Another license plate law (Arizona) - Page 2

oldohioan · January 23rd, 2009

Originally Posted By: Dave@Moon

[quote]Ohio has had almost this exact law on the books for years, and the plates from at least the mid-1990s until 2001 had the word "OHIO" centered at the top where any frame would cover it.

Oh what a kid you've revealed yourself to be Dave. ;-)
(The word Ohio has been in that exact same place since the early 50's) ;-)

reattadudes · January 23rd, 2009

actually, Ohio (plus Virgina and Maryland) help to make very good months for me.

I sell parts for Buick Reattas for a living, and they have one of the ugliest front license plate brackets on earth. many of my customers run without them, even in states where they are required.

the three states I just mentioned have "sweeps" the state police run to catch the offenders. last week, it was Maryland's turn. in less than three hours, we sold 47 front license plate brackets, all to Maryland customers.

thankfully, sanity reigns here in Arizona, and our silly law will be gone very soon. we also look forward to soon having our photo radar bite the dust, too.

oldohioan · January 24th, 2009

I have no problem with the photo rarars at all. Ive been nearly broadsided 3 times in the past five years by some A$$(whole)running a red light.

I was next lane over stropped at a red for at least 20 seconds when a kid ran the light in the right turn only lane.
He broadsided a BRAND NEW Jaguar just at the door pillar.
Drove that piller HALFWAY THRU THE ENGINE & TRANSMISSION! Pushed the passenger part way over into the drivers lap. Had it not been for the door bracing and that pillar the passenger would have been killed. As it was only serious injuries.
He pled that the light was only yellow when he last looked at it and denied he'd been on the cell phone. Testimonies of 5 people didnt change the judges mind and he got a pittance of a fine.

Nope I dont mind radars at all.

Dave@Moon · January 24th, 2009

I doubt that anyone's concerned about the guilty that will be caught by any measures when it comes to traffic violations. The problems come in when errors are made or abuses occur. I recall at one time Philadelphia went to an early computerized parking violation system that resulted in people in Pittsburgh, who'd never been to Philly, getting multiple fines and even having insurance problems. It was widely believed that the people writing the tickets or transcribing them into the system were encouraged to let errors go and rewrite the original ticket, as most people just paid the fines rather than show up in court 300 miles away.

And the issues don't just end with simple accidental or deliberate transcription/reading errors. If you don't like your neighbor, just rent a car like his, make a fake license plate (easy, especially if it only has to be read from a 30' pole--or you could borrow his plate), and run a few lights at 4 AM wearing a wig. That'll keep him busy for a while.

I'd be even easier to borrow his car and do so. In the 1950s my father had a friend who once lent his car to someone, who then used it to stick up a grocery store. Days later this guy, who didn't even know the store was robbed, was having to explain all this to a rather hostile (ghetto) police force from inside a holding cell. It was weeks before he got his car back from the impound.

Now all you have to do is lend it to someone who's imprudent to lose your car, or to someone who'll lend it to someone else who is imprudent.

And God help you if your teenage son is as imprudent with your car as most were when we were teenagers! [img]<>/shocked.gif[/img]

Don't ask to borrow my car unless I'm in your will! [img]<>/smirk.gif[/img]

Overdrive · February 16th, 2009

Quote:

I'm happy to say that the law here in Arizona will be repealed by the state legislature before the end of January.

Well, it's still with us.

Quote:

it was ridiculous, as it concerned the capability of an officer to read the word "Arizona" at the top of the plate. who could think an officer here would not be able to identify an Arizona plate just by appearance alone? please.

With the standard plate, yes. But there are 40 other styles to choose from, and you can't tell the state on those "just from appearance alone."

Scott

reattadudes · February 17th, 2009

I just talked to my state representative on Friday, and he assured me that the law will be repealed shortly. they've been busy with dealing with the budget deficit.

I'd give a lot more credit to our peace officers, too. they are informed whenever a new license plate design becomes available, and are tested on this frequently. they also carry a book that lists every different style of plate.

Arizona is far from alone in having a multitude of different license plate styles available; how do all those other states cope with this? why does this law only apply to Arizona cars, and not the many out-of-state snowbird cars that ply our roadways? wouldn't you think that out-of-state plate covered by a large frame be more difficult to identify by our peace officers than a plate of our own?

I will continue to drive with the dealer license plate frame on my car. if they would like to ticket me, I'll be more than happy to go to court.

Mike
buickreattaparts.com

Overdrive · February 17th, 2009

I've been a police officer with a large AZ dep't for over 20 years. We've never been tested on the various plate styles. We're not informed when a new style is released.

I've never seen the book you refer to-- only one on all state's driver's licenses to help combat fraudulent ones. So, we don't carry them...it would be really expensive (cost prohibitive) for the MVD to keep re-printing them each time a new style comes out, if they even exist.

It has always been illegal to have an obscured plate. The law says the plate must be clearly visible. To me, that means the state must be visible as well, but law enforcement has been lax in allowing the AZ to be covered.

Sure seems to me the new law is pretty much common-sense stuff, and quite reasonable... but I do think the fine is high. Why they chose to have it apply to AZ plates only, I don't know.
Scott

rocketraider · February 18th, 2009

Probably because of what happened in Virginia with those "abusive driver fees" statutes a couple years ago. They realised they'd be unenforceable against an out of state plate and broadcast that ADF laws would apply only to Virginia licensed drivers.

And that's when all hell broke loose. The Legislature caught so much heat over it, to point several lawmakers were unseated that November, that Guvnah Kaine let it be known he wanted those statutes off the books at the end of the new session. They fell all over themselves filing repeal bills.

reattadudes · February 19th, 2009

I have no issue whatsoever with not having an obstructed plate; the real issue is that the plate is not obstructed! the Coulter Cadillac license plate frame on my car covers exactly 1/16" of the top of the word "Arizona". the "Grand Canyon State" and cactus are still plainly visible. the standard-issue plates like this are most likely on at least 98% of all vehicles registered here. so where is the problem?

it absolutely amazes me that so much time is being wasted over vehicles like mine, and there are thousands of vehicles out there that have the "prism" covers over license plates that are designed to completely obscure (from photo radar) the plate if not read from any angle other than straight-on. this to me looks a lot more serious than worrying if you can read a word at the top of the plate, even though officers know what state it is.

I spoke to some friends today at the Arizona Automobile Dealers Association, and they will pay for counsel for anyone who gets stopped for having a dealer license plate frame on their car. they must want to push this repeal thru even faster; I don't blame them.

Mike
buickreattaparts.com