MOTORISTS breaking the law have been caught out by new technology that has lead to over 4,000 people being fined in two weeks.
“Ghost plates” are used by drivers aiming to avoid fines, as they have a reflective coating, which means that they cannot be read by police Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems.
Ghost plates cannot be detected by speed cameras[/caption]
According to West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, use of the illegal plates is on the rise, however, new tech is being trialled to bust culprits.
The county recently trialled new technology as part of a pilot scheme, and captured 4335 non-compliant plates during the two-week trial period.
Those who are caught using “ghost plates” are currently subject to a measly £100 fine, less than a speeding ticket.
However, campaigners want this to rise to £1,000 as well as a six points on the offender’s licence.
The pilot scheme, which was in collaboration with Redspeed international, and used its Sentio Ghost camera technology was called Operation Phantom.
“Ghost plates” are also invisible to speed, bus lane and low emission zone cameras, and have been described by Mr Foster as a “serious criminal enabler.”
He said: “By using cutting-edge technology, we are exposing offenders who think they can evade the law, and ensuring that they can be brought to justice,” he said.
“The results from Operation Phantom show that with innovation and determination, we can tackle crime and keep our roads safe.”
West Bromwich Labour MP Sarah Coombes, who previously campaigned for a crackdown on the illegal plates said: “I’m really pleased to hear about the pilot and results as we were unsure of the scale of the issue with the plates, so it’s really good to have some detailed scale of that.
“This is a very significant number and we need evidence of this so we can make the penalties harsher and help change the law.
“They’re so easy to buy if you look on the internet or Tik Tok where they are glamorised.
“It’s a road safety issue and a criminal one – there’s no good reason to have an invisible plate where cars just disappear from the system and we have no idea where they go.
“I’m really pleased West Midlands Police has taken the lead on this. We have serious car racing problems in the region, and in particular in West Bromwich, and we need the use of these plates to stop.”
Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood has revealed that the DVLA is working with police chiefs to crack down on fraudsters selling the sham plates, which are often used by drug dealers and boy racers.
Kits to make the plates are being sold online for as little as £40, with sites openly selling the gear.
What to do if you believe you licence plate has been cloned?
Often the first indication of this crime, will be receiving a parking or speeding fine that wasn’t committed by you in the post.
According to Martyn James, from complaints resolution service Resolver, it’s important to act immediately and do not pay the ticket.
He told Mirror Money: “You need to report the matter to the police. In theory, the crime reference number should be a major contributing factor to your complaint succeeding.”
He said the first thing to do is contact the police and DVLA straight away to inform them that you believe your number plate has been cloned.
They will issue you with a crime number – and once you have that, you need to contact the company that issued the fine.
Martyn says you should use this phrase in the correspondence: “I am disputing this fine because this is not me or my vehicle. I have reported this to the police. Please confirm in writing that you are suspending charges and interest while this matter is looked into.”
The complaints resolution expert says it’s a good idea to gather evidence to support your case and prove you were not at the location where the offence was committed.
This could include any receipts, records that show bank transactions, records from your workplace and anything else that can prove your point.
Data from telematics systems such as black boxes – which are typically used to monitor drivers’ road habits to lower insurance rates – can also be requested as they should show the location of the vehicle at specific dates and times.
Collecting as much evidence as possible will help your claim.
James added: “Complaints succeed where people stay calm and present evidence to counter the claim. But reporting the dispute is the most important thing.”
The dodgy plates are often labelled as “show plates” as a way of getting around the rules.
And social media sites are flooded with videos promoting them to fraudsters.