# Looking up partial number plates



## DamoDoublemint (19 May 2011)

Is there anywhere I can search for a partial number plate? I have the last 3 letters (and possibly a number), and I know the make and colour of the car. I tried a bit of brute force on mycarcheck, but no luck.

The driver cut me up at a pinchpoint, then got out of the car and delivered some abuse that I shouldn't be in the middle of the road. Unfortunately because of the rain, there was a large drop of water on my camera, so I couldn't pick up the full plate (it also blocked out his ugly mug for most of it). I'd normally double check it, but I just wanted to get away.

I'm going to report to roadsafe after I upload to youtube (didn't have time last night), and I'm sure they can check check a partial plate, but I'd like to be able to look it up if possible.


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## BSRU (19 May 2011)

From the sites I have used they all need full registrations.

If ever I have that problem I check the video frame by frame to try to get the best candidates and see what the websites find. One advantage of a rear facing camera is it catches registrations my helmet camera might miss. A wild stab in the dark would be to try google with the partial number and hope they been caught before.

I know a few video cyclists shout out the registrations just case they have the same problem.


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## DamoDoublemint (19 May 2011)

BSRU said:


> From the sites I have used they all need full registrations.
> 
> If ever I have that problem I check the video frame by frame to try to get the best candidates and see what the websites find. One advantage of a rear facing camera is it catches registrations my helmet camera might miss. A wild stab in the dark would be to try google with the partial number and hope they been caught before.
> 
> I know a few video cyclists shout out the registrations just case they have the same problem.



Unfortunately, there's only 1 frame where the letters are clear, and the rest of the plate is obscured by the giant raindrop. I do normally call out the number (but can never make out what I say), but in this case I was too busy shouting at the driver, who stopped right in front of me and got out of the car. It was only after I'd left that I realised that the camera might not have picked it up.

I'm thinking of a rear camera, after a few recent incidents of tailgating. I spend too much time charging and copying videos on 1 camera, I'll waste my whole life if I have a second one


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## gaz (19 May 2011)

pretty much everywhere will require a full numberplate.

A few tricks i have learnt is to read out the numberplates and to clean the lens every so often with my glove, it gets rid of those blobs of water.


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## NotFabian (19 May 2011)

Police can search using 'wildcards' if u know the make etc. they use that to narrow things down too, also where u where will help.


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## BentMikey (19 May 2011)

Roadsafe do mention partial plates on their form, they will, so they claim, try to find partial plates.


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## LosingFocus (19 May 2011)

Brute force on the website. 

Is it a new style plate? Run through your local two-letter leader and try the all the number combos (01, 51, 02, 52...). If that doesn't yield the car then try two-letter leaders from neighbouring areas.


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## gaz (19 May 2011)

Just seen the video, what a total idiot. If you can touch his car, he is far too close, and considering it's wet, not the best timed overtake.

For the future. Would it be better to take a primary position before that pinch point to discourage a dangerous overtake?


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## d87heaven (19 May 2011)

Good luck with getting the plate. He has a very refined and eloquent debating style. What an absolute knobjockey.


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## DamoDoublemint (19 May 2011)

gaz said:


> For the future. Would it be better to take a primary position before that pinch point to discourage a dangerous overtake?



I always look back on these, and I'm never as far out as I know I should be. I need to do better.


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## downfader (20 May 2011)

DamoDoublemint said:


> I always look back on these, and I'm never as far out as I know I should be. I need to do better.




Even so the driver is a bellend for overtaking there. Sounded like he clipped your handlebar on my 'puter..? Have you contacted the Police? The guy had no right to try and intimidate or lecture you for his bad driving. 

For the record cyclists have a right to be center of the lane if there is a door zone. Cyclists (and anyone else for that matter) have a right not to be overtaken dangerously through pinch points.


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## DamoDoublemint (24 May 2011)

I got a reply from Roadsafe about this, they say they cannot do anything with only the last 3 letters of the number plate, which is quite frustrating. I would have thought they could at least run a search through their system - there can't really be many cars fitting the description with those letters. I'm thinking about bringing a copy to the local police station to see if they can do anything more.

They did say that given the incident, it required a more detailed response, rather than the standard one, with at least is encouraging. They did however, also ask me to mind my attitude and language when dealing with drivers, and not to speak to them them, unless they confront me. I didn't think my attitude was inappropriate given the circumstances.


