being used by drivers have forced the government to initiate a parliamentary inquiry. The West Midlands regional police and crime commissioner has reported that over a two-week period, approximately 4,000 ghost plates were discovered on the West Midlands roads.
Ghost plates have a reflective coat that ensures they cannot be read by police Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems, and the trend has become more popular among the litany of criminals racing on the West Midlands roads, according to Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster. As part of a new pilot scheme that makes use of innovative technology, 4,335 “non-compliant plates” were captured in the region over two weeks.
West Bromwich MP Sarah Coombes has called for a crackdown on the illegal plates and has welcomed the news that an extensive inquiry has been launched by the government. For any drivers caught using the ghost plates, a £1,000 fine and six points can be expected.
“I’m really pleased to hear about the pilot and results as we were unsure of the scale of the issue with the plates, so it’s really good to have some detailed scale of that.” – West Bromwich MP Sarah Coombes
Thanks to the extensive government inquiry, ghost plates may become a thing of the past
Several regional politicians have welcomed the planned inquiry into the ghost plate problem. The government announced that it would be conducting extensive inquiries into the issue, as public safety is the major concern. The pilot scheme forms part of a broader initiative undertaken by the regional government to ensure a reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on West Midlands roads.
“It’s a road safety issue and a criminal one – there’s no good reason to have an invisible plate where cars just disappear from the system and we have no idea where they go. I’m really pleased West Midlands Police has taken the lead on this. We have serious car racing problems in the region, and in particular in West Bromwich, and we need the use of these plates to stop.” – West Bromwich MP Sarah Coombes
The planned inquiry follows a successful operation that used cutting-edge technology to expose thousands of illegal number plates operating across the Birmingham region. The inquiry comes off the back of an official statement from the West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner.
The West Midlands region will become a safer place for all once the ghost plates are dealt with
The United Kingdom is universally renowned for its strict and extensive regulations and initiatives that foster public safety. Ghost plates enable criminals to avoid police attention and pose a serious threat to the safety of UK roads. The fines and penalties will surely force those who use the illegal plates to reconsider the long-term implications if they are discovered, and the evidence suggests that the government will crack down on the use of ghost plates. The UK’s roads will become a safer place for all once the issue has been dealt with.