Number Plate Theft

Number plate theft has tripled over the last few years, with police records suggesting more than 33,000 cases a year. Thieves are increasingly targeting number plates rather than the car itself or its contents, so that they can use them in a number of criminal activities, including:

• selling a stolen vehicle as a legitimate one ( ringing )
• concealing the true identity of vehicles used in ram-raiding or thefts from petrol stations
• disguising stolen vehicles
• avoiding traffic related fines such as congestion charges, speeding fines and parking tickets ( cloning )

As a result of this worrying trend, a number of number plate manufacturers and other interested parties have been working with the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) to develop a voluntary standard for theft resistant number plates. Any theft resistant number plate must be able to resist any known attack method for a minimum period of three minutes; that is, the number plate cannot be removed from the car in a re-usable state in less than three minutes.

Theft resistant number plate cost about £20 - about twice the price of ordinary plates, plus the cost of fitting. However, not only will using this type of plate help to reduce the amount of thefts, but it will also offer a number of other benefits; for example, it will help to:

• reduce the problem of vehicle cloning
• reduce the number of innocent car owners who are faced with motoring related fines for acts they did not commit
• reduce the numbers of stolen or illegal vehicles offered for sale to unsuspecting motorists
• tackle the problem of petrol station 'drive offs'

If your number plates are stolen, report the theft to the police straight away, so that they can trace and prosecute the culprit to prevent this illegal activity from continuing.

Click here to read more from InterCars.co.uk