The Importance Of Having The Newest Number Plate (Survey)

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number plates

Methodology

In March 2022 we surveyed 1,000 of our customers targeting them through onsite and email marketing surveys. We asked them the following questions:

  1. Do you know when registration plates get updated each year?
  2. When buying a car, how important is it to you to have the latest registration plate?
  3. Does the registration plate impact your decision when purchasing a car?
  4. If financing, what is the maximum extra you would be willing to pay per month to have a car with the latest registration plate?
  5. When buying a car, would you rather it had…(options)
  6. What are your thoughts on private registration plates?
  7. If you would consider it, why?
  8. If you would not consider it, why?

Key Findings

  • One in four drivers don’t know when number plates change.
  • One in eight drivers say it’s “extremely important” to have the latest number plate on their car.
  • Over one in six drivers say the number plate on a car impacts their decision when purchasing.
  • One in three drivers say they would pay more when buying a car to secure the latest number plate.
  • One in twenty drivers would be willing to pay £1,200 per year just to have the latest number plate, with three in every one hundred willing to pay £3,000 and upwards.
  • Over one in ten drivers would prefer to buy a car with 50,000 miles on the clock but with the latest number plate than a 5-year-old plate and 15,000 on the clock.
  • 38% of drivers are in favour of personalised plates.
  • One in eight drivers have, or would like, a personalised number plate as they want “people to know it’s them/their car”.
  • One in nine drivers admit to having or wanting a personalised number plate to “disguise the age of their car”.
  • One in fifty drivers admit to having or wanting a personalised number plate because “it makes them feel more important”.
  • Almost a quarter (24%) of drivers would not have a personalised number plate as they think “it is too vain”.

As we approach the end of March, many UK drivers will have used this past month to get behind the wheel of a brand new car, showing off their “22” tag on their spotless new number plates.

However, how many drivers in the UK actually care about having the latest car, and more specifically, have to have the latest number plate as soon as it’s released? Here at National Tyres and Autocare, we wanted to find out, so we asked one thousand of our customers their thoughts on number plates, how much it impacts their decision when buying a new car and what they think of personalised number plates.

One In Four Drivers Don’t Know When Number Plates Change

We started our survey by simply asking our customers, “When do number plates change, January & June, March & September or July & December?” to try and gauge how well informed UK drivers were when it came to the plate change seasons. Shockingly, one in four drivers didn’t know the correct answer, with most of the incorrect answers opting for January and June.

One In Eight Drivers Say It’s “Extremely Important” To Have The Latest Number Plate On Their Car

Next, we asked customers about the importance of number plates. Is it something they never think of or do they already have September’s change marked in the calendar? According to the results of our survey, one in eight drivers say it’s “extremely important” to have the latest number plate on their car.

Over One In Six Drivers Say The Number Plate On A Car Impacts Their Decision When Purchasing A New Car

So what does “extremely important” mean to drivers? Well, we then asked our customers whether a number plate would impact their decision when purchasing a car. It turns out, over one in six drivers say it does. Out of those people, 16% say the decision would be based on the age on the plate, with drivers saying they “want the newest possible” with another 11% saying they care more about what a number plate looks like than the year displayed.

Drivers Are Willing To Pay £3k Or More Per Year For A Car With The Latest Number Plate

We then wondered if we could get a financial meaning behind how important a new number plate is to drivers? We gave our customers five options and asked them, if financing, what the maximum extra spend they’d be willing to pay a month would be for a car with the latest number plate attached. One in twenty drivers stated that they’d be willing to pay £1,200 per year just to have the latest number plate, with three in every one hundred willing to pay £3,000 and upwards! In total, one in three drivers say they would be happy to pay more when buying a car to secure the latest number plate.

Years Vs Miles

Next, we decided to pose a hypothetical question to our customers to find out just how vital the latest plate was to them and also what they’d give up in order to get one. We asked, “When buying a car, would you rather it had the latest number plate and 50,000 miles on the clock, or have a five-year-old plate attached but it only had 15,000 miles on the clock. The results showed that over one in ten drivers would prefer to buy a car with 50,000 miles on the clock to secure the latest number plate.

number plates image 2

38% Of Drivers Are In Favour Of Personalised Plates

We then switched the questions towards personalised number plates to find out what our customers thought of them and if they had one. According to the survey results, 38% of drivers are in favour of personalised plates. So what is it about personalised number plates that make them attractive to these drivers?

We asked those in favour of personalised plates, why they like them. Here are the results;

  • One in eight drivers have, or would like, a personalised number plate as they want “people to know it’s them/their car”.
  • Over one in five drivers have, or would like, a personalised number plate as they want their car to be personalised but not include their name.
  • One in nine drivers admit to having or wanting a personalised number plate to “disguise the age of their car”.
  • One in fifty drivers admit to having or wanting a personalised number plate because “it makes them feel more important”.
  • One in twelve drivers have, or would like, a personalised number plate as they want to “pass it down” to family members or children.

However, almost a quarter (24%) of drivers say that they would not have a personalised number plate as they think “it is too vain” and more than a quarter (26%) of drivers say they are “too expensive” and nearly one in ten say they simply “don’t want people to know it’s them/their car”.

Whether you’ve got a personalised plate or not, a brand new car or not, here at National Tyres we don’t discriminate. If your car requires an MOT or service, we are here to help. And, if you have any questions about MOTs or servicing, or anything to do with your car at all, we’re always on hand to answer any questions or queries you may have. Simply get in touch with us and one of our team will get back to you asap.

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