Labour has revealed it could introduce stricter penalties for drivers who use illegal "ghost plates" to prevent being caught by speed cameras in place on UK roads.
It comes after the issue was raised in Parliament today during Transport Questions, with MPs discussing the growing problem of vehicles using modified number plates.
The plates appear normal to the human eye but become unreadable by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, making them a popular choice for rulebreakers.
Currently, drivers caught with these illegal plates face only a £100 fine with no penalty points, which MPs argue is "hardly a deterrent" for speeding or committing other driving offences.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk
Drivers found with 'ghost' number plates can currently face a £100 fine
PABut today, Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood confirmed that implementing "stricter penalties and fines will be considered as part of work on the new road safety strategy" being developed by the Government.
Ghost plates, also known as "stealth plates", are modified number plates with reflective coatings that make them unreadable to police speed cameras and ANPR technology while appearing normal to the naked eye.
These illegal plates can be purchased online for as little as £30, effectively making vehicles invisible to automated enforcement systems.
According to information presented in Parliament, one study found that as many as one in 15 drivers may already be using anti-ANPR technology.
Sarah Coombes, Labour MP for West Bromwich, has been leading the campaign to crack down on ghost plates through her Vehicle Registration Offences Review Bill, which she introduced to Parliament in February.
The bill proposes increasing penalties for those caught with illegal number plates from the current £100 fine to £1,000, plus adding six penalty points to offenders' licences.
During today's Transport Questions, Coombes told the House: "The scale at which this problem now exists is frightening. These plates are on every street, in every town, and they are being used to openly commit offences and evade capture, in the knowledge there's very little we can do about it."
Greenwood acknowledged the concerns but added that it is already illegal to sell and display "that type of number plate, but I recognise that there is more to do."
What a 'ghost' number plate looks like to an ANPR camera WOLVERHAMPTON COUNCILThe minister confirmed that the DVLA is working with the National Police Chiefs' Council, the Home Office, various police forces and trading standards on the supply and use of these illegal number plates.
She added that the new road safety strategy, which is currently being put together, will be the first comprehensive plan in over a decade and will hope to include greater deterrents for drivers.
The need for more rules follows reports that in the West Midlands alone, 1,000 people are killed or seriously injured on roads each year by a speeding vehicle, with the UK-wide figure reaching 30,000 people annually.
The RAC recently found that almost half of UK police forces have caught motorists driving more than 90mph in 30mph zones, with West Midlands police recording a driver travelling at 100mph in a 30mph area.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Sarah Coombes introduced the Vehicle Registration Offences Review Bill in February
PARLIAMENT UK
"It cannot be right that these drivers are not facing the consequences of their actions and are creating so much danger for everyone else," Coombes said during her parliamentary campaign in February.
