License Plate Numerology
License plate numerology: you add up the digits, and sometimes the letters too, and reduce the total to a single digit. Digit reduction is a technique of ordinary numerology. In China, plates are read differently, by how the digits sound, and plates with eights cost more there than ordinary ones.
How to calculate
A Russian license plate has three digits: A123BC → 1+2+3 = 6. Some schools also add the letters using a correspondence table, but more often only the digits are counted.
The Chinese tradition counts differently: what matters there is not the sums but the sounds. The number eight sounds like the word for "wealth," and four like the word for "death" — hence the prices of plates with eights.
Values
| Number | The plate's reputation |
|---|---|
| 1 | For fast, confident driving |
| 2 | A calm family car |
| 3 | For the city and short trips |
| 4 | Reliable, a workhorse, for hauling |
| 5 | For long drives and travel |
| 6 | Family-friendly, comfortable |
| 7 | For solo drives, contemplative |
| 8 | Prestigious, businesslike |
| 9 | For long roads and community work |
An important warning
No number on a license plate affects safety. Accident rates depend on speed, the condition of the car, the weather and the driver's attention — this is measurable and well established.
If a plate with a "lucky" number makes you feel calmer behind the wheel, there's no harm in that. But it can't replace seat belts, winter tires and sobriety.