SoCalSS Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Front License Plates -- A Vicious Cycle of Revenue Between our long-term vehicles and Edmunds.com employee vehicles we have noticed a rash of front license plate tickets over the past few months. Specifically, these tickets are given for not having a front license plate on your car. This has long been one of those "crimes" that most people don't worry about. Technically you're supposed to have a front license plate on your car in California, but we all know people who don't (including every Ford GT I've seen on the road...or in my garage). To many this jump in front license plate tickets seemed a coincidence, but it is in fact driven by a vicious cycle of revenue generation. First, the city of Los Angeles writes 164,000 front license plate tickets each year (often bagging people while they are parked in public places or at airports). At $25 a ticket that comes to a tidy sum of 4.1 million dollars. But while the "two plate" law has been on the books for years, the recent uptick in front license plate citations is now driven by a far more sinister power -- red light cameras. Seems the cameras don't work so well on cars without front plates, so L.A.-based police have been given a new directive: ticket every vehicle you see without a front plate. We even had one officer admit as much while writing up a co-worker, "See, we need those front plates on your vehicle for the red-light cameras to work." Hard to argue with that logic, right? But even my journalist-based math skills can figure out that, at over $351 for a red-light camera ticket, I'd have to get quite a few (15) front license plate tickets to justify helping these electronic demons nab me for $351. Not that I plan on running any red lights, but I've known quite a few people who have tried to cross an intersection when the light is green only to have traffic unexpectedly stop, leaving them helplessly staring into a flashbulb. If a human element were involved, such as a police officer, he could probably discern the dangerous drivers from the victims of gridlock, but the cold-hearted camera knows only that cars in the intersection when the light turns red get photographed and mailed a $351 ticket. No thanks, I'll take my chances with police officers who have nothing better to do than write $25 tickets for not having a front plate. So far my system has worked, though by writing this post I'm sure I'll have a citation before the end of the week. BTW, there's a fascinating article on red light cameras you should read(LINK), especially if you've gotten a ticket from them and are ready to fight it. Posted by Karl Mar 27, 2006 7:12 pm http://blogs.edmunds.com/.ee90327 Can one of the mods move this to general/off topic? Thought i posted there, but I guess I was wrong...TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pasadena SS Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 What if the license plate is on the windshield. Is that against the law? Or does it have to be on the front bumper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geomcrider Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Same BS in Connecticut ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalSS Posted April 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 What if the license plate is on the windshield. Is that against the law? Or does it have to be on the front bumper. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> According to CA law you have to have it on your front bumper with the correct hardware V.C Section 11713.17 B)The person understands that California law requires a license plate to be displayed from and securely fastened to the front of the motor vehicle and that the hardware necessary to securely fasten the front plate is available from the dealer. Oh well, I have my license plate on the dashboard too when I park my car...other than that I think its useless...You never see a vette with a front license plate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tawss04 Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Thank got we dont have front plates in Fl. i like the way my truck looks w/out it. What if the license plate is on the windshield. Is that against the law? Or does it have to be on the front bumper. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I know here in Fl you will get pulled over for the tag being in the back window insted of where its suppose to be, I'm sure they probably have the same law for the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxySS Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Same bunch of BS here in WA too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB47 Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Here in Mich. we don't have that law. only 1 plate required. I'm curious as to how the cameras work. If they need your front plate to function properly, what do they do? Take a photo of the back of your car also to get that plate#? What about out of state visitors? Would they try to ticket me since I don't have a plate on the front? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.justin. Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 I picked up a no front plate ticket back in 2001, and got stopped for it another time the same year, but no ticket. BS ticket, $10 fix it, but a pain in the ass. Definitely just a revenue generator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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