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Police to test number plate ID chips
Automatic plate recognition on the way, too

By Steve Ranger

Published: Friday 30 September 2005

Police forces are preparing to trial car number plates fitted with chips to make it easier to identify vehicles.

The Department for Transport (DfT) told silicon.com the technology will be investigated for its "anti-crime and anti-fraud" potential. And although the DfT would not say when the trial is planned to take place, one newspaper report said it is likely to take place this autumn.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) said the details of the trial are still to be decided but that it is likely to be limited to police vehicles.

"As well as testing the technology in a live environment, it will allow the police to assess its value as a tool for accurately identifying vehicles and combating crime," it said.

The DVLA is also working with number plate manufacturers and security companies to develop an approved standard for number plates that would be more resistant to theft.

Today the government also announced a crackdown on uninsured drivers, using a database of all registered vehicles in the UK.

From November the police will start using automatic number plate recognition technology to identify and prosecute drivers without insurance.

Road safety minister Stephen Ladyman said in a statement: "We estimate that every law-abiding motorist pays £30 a year because of uninsured drivers. This new measure will be coupled with new police powers to electronically spot and, ultimately, to seize and destroy cars without insurance. We are determined to rid the roads of the menace of uninsured driving."