UK sticker on vehicle

SteveL
SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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Didn’t realise we were going to have to change our GB sticker for a UK one.

LINK

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Comments

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,601 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #2

    The Organisational ability of any member of the current cabinet leaves one speechless.

    It would appear that they've all been promoted to their highest level of incompetency.

    Good job we're not going until next year.

    More than a bit underhanded not to bring it to anyone's attention, either involved in motoring or tourism, but par for the course.

    Thanks for the post Steve

  • Unknown
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    edited July 2021 #3
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  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #4

    I just ask who is going to know if I have a GB or UK sticker on the back of my motorhome. If I get to Dover will they prevent me crossing over to France? Of course they aren't. Are the French authorities likely to be that bothered, with a shrug of the shoulders I suggest not. I don't know how many of you have met Danish drivers whilst in Europe? One thing I have noticed about them is that they rarely use EU plates and rarely have a country identifier on their cars. 

    As an aside years ago before the EU as we know it today I came across quite a few caravanners/motorhomers from NI who always use IRL plates because they felt they got a warmer welcome than using GB stickers!!!

    I am starting to think I need to go and live in a more liberal country, perhaps Belarusyell

    David

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited July 2021 #5

    as my number plate had an EU flag with GB underneath, i had to add a separate GB sticker...

    now that will need changing to UK....

    unbelievable...

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2021 #6

    No problem in the UK but 'UK' is not recognised as a country identifier abroad. Only 'GB' is, but as already said, chances of being caught are relatively remote unless confronted by an overzealous police officer.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited July 2021 #7

    Are vehicles supposed to have only one country's sticker on them? I've seen many foreign, .e. non UK/GB, lorry trailers with more than 1 country's stickers on them on our roads. And what about the fad cof having stickers of all the places one has visited, this appears to still be going on. So no problem, just bung a UK sticker next to your old GB one. Simples 😁

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #8

    It’s fairly simple for us, but I feel sorry for all the organisations stuck with thousands of GB ones that are going to be heading for landfill. 

  • Unknown
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    edited July 2021 #9
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  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #10

    If you travel out of your own country you should have a country identifier either as part of the number plate or as a separate sticker. Different countries have different ways of supplying number plates. I don't think police here or in Europe seem overly bothered by this. Trailers might be different and I am sure Lutz would give us chapter and verse but the different country identifiers I wonder if it might be due to the trailer having to be registered in several countries where you have one haulage company with depots in several countries? 

    David

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #11

    Must admit when this was first highlighted on another forum I viewed it with some increduality but I guess it must be true when it is report yet again by a national newspaper. No great problem for an indivual but for those that have vast stocks of GB stickers and numberplates a bit of a loss. Anyone know why GB was used in the first place after all the country address is UK?

    peedee

     
  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited July 2021 #12

    If Nicola Sturgeon gets her way, we'll probably have to change it back to GB in a few years. What a pointless exercise. You'd think that our political leaders had more important things to deal with. It makes rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic seem like a priority task.

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #13

    A bit a digging reveals it was first officially assigned by the International Standards Organisaion (ISO) in 1974 and is derived from the the full country name " United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" UK may have previously been used but today it is officially recognised as the country code used for denoting internet domains, e.g. .co.uk. The move would appear to regularise codes?

    peedee

     
  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #14

    Wouldn’t that be the wrong designation though. I assumed GB included Scotland and UK encompassed Great Britain (England/Wales/Scotland) and Northern Ireland. Without trying to get political, perhaps they didn’t want Northern Ireland to use a separate identifier, as it already feels cut off from the mainland by the customs situation.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #15

    But then we'll lose all those jokes!

    I remember my dad telling me that the L plate stood for learner and GB was getting better smile

  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
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    edited July 2021 #16

    I didn't know that the United Kingdom was an officially recognised name for our group of countries. I thought is was Great Britain for the collection of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  There doesn't appear top be anything 'united' about those countries at present. I guess somebody has a financial interest in a sticker making company.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited July 2021 #17

    not my words...

