Millions of vehicles could fail their MoT because of illegal registration plates under new Department for Transport (DfT) proposals.
New research from esure car insurance has revealed that more than 3.7 million motorists have tampered with their vehicle licence plate or would consider doing so in order to avoid being caught by a speed camera.
Other drivers go even further to avoid being detected by a speed camera, with four per cent of motorists questioned confessing that they have, or would fit their car with, a device such as a laser jammer to prevent the number plate from being detected by traffic enforcement cameras.
The MoT test already includes a basic check, but the DfT is proposing a test to detect registration-plates which have an illegal background that can prevent identification of the plate by traffic enforcement cameras.
Mike Pickard, head of risk and underwriting at esure car insurance, said: “Speed cameras can save lives and increase road safety so any measures to improve their effectiveness and stop drivers flouting the law must be welcomed.”
Scottish drivers are least likely to break the law with only 2% saying that they would or have used a ‘flashback' spray and only 2% admitting that they have or would consider using tape to disguise their registration plate from speed cameras.
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