This year there have been many road rules changes for drivers whether it's the Highway Code or new speed camera laws.
However now the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has issued a warning to motorists - and this time it's all about their number plate.
Whilst many of us can spot a funny wording on a licence plate or come across a unique way of trying to spell their name in limited characters, it is said that more than 300 new number plates have been banned from use by the DVLA as they are classed as 'too rude' and therefore not appropriate to register with some even said to be offensive.
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Twice a year, new number plates are released in March and September and each year more and more people seem to be getting their own custom made plate in a bid to show off their new addition to the driveway.
The DVLA reportedly earns around £160 million alone annually from people splashing out on personalised number plates with an assortment of numbers and letters which vaguely resembles a name or something similar.
However now the agency is cracking down on how strict they are being when deciding on whether to approve a certain registration plate with many being refused due to offensive language or for political, racial or religious reasons - and in the latest update, covid reasons.
New banned combinations have been added to the banned list include:
- Any that end with the three letters ARS, BUM or SEX
- Covid related number plates have also been banned including CO22 RNA, CO22 ONA and CO22 VD
- F22 KER
- BA22 TRD
- A22 HLE
- TU22 URD
- S22 LAG
- R22 NK
- BO** MBS
The full list cannot be published to their language and offensive nature.
A DVLA spokesman said: “The vast majority of registration numbers are made available but the agency holds back any combinations that may cause offence, embarrassment, or are in poor taste.
“Many people enjoy displaying a personalised registration number and there are over 50m registrations available on our website with almost endless possibilities of combinations to suit a person’s taste, interests and budget.”
As well as this, two-tone number plates - which use extra colours to make the letters appear 3D - are being banned to allow number plate recognition cameras to better read lettering. The new rules are all part of a new standard of number plates.
The old standard used BS AU 145d plates, which have been in use since September 2001, will soon be replaced with the new standard, BS AU 145e, which is being rolled out shortly.
