[Road Trivia] Why don’t Hong Kong license plates have the letters I, O, and Q?
Hello everyone, today I'd like to share a little-known fact that many people are curious about, but not necessarily know the answer to: **Why don't Hong Kong license plates have the letters I, O, and Q? ** Does it sound a bit mysterious? Let me help you debunk this mystery!
1. The composition of license plate numbers
First, Hong Kong license plates typically consist of two letters and up to four digits , such as "AB1234" and "XY9999." Theoretically, these letter and number combinations allow for millions of possible combinations, more than enough to meet Hong Kong's vehicle registration needs. However, have you noticed that the letters "I," "O," and "Q" are never found on license plates?
2. Why are there no I, O, and Q?
1. Similar glyphs, easy to confuse
The main reason is that the appearance of these three letters can be easily confused with numbers . Specifically:
- I can easily be confused with the number "1", especially in some fonts, where the two are almost identical.
- O is almost identical to the number "0" and is difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, especially at a distance or at night.
- Q is also very similar to "O" and even "0", which makes it easy to misread it, especially when reading quickly.
Imagine a license plate like "OI1001" or "QO0010." Wouldn't you be confused about which letters and which numbers are which? This would cause great confusion for the police, the Transport Department, parking lot attendants, and even ordinary citizens, whether visually or by computer input.
2. Preventing counterfeiting and fraud
The second reason is to prevent criminals from forging license plates or exploiting similar letters to commit fraud . If "I," "O," and "Q" were allowed, forging license plates would be significantly easier, as a slight modification of the letter shape would transform a "1" into an "I" or a "0" into an "O." This poses a significant risk to combating license plate counterfeiting and vehicle identification.
3. Align with international practices
In fact, it's not just Hong Kong; many regions, such as the United Kingdom and some U.S. states, avoid using these three letters . This practice has become an international convention, with the goal of reducing confusion and errors and enhancing the uniqueness and recognition of license plate numbers.
3. Official Regulations
According to official regulations from the Hong Kong Transport Department, the letters I, O, and Q are not used in license plate numbers . These three letters are automatically skipped when new license plate numbers are issued. Citizens participating in special license plate auctions (also known as "customized plates") are also not eligible to apply for combinations containing these three letters.
IV. Summary
In summary, the reason Hong Kong license plates don't have the letters I, O, and Q is to avoid confusion with the numbers 1 and 0, reduce misidentification, prevent counterfeiting, and align with international practice . While the omission of three letters slightly reduces the number of possible combinations, it's definitely worth it for ensuring public traffic safety and convenient management.
I hope this trivia question has answered some of your questions! If you have any other questions about Hong Kong license plates and traffic regulations, please leave a message and I'll be sure to explain them in detail!
