A raft of cars with brand new number plates are hitting the road across England, Scotland and Wales today.
March 1 marks the start of a new six-month period in the motoring calendar, meaning a change in what is known as ‘age identifiers’.
These are the first two numbers on the licence plate, and as of today, new cars sold are assigned the number 23.
In September, after another six months, the age identifiers will change again to 73.
The rest of the characters on the plate are given as usual, with the first few letters indicating the region where the car is registered.
A raft of cars with brand new number plates are hitting the road across England, Scotland and Wales today.
March 1 marks the start of a new six-month period in the motoring calendar, meaning a change in what is known as ‘age identifiers’
The end of the number plate, however, is randomly generates and is used as a way of uniquely identifying the car.
Manufacturers making the plates also have to follow rules around fonts, font sizes, colours and placements.
Drivers who don’t display their number plate correctly will fail their MOT and could also be fined up to £1,000 if caught.
However, there are a number of myths around licence plates, too, which car insurance app Cuvva is keen to dismiss.
Spokesman Darryl Bowman said: ‘While they do indicate the age of the car, it’s a common misconception that number plate changes decrease the value of a car.
‘If you’re looking to sell your car soon, and want the best price possible, it’s best to sell before the new plates come out.
‘And if you want to grab a bargain for a nearly-new car, buying a car that’s registered one plate back might be a good idea.
‘There are ways to lower the depreciation of a car, including regular servicing, MOT checks, choosing a popular model and reducing your driving time to keep mileage low.’
