Ghosts on the Road – Tackling the rise in illegal registration plates
Read the full report
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Transport (APPGTS) is warning that the UK’s outdated and poorly regulated number plate system has created a vast and rapidly growing crisis that enables criminals and organised crime groups to operate undetected on our road network, lets dangerous drivers off the hook, poses serious safety concerns, and leads to a significant loss of public funds.
The APPGTS launched the report following a cross-party inquiry into vehicle registration plates, following calls from MPs and experts who had drawn attention to a brewing crisis in road safety.
The UK’s advanced Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, now capturing around 90 million reads each day across more than 18,000 cameras, is being critically undermined by weak regulation of number plate production, supply and a lack of enforcement.
As many as one in fifteen vehicles may carry modified, non-compliant plates including ‘ghost’ and stealth plates designed to evade ANPR detection. These plates, often sold openly online by unregulated suppliers, enable drivers to avoid paying road charges, tolls, congestion fees and fines.
The report concludes that the current registration plate system represents a “gaping hole” in the UK’s security and policing infrastructure, one that can be exploited using nothing more sophisticated than cellophane, leaves or a marker pen.
It advocates for wholesale revision of the registration plate system from production to supply, usage and management. Self-funding solutions exist that would tackle the flaws in the current system with relative ease – but changes need to be multi-pronged and to include all of the relevant stakeholders.
Key recommendations:
- Standardise design of registration plates, with security features to bring the UK up to international standards. Ban the use of 3D and 4D plates.
- Significantly restrict the number of licenced sellers via annual fees, regular audits and removal of non-compliant sellers.
- Increase the fine and give offenders points for use of an illegal plate and seize vehicles of repeat offenders.
Sarah Coombes, MP for West Bromwich, said:
“This explosive report lays bare the threat posed by ghost and cloned plates. It also makes clear how the whole system is failing. It’s totally wrong that people can commit terrible crimes and then set themselves up as number plate sellers with no questions asked. Those selling these illegal plates have gone under the radar for too long – but now they’ve been rumbled. I hope the government cracks down on them immediately.”
Martin Saunders, Head of Uninsured Driving Prevention, Motor Insurers’ Bureau said:
“MIB exists to protect people from the devastation of uninsured and hit and run drivers. The increasing damage done by drivers of vehicles hiding in plain sight on our road system should not be tolerated.
There is an urgent need for a partnership approach to implement the recommendations made in this report to make our road system safer and ensure every vehicle is able to be quickly and readily identified by the number plate it exhibits.”
Michael Flanagan, Chairman, British Number Plate Manufacturers Association (BNMA) said:
‘’The BNMA fully supports the recommendations of the APPG. This report provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen compliance across our members’ customer base, ensuring that end consumers consistently receive a high‑quality, fully compliant product.
‘’The BNMA will support the proposed level of regulation during and after its implementation by providing compliant resources and enhancing its guidance to outlets, authorities, and the public, thereby safeguarding public safety through a secure and regulated supply system.’’
RAC Head of Policy Simon Williams said:
“It’s clear from this report that urgent action must be taken to stop the widespread abuse of number plates, which has serious and far-reaching consequences for our society from road safety to national security. Ghost and cloned plates have no place on our roads as no one should be able to drive a vehicle that’s invisible to enforcement cameras or untraceable by the police.
“It’s vital we introduce new, higher security standards for number plates and those who produce them.”