More and more West Australians have decided that personalised number plates are what they need to make their wheels stand out from the traffic.
Last year 35,000 "optional" plates were issued to car lovers, a 20 per cent increase on the previous year, according to a Department of Transport (DoT) spokesperson.
"More than 3,000 plates were issued in the lead-up to Christmas, suggesting optional plates have customer appeal as a unique gift for friends and family."
But not everyone got their plate of choice. Certain combinations of letters and numbers are deemed too risqué or offensive for our roads.
According to DoT, each time an application for custom plates is submitted online it is subject to a strict set of guidelines and reviewed by a committee that includes representatives from WA Police and private organisations.
Personalised number plates cannot include religious connotations, references to alcohol, drugs or tobacco, anti-road safety messages or offensive, derogatory, or discriminatory language or even include Commonwealth or State bodies like NAVY, ANZAC or RAAF.
Number plates knocked back in the past month include:
- CRMNL — Crime reference
- XIXIXIXIX — Difficult to read
- ANILATR — Road safety
- T3QUILA — Alcohol reference
- ADHD12 — Mental health reference
The Perth suburbs where optional plates were most popular last year were:
- Baldivis
- Canning Vale
- Ellenbrook
- Osborne Park
- Byford
And the top-of-the-table WA regional centres for optional plates in 2021 were:
- Bunbury (Eaton, Dudley Park, Australind)
- Busselton
- Collie
- Manjimup
- Dunsborough
Number plate confusion in regional WA
Busselton car enthusiast Ian Atkinson said he was shocked when he heard a complaint about his number plate 'SPAK ATAK' from a member of the disability workforce.
Mr Atkinson said the number plates, which originally cost about $600, came with the car that he bought two months ago.
"When I bought it, I had no idea that it would offend anybody, I had no idea what it meant to some people," he said.
"It just depends on someone's interpretation, what it means.
"And I've been in contact with the original owner who bought the plates originally, and he can't even remember what they relate to, he just got them because he wanted those letters on his number plate."
A DoT spokesperson said they were investigating the number plates "as a matter of priority".
They said the plate had been approved in 2011 and would not be approved today given the strict guidelines and review processes now in place to "ensure plate combinations are not considered inappropriate or offensive to the community".
Plates should not have been approved, says disability advocate
CEO of not-for-profit disability service provider Ability WA Jacquie Thomson told ABC Radio Perth she found it surprising the Department of Transport had approved the "offensive" number plates.
"I think the stereotyping and the negativity of the word spastic is something that's really quite now outmoded. And for many people very offensive," Ms Thomson said.
Callers to ABC Radio Perth claimed the plates may refer to an S-Pack (Sports pack) model of car.
Mr Atkinson said he had received phone calls from DoT requesting the plates be handed in.
"They want me to hand the plates in. Whether I have to hand them in, or they come and take them I'm not sure," he said.
"I'm still not sure where I stand legally, whether I'm allowed to have these plates or not, whether they are allowed to take them or not.
"They look good on the car. They're black plates on a black car. And I still like them. So I don't know."
Mr Atkinson said he thought there were some discrepancies in the standards applied to plates.
"Over the years I've had plates like 'MAD 351' and 'MAD 308' I just love to put personalised type numberplates on my cars," he said.
"Recently I wanted to get HQQNIGAN on a numberplate — like Hoonigan.
"It got knocked back as they thought the plates would incite some sort of road rage, that was going on a Holden Monaro HQ — I had no intention of inciting road rage with this."
