10,000 drivers photographed with fake, obscured or hidden number plates – and escaping fines
Thousands of SA drivers with obscured plates managed to escape the gaze of traffic cameras in the past year but police say they’ve got more than one way of tracking people down.
Police & Courts
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Motorists are dodging fines by obscuring their number plates, with even one numeral or letter blocked being enough to get off.
In the 2019/20 financial year cameras photographed 10,810 vehicles with stolen or hidden plates, meaning they couldn’t be fined.
But many of the 2419 motorists caught by officers rather than cameras had the book thrown at them, with fines ranging from $558 or $787 depending on the offence.
The minimum fine has since increase to $507 plus a $60 victims of crime levy.
Officer in charge of the police traffic services branch Superintendent Bob Gray said number plates were photographed only when vehicles were speeding or committing red-light camera offences, but he warned an obscured number plate was not the end of the issue for police.
“Where police believe we can’t identify the correct registration number an inquiry is sent to the appropriate district in which the vehicle is registered for further investigation and follow up,’’ he said.
“Police do follow up these type of images, as well as pulling over drivers on our roads, and they will potentially be issued with an expiation notice if detected.”
Supt Gray said when a motorist was spotted by a police officer with an obscured number plate they would be pulled over and spoken to, cautioned or issued with an expiation notice.
“Motorists have an obligation to have a clear and legible number plate on their vehicle,’’ he said.
RAA spokesman Charles Mountain said there were important differences between number-plate offences, ranging from plates accidentally blocked by bicycle racks to criminals using false plates, which when caught on camera did not match the car being used.
“There are some pretty heavy fines involved but the biggest is if you have altered a plate, defaced it or added to it to hide your identity,’’ he said.
“For example, there was someone fined for having a plate on a four-wheel drive covered in mud, so was it accidental or deliberate, who knows.
“What it does show is that it is important for you to be able to be identified on the road and to take responsibility for maintaining number plates, including making sure they are secured properly.”
The majority of motorists caught, 1292, had either deliberately or accidentally hidden part of their number plate, usually by a tow bar, or something hanging from their boot. But 1186 were let off with a caution.
Missing number plates are also common, with 1077 drivers and riders caught, and 925 motorists were let off with a caution.
Police are very lenient when bike racks obscure a number plate, only fining one in 34 offenders.
