GB Stickers No Longer Valid
GB Stickers Are No Longer Valid
after Brexit a lot of rules and regulations to do with how to UK interacts with the EU have changed. One of the newer regulations since September 28th is the banning of the classic GB stickers. Whilst not very stylish, many cars still have them. The new UK sticker isn’t any prettier, but it’s not been put on 2 million cars per year either.
The replacement of the sticker is because GB stands for Great Britain, under which comes Scotland, Wales and England. This excludes Northern Ireland and so the change was made to encompass all nations who recently left the EU together
Consequences
RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said the following: “It might only be a matter of replacing two letters, but this is a significant change for drivers who in normal times take their cars outside the UK,”
followed up by a warning,
“Drivers also need to remember that number plates featuring the blue band and letters ‘GB’ next to the European golden stars are also no longer valid,”
The Penalties from infringing on this new rule are still a little unclear, it’s believed that for now it could be a case by case basis where each country may choose how strict to be with the new rules and what punishment they deem reasonable. Some countries could even refuse entry to cars with GB Stickers on them.
“Changing the national identifier from GB to UK symbolises our unity as a nation and is part of a wider move towards using the UK signifier across government.
“We notified the UN of our intention to make these changes in July, and have been working with the sector to implement the change.”
Said by A Department for Transport spokesperson. Our final piece of information is directly form the guidelines for those in Spain;
If you’re in Spain, Cyprus or Malta, you must display a UK sticker no matter what is on your number plate.
if the car has UK registration plates, then it must display a UK sticker when driving in Spain and other European Union (EU) countries, as well as Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. The purpose of the UK sticker is to indicate that the vehicle is from the United Kingdom, as the UK is no longer part of the EU and therefore the EU symbol on UK license plates is no longer valid. Displaying a UK sticker can help avoid confusion and potential legal issues while driving in other countries.
The UK drives on the left side of the road because of a combination of factors, including historical tradition and practical considerations. The practice of driving on the left dates back to the Middle Ages, when knights on horseback would ride on the left side of the road to keep their right hand free to draw their sword if needed. This practice continued into the era of horse-drawn carriages and early automobiles.
In the early 20th century, the UK and many other countries formalized their rules of the road, with most countries choosing to drive on the right side. However, the UK and some of its former colonies (including Australia, India, and South Africa) continued to drive on the left.
One reason the UK has not switched to driving on the right is the cost and logistical challenges of converting its roads, vehicles, and infrastructure. Additionally, driving on the left has some practical advantages, such as allowing drivers to better see oncoming traffic and facilitating left-hand turns. Ultimately, the choice of which side of the road to drive on is largely a matter of tradition and cultural norms.
