Thousands of drivers are dodging penalty points and fines through an easy trick. Authorities reveal that during a fortnight in Birmingham, a staggering 4,335 motorists were caught using “ghost plates” – devices designed to slip past speed cameras and restricted lane monitoring systems for buses and taxis.
West Midlands Police collaborated with Redspeed International to test revolutionary technology capable of identifying vehicles fitted with these illegal 3D and 4D number plates, which are specifically engineered to fool Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems. Officials believe the figures found through ‘Operation Phantom’ are just the start, with similar illegal plates being deployed throughout the UK, reports Stoke on Trent Live.
Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, who leads the West Midlands Road Safety Strategic Group, declared: “Road safety and tackling crime on our roads is a top priority for me and tackling illegal ghost plates is an important part of that mission.
“These illegal plates are not a minor offence – they are a serious criminal enabler. By using cutting-edge technology, we are exposing offenders who think they can evade the law, and ensuring that they can be brought to justice.”
It was previously reported that approximately one in 15 drivers were using illegal plates. Professor Fraser Sampson, the former Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, voiced his concerns about this rampant misuse in a resignation letter to Mark Harper, the then Conservative Transport Secretary, expressing disappointment at the lack of action taken.
The initial phase of Operation Phantom was carried out across the West Midlands. It focused on:
Exposing the true scale and impact of ghost platesDeploying new countermeasures to identify and apprehend offendersEducating and raising public awareness of the dangers of ghost plates
In just the first fortnight of the pilot, the innovative Redspeed ‘Sentio Ghost’ camera technology detected 4,335 instances of ghost plate use involving 2,961 individual vehicles – incidents that would likely have slipped past traditional systems.
The police say that this valuable intelligence will guide future enforcement strategies, support changes in law to close loopholes, and contribute to public safety campaigns.