    "Great Britain is not a country; it’s a landmass. It is known as ‘Great’ because it is the largest island in the British Isles, and houses the countries of England, Scotland and Wales within its shores." So, a physical term.

    "The UK is short for The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland… quite a mouthful! It is a sovereign state (in the same way as France or the USA) but is made up of four countries; England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. For Americans, the best analogy would be that the UK is like the USA, whilst its four consistent countries are like states." A political term.

    a summary from the article...

    "The UK – a sovereign state that includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
    Great Britain – an island situated off the north west coast of Europe. England, Wales, Scotland
    British Isles – a collection of over 6,000 islands, of which Great Britain is the largest. includes the island of Ireland.
    England – a country within the UK."

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #18

    Rather ironic that the Government are taking the Great out of Britain, I thought the whole mantra was to make Britain great again, or is that somewhere elsewink

    David

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited July 2021 #19

    MBGA it just don’t have that MAGA flow to it. I like MEGA, I’d buy that hat👍🏻

  • Kasspa
    Kasspa Club Member Posts: 359 ✭✭✭
    edited July 2021 #20

     Just purchased a personal plate & these are the current rules.....

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-the-eu#gb-stickers-and-number-plates

    However, I always thought Switzerland was included in that list although this may only have applied whilst we were in the EU.

    I stand to be corrected.

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #21

    Crickey!  Only yesterday stuck a GB Sticker with the Union Flag over my 'European' GB plate on both car and caravan as I thought that was what was required.  Looks as though I will have to get a different one again.  Peedee, no idea just thought that we lived in Great Britain which is also known as the United Kingdom; but GREAT BRITAIN does sounds better!!  

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #22

    really dont see this as a problem, you have been able to buy GB stickers with the Union Jack for as little as £1 on the web, these are self adhesive waterproof and simply stuck over the existing EU stars etc on your number plate, I am sure that in a matter or weeks similar stickers will be available, peel off the back stick over existing job done.tongue-out

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #23

    Having read Kasppa's link it looks as though at the moment my plate with the GB and Union Flag on the left side is still the legal requirement.  I'll wait until the Gov't make a formal announcement before I lose any sleep over this one.

  • Unknown
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    edited July 2021 #24
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  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited July 2021 #25

    Yachts are allocated numbers with the GB prefix and a country identifier. Like I said, Titanic and deckchairs.

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited July 2021 #26

    You've got me thinking there, Commeyras  undecided.

    I seem to recall, way back in my childhood comics ( ?? Victor ??) a Law Enforcer Called Red Star Roberts who, amongst his other wonderful bits and bobs, had electricity powered number plates which he could rotate at the press of a dashboard mounted switch .

    I wonder if they could be a commercial enterprise these days laughing ??

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited July 2021 #27

     ... had electricity powered number plates which he could rotate at the press of a dashboard mounted switch .

    Wasn't that Mr Bond's DB5 ..... 😉

  • triky auto
    triky auto Forum Participant Posts: 8,690
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    edited July 2021 #28

    surprised Oh ,,and the bit about " TRAILERS " too  !!  

    Watch out if your Motorhome tows a car on a trailer !!  !!  undecided.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited July 2021 #29

    Union FLAG 😉  .... the flag that flies a the pointy end of a Grey Funnel Liner is the Jack flag

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2021 #30

    No, it really doesn't have anything to do with trailers as they aren't treated any different to motor vehicles. Trailers will be registered only in one country and will display the identifier of that country, regardless of where the towing vehicle is registered.

    On the whole I doubt whether the police anywhere are too concerned, but now and again one does come across an overzealous officer.

    Since my previous post I have learnt that the UK government has notified the UN of the change, so UK will in future replace GB as the country identifier. I only hope that the message gets through to the powers-that-be abroad because few people on the Continent know what the United Kingdom is and it's hardly mentioned in the media. Lots of people that I come across abroad refer to it all just as England. Even the term Great Britain isn't that common in everyday conversation.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited July 2021 #31

    well, in one of our very first French lessons (c. 1964) we learnt that we lived in 'Royaume-Uni'....