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## gaz (24 May 2011)

DamoDoublemint said:


> They did however, also ask me to mind my attitude and language when dealing with drivers, and not to speak to them them, unless they confront me. I didn't think my attitude was inappropriate given the circumstances.



The reason they say this, is because you don't know what the attitude of the driver is like, they may get out and thump you one. Talking to a driver could cause further dangerous driving or get you hurt. The last thing they want is to hear of something like this.

I still talk to the odd driver, mainly to get a clear image of their face. But avoid it if possible.


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## abo (25 May 2011)

[QUOTE 1401203"]
Found it.

http://www.youtube.c...u/3/9SxqxTkNa64

He's an idiot. It's like a 3 year old arguing.
[/quote]

Best thing to do when someone is in your face like this is to just look at them and say nothing. When they're not getting a reaction they usually shuffle off after a while. Pointless arguing, they either don't listen or don't like their mistakes pointed out.


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## jugglingphil (25 May 2011)

What a charming individual !


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## Angelfishsolo (25 May 2011)

What a complete bell-end. He needs some attitude adjustment.


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## LosingFocus (25 May 2011)

Anyone know what model MB that is?


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## fossyant (25 May 2011)

LosingFocus said:


> Anyone know what model MB that is?



C Class ! - Not the latest !


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## LosingFocus (25 May 2011)

fossyant said:


> C Class ! - Not the latest !



So that narrows it down to between and K and X plate then.... every little helps!


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## fossyant (25 May 2011)

LosingFocus said:


> So that narrows it down to between and K and X plate then.... every little helps!



Not that old, it's a W203 - 2000 - 2007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:06-07_Mercedes-Benz_C350.jpg


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## LosingFocus (25 May 2011)

fossyant said:


> Not that old, it's a W203 - 2000 - 2007
> 
> http://en.wikipedia....s-Benz_C350.jpg



Ah yes, the bootlid brake light!

So narrows it down to (lets hope) 51-57

Shame MyCarCheck doesnt allow more that 4 checks as you could easily write a script to check all the combos based on the URL string:

https://www.mycarcheck.com/check/*llnn*XUD/ where ll is the location code and nn is the age code...


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## LosingFocus (25 May 2011)

Could someone run LV03 XUD through the DVLA to see what colour it is?


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## gaz (25 May 2011)

LosingFocus said:


> Could someone run LV03 XUD through the DVLA to see what colour it is?


Blue


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## LosingFocus (25 May 2011)

gaz said:


> Blue


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## DamoDoublemint (25 May 2011)

LosingFocus said:


> Could someone run LV03 XUD through the DVLA to see what colour it is?



How did you find that?

I don't know what to do with this, it matches the type of car, but I don't actually know for certain it is, and I wouldn't want somebody else to get in trouble for it.


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## LosingFocus (25 May 2011)

There is, of course, no way that I ran all 8000 odd variations. Started with the L leading letter for "London" plates, then plumed for Sidcup as the place of registration (just based on the chaps accent), starts at U. Nothing came up with U so I tried V. Bingo. Also tried W, X and Y but no Mercs. Ran a couple of checks on the other London plates, plus Kent and Essex too and this was the only C Class Merc that came up. 

It's not proof positive by any means.


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## Svendo (25 May 2011)

LosingFocus said:


> There is, of course, no way that I ran all 8000 odd variations. Started with the L leasing letter for "London" plates, the plumper for Sidcup as the place of register (just based on the chaps accent), starts at U. Nothing came up with U so I tried V. Bingo. Also tried W, X and Y but no Mercs. Ran a couple of checks on the other London plates, plus Kent and Essex too and this was the only C Class Merc that came up.
> 
> It's not proof positive by any means.




Sterling work, very impressive!


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## thomas (26 May 2011)

gaz said:


> The reason they say this, is because you don't know what the attitude of the driver is like, they may get out and thump you one. Talking to a driver could cause further dangerous driving or get you hurt. The last thing they want is to hear of something like this.
> 
> I still talk to the odd driver, mainly to get a clear image of their face. But avoid it if possible.



I thought the driver was going to headbutt the cyclist at one point. The one time someone got out of their car to me I just cycled on. Not worth the agro.


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## nightoff (26 May 2011)

That is quite possibly the most annoying blob of water ever.


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## d87heaven (26 May 2011)

nightoff said:


> That is quite possibly the most annoying blob of water ever.



I would say he was more fat than water


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