With the increase in people carrying bikes on a rack on their tow bars, police are issuing a warning of two offences which can occur from this.

Carrying a bike can cause a vehicle's number plate to be obscured, which could lead to a $100 for an individual or a $1000 for a corporation.

An example of the supplementary licence plate.

Whakatane Police Sergeant Yvonne Parker says the second offence is if the bike obscures tail lights on a vehicle.

This could lead to a $150 fine.

'The risk is *555 callers unable to supply registration number to us, we can't see plate for 3T [this is where police pull a vehicle over] stop, tailing persons can't see brake/turning lights.

'It's something not often enforced but is getting more prevalent due to the increase in bikes being carried for trail rides and BMX events.”

Under the law, it's mandatory a registration plate is legible and not obscured.

Section 28 of the Land Transport (Motor Vehicle Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2011 allows drivers to obtain supplementary registration plates that can be attached to objects such as dog boxes or bike racks that obscure permanent registration plates.

'A supplementary registration plate costs $19.69 and can be obtained by going to the LicenSys website.

'Click on the supplementary tab on the top of the page and fill in the appropriate application form or phone 0800 736 253.

'This means drivers don't have to remove and reattach registration plates when they carry objects that obscure them. '

Supplementary registration plates:

*must bear the same set of characters as that of the registration plates currently assigned to that vehicle

*can only be attached to a motor vehicle that bears the ordinary or personalised plate of the same registration number

*are not to be mandatory. Drivers can choose to remove their usual registration plate and attach it to the object that is obscuring it

*are smaller than normal registration plates (300mm x 114mm) and have the word ‘supplementary' along the bottom.