B1 KERS better informed than car drivers

Bikers are more knowledgeable about personal plates than their car owning cousins according to research undertaken by DVLA Personalised Registrations.

The survey of car and motorcycle drivers conducted on behalf of DVLA asked both groups of motorists about their views towards personalised numbers and tested their knowledge of the likely costs of a series of different styles of marks. In all cases the bikers’ estimated values were closer to the actual prices than those of the car drivers, who tended to overestimate the cost of personalised numbers, often by more than 100 per cent.

The survey also showed that bikers trust their press more, with 33% saying that they would seek advice from their specialist magazines on where and how to make a purchase such as a personalised number. Only 18 per cent of car drivers would rely on their press for the same advice. Bikers are also more inclined to seek the advice of their peers, with twice as many saying they would consult a fellow biker for advice.

Over half (56%) of bikers claimed they might purchase a personalised registration at some point and 61 percent said they liked them because they thought they were fun. Additionally, 50 percent more bikers than car drivers know that they can buy a personalised registration directly from DVLA.

Louise Pierpoint, Marketing and Publicity Manager for DVLA Personalised Registrations, commented: "A lot of people are influenced by the occasional numbers that sell for sky high prices, but the reality is that many are available for just £250 and more than half of the 22 million possible numbers available are priced below £500. I think the research shows that bikers are a closer knit community which shares information better."