Motorists could soon face tougher penalties for not correctly displaying an everyday motoring object if government proposals get the green light.

It might see fines and MOT failures increase to penalty points and vehicle seizures, reports leading motoring website DrivingExperience.com.

However, law abiding motorists will have nothing to fear as the possible law changes, which are part of a government consultation which closes on 11th May, are aimed at drivers with incorrect, altered or false number plates.

The push for stronger punishments aims to target the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ plates designed to fool camera systems. It will also help crack down on uninsured drivers and vehicles without a valid MOT.

Indeed, a major report from the All-Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety suggests up to one in 15 vehicles on UK roads may carry modified, non-compliant plates including ‘ghost’ and stealth plates designed to evade ANPR detection.

Imran Malek, corporate sales manager at DrivingExperience.com, said: “Number plates play a crucial role in vehicle identification on our roads, such as helping with law enforcement.

“However, there are rising concerns about illegal plates, which hopefully, these possible new measures will help tackle.”

There are strict rules for how UK car number plates can be displayed including that the front plate must display black letters on a white background, the rear plate must display black letters on a yellow plate, and that plates don’t have a background pattern.

The characters on a number plate also need to be a certain size and height. Drivers should also remember that dirty or obscured number plates are illegal.

Imran added: “All motorists have an obligation to ensure that their number plate is legal. This includes keeping it clean and that it adheres to rules set by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Stick to the law and you’ll have nothing to worry about.”

For more information about DrivingExperience.com, including its experiences to help improve safer driving, visit www.drivingexperience.com