Why '60'

[Ricky49]

The new reg is out in a week or so but why is it '60'.

 

Bought the missus a new Nissan Qashqai and she's miffed it's going to come with a '60'. She's thinks it should be '15'.

 

To explain the reason behind it I tried to google it but couldn't find an answer.

 

Does anyone have an idea why it's '60' so I can shut her up.

 

Thanks

[Soop Dogg]

They add '5' to the first digit on the second registration date of the year.

 

So '09' became '59' and '10' becomes '60'

 

'11' will become '61'

[jimmy_supra]

The new reg is out in a week or so but why is it '60'.

 

Bought the missus a new Nissan Qashqai and she's miffed it's going to come with a '60'. She's thinks it should be '15'.

 

To explain the reason behind it I tried to google it but couldn't find an answer.

 

Does anyone have an idea why it's '60' so I can shut her up.

 

Thanks

 

Because the last set of reg plates were all 50 something. The first number being 5 so 6 follows on from 5 hence 60.

[Homer]

08 = early 2008

58 = late 2008

09 = early 2009

59 = late 2009

10 = early 2010

60 = late 2010

etc

[Ricky49]

God it's so easy to understand when your shown.

 

I couldn't even get it happy days that will keep her quiet for a day or two.

[Snooze]

It was basically a short-term money spinner for DVLA bosses.

 

The 0's and 5's shenanigans was invented by the DVLA in 2001 because they realised how many words can be created with 0s as 'O's and 5s as 'S's - giving them loads of "personalised" plates to sell off at premium prices for the first 10 years.

Of course, whoever takes over at the DVLA now will get flamed for not making as much money as his predecessor, but hey - that's how things work, right?

 

The crazy notion of using 0's and 5's then 1's and 6's doesn't really make any sense. The sensible way to do it would to have had one digit for the issue number (1 - 1st issue of the year, 2 - 2nd issue of the year) followed by a 2-digit year. That way, they could have kept the flexibility to change the number of issues without mucking up the scheme, AND it would have been a lot simpler.

[Jake]

She's thinks it should be '15'.

Why 15?

I can't figure how it might be 15 after 10 or 59

[ivan]

Not so much a money spinner, more a pretty smart way to get 50 years out of the numbering system (01 - 99).

With the last two systems they've only managed 20-odd years before having to change.

[Snooze]

...or....if 2 digits was a real limitation, they could have just started at 01 and gone up one with each issue (01-99)!

That would also have been simple AND coped with changes in the number of issues per year (I guarantee they'll want to change the number of issues before that 50 years is up!)

 

Promise you - it was done just to create lots of saleable plates.

[KamaSupra]

Why 15?

I can't figure how it might be 15 after 10 or 59

I'm also confused

[caseys]

I think we should all get given an IP address for life and then that can also too be your license plate.

 

IPv6 ftw.

[mobsta_01]

Why 15?

I can't figure how it might be 15 after 10 or 59

 

She probably figured because they add a 5 for every second issue, that 10 should be followed by 15. But that doesn't work because they add a 5 at the front of the nmber and not at the end.

[mobsta_01]

I think we should all get given an IP address for life and then that can also too be your license plate.

 

IPv6 ftw.

 

What if you have more than one car?

[Matt H]

Basically to allow the system to run till 2049 (which will be a 99 plate) while allowing for two plates a year. They could technically do a 2050 beginning of the year plate, which would be 50.

 

I thought it was pretty obvious myself.

[RedM]

Surely if it started 02, 52, 03, 53 etc etc then the next plate should go back to 01 then 51 before starting again.

 

I appreciate that it may cause confusion when someone tries to sell you an 02 car under the premise that it is a 12 plate but they clearly didn't think it through.

[a98pmalcolm]

this was the time i would have got my personalised plate for my Corrdo with "G60" in there lol

[caseys]

What if you have more than one car?

 

I think it should transfer with you. Electric number plates. Get in the car, plate changes to your registration etc.

 

May require quite a bit of tech rather than just a plate and a printer admittedly

[Matt H]

Surely if it started 02, 52, 03, 53 etc etc then the next plate should go back to 01 then 51 before starting again.

 

I appreciate that it may cause confusion when someone tries to sell you an 02 car under the premise that it is a 12 plate but they clearly didn't think it through.

 

 

The numbers represent the year. They don't just go 'up' for no reason. It started in late 2001 anyway, with the 51 plate.

[RedM]

 

The numbers represent the year. They don't just go 'up' for no reason. It started in late 2001 anyway, with the 51 plate.

 

Yeah, I'm aware of that. Each years plate uses either 0 or 5 plus the last digit of the year.

 

I'm assuming that the change to 6* plates is to avoid confusion with cars appearing to be of the same age but it doesn't flow very well.

 

I agree with the post from Snooze a few up from here.

[Soop Dogg]

They add '5' to the first digit on the second registration date of the year.

 

So '09' became '59' and '10' becomes '60'

 

'11' will become '61'

 

This is what I posted earlier.

 

If you work it out, every 2-digit combination will be used once from 01 to 99 by the end of 2049.

 

So there's no conspiracy of making more money as every combination is used and no combination is used more than once.

 

I think it was a pretty good idea myself as it will last twice as long as the previous couple of systems.

[James]

The current system makes more sense than doing it from 01-99 in that order.

 

With the 2 different issue times in a year (March & September), the year+50 for the second half keeps it easy to see which year it was made.

 

If it was done 01 and 02 for 2001, 03 and 04 for 2002 etc. it becomes a nightmare to work out what is for what. It makes sense that the 2 digits represents the year and then the 2 digits + 50 is for the second half.

 

01-99 would be fine if it was still just March they were coming out with new cars.

[Matt H]

I'm assuming that the change to 6* plates is to avoid confusion with cars appearing to be of the same age but it doesn't flow very well.

 

It's simply to accurately represent the age. I don't understand why you don't think it doesn't flow well. The last possible alhapbetical plate ended in 2001 so that's when the new scheme had to come in. It's a very clever design that will able to last longer than the others while not having to increase the No. of characters on the plates nor just have letters.

[Matt H]

If it was done 01 and 02 for 2001, 03 and 04 for 2002 etc. it becomes a nightmare to work out what is for what. It makes sense that the 2 digits represents the year and then the 2 digits + 50 is for the second half.

 

Is anyone actually debating that?

[James]

...or....if 2 digits was a real limitation, they could have just started at 01 and gone up one with each issue (01-99)!

That would also have been simple AND coped with changes in the number of issues per year (I guarantee they'll want to change the number of issues before that 50 years is up!)

 

Promise you - it was done just to create lots of saleable plates.

 

Is anyone actually debating that?

 

 

Yes, Snooze is right in the sense that if they changed it to issues every 4 months instead of every 6, they could just keep going up by one number each time. But, what I was meaning in the bit that you quoted Matt, is that it's a nightmare for working out what came out when without quite a bit of thought.