In Texas, it's worse than you think

[mikell]

The thread about a front plate reminded me that in Texas we have a law that prohibits displaying a license plate that is obscured in any number of ways. The idea, I think, was to prevent the use of covers designed to thwart photo devices used to catch toll road scoflaws, and to prohibit outright covering all or part of the plate number itself.

But, in a recent case, a Texas appeals ocurt upheld a conviction of a motorist whose plate was "obscured" by a license plate frame (like the ones dealers put on) that covered only the words "The Lone Star State" and part of a decorative logo - and did NOT cover any part of the number. The court held that anything which "obscures an original design feature of the plate" is a violation.

Geez - so, I guess you just screw the plate to the car without any frame, or covering of any kind, unless you want to give some officer a reason to pull you over for a chat. I do not use a frame on my plates - Texas does require a front one.

[SnakeyesTx]

Yep... that happened to me the day that new law went into effect this year. I had this cadillac that my family bought 16 years ago with the original dealer plate border and some jackass cop pulled me over and slapped me with a ticket. I explained its been there for 16 years with no incident and he replied "New law, that's the brakes... sign here." I got out of the car and snapped the border off and he threatened to add littering so with a smug look on my face I threw it in the back seat. I got a dismissal when I told the court what happened, and apparently the officer in question was under review for harassing other people for the same incident

[callen]

there was legislation introduced last year requiring only rear plate....guess it didn't pass...wish it did...

have two cars without front tags...

[mikell]

You're right - it failed because the law enforcement community thought the front plate essential to maintaining safety on the road. Personally, I think they ought to at least allow a smaller front plate with only the number maybe - hell, I'd even pay a few bucks more if I could have that. It is, after all, all about the money.

[Dash01]

The reason the cops insist on you having a front plate is that license plates are specifically designed as radar, light, and laser reflectors. That's where they aim the laser speed gun, and obstruction of it means more difficult speed detection and therefore fewer tickets written.

Don't believe me? On a dark night or in a dark garage, point a handheld laser pointer at various places on your car. Guess which one is most reflective?

In Texas or other jurisdicitons, don't wash the license plates, or at least bend them such that they reflect radar in some other direction than back toward the speed trap. (likely straight ahead) Stealth technology depends on a combination of both non-reflectivity and limited reflectivity to directions other than the source.

[SnakeyesTx]

No good, I mangled my plate halfway under the bumper on my jeep once and the top half had mud dobs all over it, and instead of no plate, I got a ticket for overly disfigured plate >:O

[Wes F]

The reason the cops insist on you having a front plate is that license plates are specifically designed as radar, light, and laser reflectors. That's where they aim the laser speed gun, and obstruction of it means more difficult speed detection and therefore fewer tickets written.

Yep, that sure has everything to do with safety...It's retarded laws like this that really piss me off. Laws that only have the purpose of generating money for the state. For example, here in Hawaii, SUVs, minivans and the like can have blacked out tint on any window behind the driver, BUT a regular car cannot. The darkest you can go is 35%, which sucks - not dark enough to protect and cool against the blazing sun we have. Now I can understand a law against dark tint on the front windows and windshield, but why the hell can SUVs have 5% tint on the rears but not cars? It's ******** is what it is. Just another way for the state to rake in the dough, giving officer dumbshit the power to say, "you sir, are driving an unsafe car, this tint is too dark," as he walks back to his blacked out SUV to write a $100 ticket. Uurrgh...[/rant]

[Alexlind123]

Yep, that sure has everything to do with safety...It's retarded laws like this that really piss me off. Laws that only have the purpose of generating money for the state. For example, here in Hawaii, SUVs, minivans and the like can have blacked out tint on any window behind the driver, BUT a regular car cannot. The darkest you can go is 35%, which sucks - not dark enough to protect and cool against the blazing sun we have. Now I can understand a law against dark tint on the front windows and windshield, but why the hell can SUVs have 5% tint on the rears but not cars? It's ******** is what it is. Just another way for the state to rake in the dough, giving officer dumbshit the power to say, "you sir, are driving an unsafe car, this tint is too dark," as he walks back to his blacked out SUV to write a $100 ticket. Uurrgh...[/rant]

Bring that to the attention of the environmentalists.

[Wes F]

Bring that to the attention of the environmentalists.

? Don't follow ya...

[Alexlind123]

? Don't follow ya...

It sounds to me like they are favoring large gas-guzzling SUVs over small, fuel efficient cars.