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‘An awful lot of people don't know' – Urgent warning for Irish drivers as Gardai set to clamp down on car rule
AN urgent warning has been issued to Irish drivers as Gardaí are set to clamp down on "illegal" car registrations.
Garda James Masters from Cobh Garda Station said they are clamping down on yellow and modified number plates.
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Gardai are cracking down on illegal car plates
Credit: Gardai
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Having them can come with serious legal complications
Credit: Gardai
In Ireland, vehicles must display a white number plate with black characters on the front, while the rear plate is allowed to be yellow with black characters.
Mimicking the UK style plates, putting a yellow plate on the front is considered illegal under Irish road laws.
Garda Masters revealed on C103's Cork Today Show: 'We do see some Irish registration vehicles that are yellow, which are illegal and non conforming.
'Even by googling this morning, you see very clearly what's allowed and what's not allowed - and we do see it.
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'We've come across a lot of plates that are actually Irish plates, not UK - But again, they're yellow and they're actually illegal. '
Irish road regulations require that all number plates follow strict guidelines on size, font and colour to ensure clear identification on the roads.
The font used on official plates is standardised to avoid any misreading by traffic cameras or law enforcement officers.
Garda Masters also mentioned that plates with italic fonts, bold fonts or any unusual styling are not allowed.
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Non-compliant plates are a common reason for not passing the NCT.
These regulations are designed not only for law enforcement but also for safety and easy identification in
I'm an Irish driving instructor and here is why your friends are failing the test
Revealing that modified plates are illegal,
'And again, you know, in my I suppose daily job, we do see it and you won't pass your NCT with them anyway.
'So a lot of people that have them will actually have the correct number plates at home.'
Along with the plates, Gardaí are also reminding learner and novice drivers of their restrictions on the road.
LEARNER ALERT
Learner and novice drivers must display the proper L or N plates clearly and always be accompanied by a fully licensed driver when
Irish road laws state that learner drivers cannot drive unaccompanied under any circumstances, with penalties including fines, penalty points and even vehicle seizure for breaches.
Garda Masters pointed out that although it's easy to overlook small details like properly displayed plates or whether a learner driver is accompanied, they can have legal implications.
He said: 'There has to be a fully licensed driver with them, and the laws are fairly severe.
'The car can be seized and there's actually penalty points and a fine associated with that as well.
"For the parents, if your boy or girl is going out driving just to take a look at their windscreen, take a look at the number plate, and make sure that they're driving with a fully licensed driver.'
