Why are Hong Kong license plates one white and one yellow?
2 Answers
This follows an early regulation from the UK, where white plates are placed at the front and yellow plates at the rear. Below is relevant information about Hong Kong license plates: 1. Hong Kong license plates are one yellow and one white: Because vehicles operating in Hong Kong are required to display one license plate at the front and one at the rear. This follows an early regulation from the UK, where white plates are placed at the front and yellow plates at the rear. 2. Selection of license plate colors: When choosing the colors for the license plates, officials required a strong contrast between the background and the text, so they initially selected the strongest contrast colors, black and white. However, UK regulations at the time stipulated that white lights or reflective materials could only be displayed at the rear when reversing, and reflective license plates fall under reflective materials. Therefore, officials had to compromise and chose yellow for the rear license plate.
As a frequent driver, I've observed that Hong Kong's white front and yellow rear license plates are primarily designed to enhance road safety. The white front plates offer excellent reflectivity, making vehicles more visible during night driving or in foggy conditions, with the stark black lettering providing strong contrast to help other drivers gauge distance. The yellow rear plates have high reflectivity in daylight, reducing confusion with the background and minimizing rear-end collisions. I recall driving on highways where the reflective glow of yellow plates alerted me from afar. This regulation originated from the British colonial era but remains in use due to its scientific effectiveness. Routine maintenance involves regular cleaning to prevent dirt obscuring the plates, and compliance with traffic laws to avoid fines. Standardized plate dimensions with clear, legible fonts demonstrate the city's intelligent traffic design. Overall, this color differentiation isn't just aesthetic but a practical strategy.
