Conservative MP Andrew Griffith wants drivers and motorcyclists who have an obstructed number plate or none at all to be given there penalty points in addition to the existing £100 fixed penalty notice. He will this week introduce his own Bill as part of his campaign for tougher action.
The newly elected Arundel and South Downs MP – who was once one of the most senior boardroom figures at Sky – is attempting to secure a change in the law in the wake of a crackdown by Sussex Police on antisocial motorists.
Hopes of securing a prosecution can be dashed if a number plate does not show up on the camera. The penalty for driving without a proper number plate can go up to £1,000 if the case is taken to court, but Mr Griffith believes the threat of penalty points being added to a licence will change behaviour.
He said: “I hope that the [Bill] which I intend to present to the House of Commons will gain the support of Government and close a loophole in the law. A small minority of motorcyclists and drivers who speed or use our roads in an antisocial manner currently view illegal plates as a cost effective solution to avoid punishment.
“Penalty points on driving licences leading directly to higher insurance premiums and loss of licence would be a much stronger deterrent.”
Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras have become a major tool in crime-fighting. It was reported that during 2018 10.1billion scans were taken, with £472million raised from 6.96 million penalty tickets.
The Bill would also crack down on the use of so-called “show plates” which often feature flamboyant fonts or non-reflective materials and are not supposed to be used on public roads.
