In England why is the front number plate white and the back one yellow...???

Question

just wondering...

Answer 1

So that from a distance you can tell which way the car is going

Answer 2

It is illegal in the UK to have a white light source (including a reflective source) visible to the rear of the vehicle apart from reversing lights. This means that a white reflective numberplate (as used on the front) would be illegal at the rear of a car.

Therefore, the authorities decided when introducing reflective numberplates (in about 1972) that the front plate should be white with black lettering, for greatest clarity, and that the rear plate should have the next-best possible clarity, which happens to be yellow with black lettering.

Answer 3

it is because:

all vehicles registered after 1967? must have reflective reflective yelow n white plates to enable us 2 differentiate between a vehicle coming towards u or moving away from you. it also reduces glare 2 have yellow on the back of a vehicle cozthe lights r white on the front.

a good idea really

Answer 4

Further to the other answers, when the Republic of Ireland went reflective, they decided on pink rear plates (AFAIR these lasted until the end of the UK-derived system.)

Answer 5

Because that is the British Standard (and increasingly I think the European Union wide standard) - presumably its to do with ease of recognition

Answer 6

So that you can tell if a VW Beatle and a Audi TT are going backwards or forwards

Answer 7

wish I had a pound for every time someone asks this question!

Answer 8

Because we like it that way!!

Answer 9

in case the bobby is colour blind