On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 12:27:47 +0000, Matthew Maddock wrote:

So... what does it do that ANPR doesn't then ? I suppose it's cheaper.

No a lot as far as I can see. Note that the article was written nearly
three years ago now, and was talking about a database - which now
exists, but with NPR rather than the transponder system they suggest.

I doubt it, not at that price, not the amount of battering it will get on
a number plate. It'd be more sensible to put it in the car, harder to swap
plates for one thing.

These things are *very* robust. The ones I was using 15 years ago
were only a couple of pounds each. They are used for all sorts of
things now-a-days. I'm sure anyone who has a pet will tell you that
you can pop down to your local vets and have one of these injected
into your favourite animal. If they can stand up to animal abuse, they
can stand up to being stuck into a number plate.

I'm not sure that's a very good example.... dogs aren't tanked along at
70 mph being vibrated and having mud and slush thrown at them.

Fine, but all that tells you is *that* plate is attached to *that* car.

Indeed.

Because on policies that have multiple vehicles and multiple drivers the
cars are explicitly detailed on the policy.

Not always they're not.

They should be. I used to have a motor trade policy and it was a legal
requirement that any cars which I kept on the road were registered on
the policy immediately. 18 months ago they didn't have to be, but they
do now. A lot of insurance companies can now refuse to run the period
of grace system because of this requirement (where they allow you
to back date your insurance a couple of weeks to your renewal date
if you "miss" it)

Well, one of my relatives claims not, but she may well be fibbing. (it is
required for her work apparently)

This in nothing new, the
insurance / tax & mot status of all vehicles is already part of a
database (MID for insurance) which the police can look up live now by
reading your number plate. There are many police cars with this system
already fitted, and it is used very sucessfully.

Not that successfully.....

Only because there are not enough police getting of their arses and
going out to pull cars!

True. Isn't there a simpler low-tech way of doing this. Road tax is
relatively simple to Police ; it just requires someone to actually do it