Am I the only one that has just clocked this

[iwantavuvezela]

that front numberplate on most cars are white, and the one at the back is yellow.
Just bought a car and thought perhaps the dealer had made a mistake until I noticed that all cars had this!
Am I the only one who has only just noticed this.

[Silversprinkles]

@itrytomakemyway

Ok, so this is a joke right? There is no way that anyone who drives cannot have noticed that the numberplates of the cars driving in the same direction in front of them are yellow and the ones driving towards them in the opposite directionare white?

It is impossible not to have noticed this.

This must be some sort of internet meme or windup that I have missed?

Well you'd have thought so but apparently some haven't ever noticed!

[sanityisamyth]

@User764832

It's because it's illegal to show a white light at the rear at night

How do you reverse in the dark then?!

[User764832]

If you are reversing you are effectively going forward to oncoming cars, hence the white lights

[ErrolTheDragon]

I wonder if the reason quite a few people haven't noticed the colour of the plates is because they focus on the numbers, not the background? And because white and yellow are the standard, neither is remarkable so it's ignored?

[Lalliella]

I did not know that! And I’m 55! Passed my test well before the theory test came in, that’s my excuse.

[FrangipaniBlue]

I feel like I've stumbled into a parallel universe.......

[ErrolTheDragon]

@User764832

If you are reversing you are effectively going forward to oncoming cars, hence the white lights

Which would then mean the white plate (and also headlights, still on!) would be at the 'back', which rather destroys this theory!

[ShaneTwane]

I have noticed this but I have never known why. Also passed my theory first time and it absolutely wasn't ever mentioned when I learned to drive ten years ago.

[PastMyBestBeforeDate]

Well this thread has done wonders for the cause of women drivers.

[Goawayangryman]

I have never noticed this. If you asked me "what colour are rear plates" I don't think I could have told you! And I am generally quite an observant person.... I can remember routes after doing them once, faces, complex linguistic terms etc... I will however never be able to tell you what colour eyes people have. I just think it's a kind of... Blind spot, quite literally.

[torquewench]

Tens of millions of vehicles knocking about on the roads and you've only noticed this major difference thats on nearly every one of them today? This has got to be a wind up

[itrytomakemyway]

Oh God the DM will have a field day if they pick up on this.

I am still dumbstruck by this. It isn't just a matter of 'not knowing'. To have never noticed this whilst driving, presumably seeing hundreds if not thousands of cars and number plates every day ? That's not simply 'not noticing'. It is driving whilst being unaware of what is literally right in front of you. It makes me scared to get on the road with you.

[redandwhite1]

OMG do you all drive round with your eyes shut? This is very concerning the number of people that don't know this!

[NuckingFightmare]

@noblegiraffe

They’re not different colours, it’s just the wavelength shifts depending on whether they are travelling towards you or away from you.

The shade of the reg plate is how speed cameras tell how fast you are going.

😂 Genius

[Itsokay2020]

Words fail me...

[Goawayangryman]

I'm amazed that anyone is amazed by this. And it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with driving ability..... Why would it? Driving is about orientation, spatial awareness, hand-eye co-ordination, speed of reflex and judgement. Not to do with noticing whether a plate or car in front of you is X colour..

[Itsokay2020]

@itrytomakemyway a classic example of driving without due care and attention... I don’t want to share the road with those who have such poor observation skills either! I am genuinely shocked!

[Starwind74]

I didn’t know this.I passed my test many years ago,and there’s wasn’t a theory test then !
,

[OnwardsAndSideways1]

I didn't know this. Just never occurred to me. No accidents, long no claims bonus, it's just not relevant to me!

[cheekychaplin]

@RaininSummer

I don't see why it matters if people know this or not though. You can still tell which is the front and back of the car. I also never did a theory test as passed in 1981.

It matters to me because it is an indicator of observation ability which is quite crucial for drivers.

[RichardMarxisinnocent]

@Toddlerteaplease

My dad always pointed out illegal number plates when I was a kid. So now I'm a pro at spotting them. And also unbalanced caravans

My dad did that too. He died in 2020 and whenever I see an illegal numberplate I think of him pointing it out.

[ErrolTheDragon]

It matters to me because it is an indicator of observation ability which is quite crucial for drivers.

Yes, but we 'edit out' details which aren't important to a task. While I'm surprised at how many have never noticed the colour of plates, I think I may not be wide of the mark in my earlier musings on why this might be.

[lovelygreenplants]

No idea that this was a thing, I’ve driven for 25 years

[lovelygreenplants]

I’ve got better things to do that take notice of such things and not being aware of the different colours has made no difference to my safety as a driver - I’ve never had an accident nor had any issues driving.

[Krabapple]

I never knew and been driving over 20 years 🙈