faded licence plates

[daboy]

I see faded licence plates on cars all the time, or some blue plastic crap that makes them impossible to read unless your 2 ft away.
No way the 407 camera can read these numbers. Is this not illegal.
Looks like some just have some white spray paint over blue numbers

db

 

[moresex4me]

It is illegal. Your plate must be legible. But like anything else, you have to get caught.

 

[Nofah Kingway]

I see faded licence plates on cars all the time, or some blue plastic crap that makes them impossible to read unless your 2 ft away.
No way the 407 camera can read these numbers. Is this not illegal.
Looks like some just have some white spray paint over blue numbers

db

Under the Highway Traffic Act, the plate must be visible and legible and free from any obstruction, whether it be on 407 or on any street. If the blue paint of a plate is completely faded, the officer has the right to pull you over and issue you a ticket as it is unreadible, however, unless you are being an asshole, he/she will most likely issue you a warning and ask you to replace the plate within say, 30 days.

If you apply one of those blue covers, technically you can be charged because that is considered obstruction, but again, I have never seen it done unless you are being an asshole. Funniest part is they sell these covers at MTO!

Now, as to 407, faded plates, you may or may not be able to get away, based on my understanding, if your plate can be seen with the naked eye, then their cameras can capture and read your plate as there's no flash with the camera system hence no reflection issue. The blue covers, they don't work, same reason, if you can read your plate under the blue cover, so can those bastards. Red light cameras, those covers may work because there's a flash involved.

 

[Whosyodaddy]

Intertesting topic.. As far as I know, the plate must be legible to the HUMAN eye, from behind the vehicle. I don't think that it's the plate owners problem if the 407 ETR's optical recognition software can't read it. Plates unreadable by the software are viewed as a scan by a human being and entered manually.

A few years ago, when we had photo radar, you could buy a spray that formed a crystaline coating over your plate. The flash from the photo radar bounced back and your plate just looked like a sunburst, making the issuance of a ticket immpossible. Kind of like the stuff that you spray on a window at Christmas to look like frost, but visually clear to the human eye from straight on. It bounced light back from any other angle. There were testimonies for it on " Good Morning America" and other shows. You can see them on Youtube..You could order it off the internet and it was supposed to last about six months.

A couple of years back. I watched a biker, with two up, approach the 407 ... The girl on the back dropped her purse off her shoulder and over the plate as they went under the cameras and then pulled it back up afterthey passed.. I just had to laugh..

 

[alexmst]

Question re: a faded plate

If one has a faded/damaged plate on the front, but not on the back, can one go to the MTO and order one replacement plate with the same plate #? So, when it comes in, one turns in the old one and gets a new one kind of thing?

One might not want the hassle of getting new numbers on new plates, but for cosmetic reasons wants to replace an old plate with a newer version with the same number. Does the MTO do this, or do they require you to get new 2 new plates with new numbers?

 

[drstrangelove]

It is definitely illegal and when I see faded plates, I feel like calling the cops or I usually say out loud "If I was a cop, I'd give you a ticket for sure'.

One of my pet peeves of the road.

Calling the cops won't do anything. One time an idiot driver in a commercial vehicle cut me off, I was mad as hell and noticed that his license sticker had expired months ago. I called the cops to report the expired sticker, they said I had to attend a police station to file an official complaint. Why they couldn't simply couldn't trace the vehicle and send a cop to the business to give them a ticket is beyond me. I suspected the expired sticker could also mean expired insurance, the cops didn't seem to care.

 

[Tangwhich]

A few years ago, when we had photo radar, you could buy a spray that formed a crystaline coating over your plate. The flash from the photo radar bounced back and your plate just looked like a sunburst, making the issuance of a ticket immpossible. Kind of like the stuff that you spray on a window at Christmas to look like frost, but visually clear to the human eye from straight on. It bounced light back from any other angle. There were testimonies for it on " Good Morning America" and other shows. You can see them on Youtube..You could order it off the internet and it was supposed to last about six months.

Mythbusters put this method (and several others) to the test and they are all bunk. The camera was able to take perfectly good pictures everytime.

 

[Never Compromised]

If one has a faded/damaged plate on the front, but not on the back, can one go to the MTO and order one replacement plate with the same plate #? So, when it comes in, one turns in the old one and gets a new one kind of thing?

One might not want the hassle of getting new numbers on new plates, but for cosmetic reasons wants to replace an old plate with a newer version with the same number. Does the MTO do this, or do they require you to get new 2 new plates with new numbers?

I got pulled over for not having a front plate. It had been ripped off in an automatic car wash (I think) and I managed to drive for 3 years, but was finally pulled over. I was given 24 hours to get new plates. Went to the MTO and you cannot order a new front plate unless you are willing to pay for a custom plate, and then you have the problem of not having a front plate for 30+ days. Meaning paying a fine if pulled over again during that time.

So, I bought new plates, but I made the girl dig deep into the pile until she pulled out a number I could easily remember.

 

[alexmst]

I got pulled over for not having a front plate. It had been ripped off in an automatic car wash (I think) and I managed to drive for 3 years, but was finally pulled over. I was given 24 hours to get new plates. Went to the MTO and you cannot order a new front plate unless you are willing to pay for a custom plate, and then you have the problem of not having a front plate for 30+ days. Meaning paying a fine if pulled over again during that time.

So, I bought new plates, but I made the girl dig deep into the pile until she pulled out a number I could easily remember.

Thanks for the info. I thought it wasn't an easy thing to do, as I see many cars with bashed up faded front plates and good condition rear plates. If it was a matter of just getting a new same number front plate at the MTO, many would just do it. Getting new numbered ones is a hassle though - changing paperwork, remembering new number, updating transponders, service records at garages, etc. Not worth the trouble.

 

[Never Compromised]

Thanks for the info. I thought it wasn't an easy thing to do, as I see many cars with bashed up faded front plates and good condition rear plates. If it was a matter of just getting a new same number front plate at the MTO, many would just do it. Getting new numbered ones is a hassle though - changing paperwork, remembering new number, updating transponders, service records at garages, etc. Not worth the trouble.

Other than updating 407ETR, it really was not much of a hassle, and if you are missing a front plate, it is certainly better than getting a ticket. The way I look at it, it is the garage's problem, not mine.

 

[spankingman]

Don't ya think the Police have more important things to do like watching for cell phone users lol!

And while on the subject isnt a DOG in the drivers lap more DANGEROUS thana cell phone??

 

[BillyBobBobbybob]

If you really want to avoid the 407 tolls.. modify your plate to rotate like on that movie The Transporter.

 

[69Shooter]

Don't ya think the Police have more important things to do like watching for cell phone users lol!

And while on the subject isnt a DOG in the drivers lap more DANGEROUS thana cell phone??

There's a long list of things that are at least as distracting has holding a cell phone. That's what makes it such a rediculous law!

 

[69Shooter]

If you really want to avoid the 407 tolls.. modify your plate to rotate like on that movie The Transporter.

I recall reading an artilce (some time back) about 407 "cheats". The gist of the article was that a majority of these drivers were habitual and used the same on and off ramps, at the same times, on a regular basis. Once a repeat offender was noted it then became a simple matter of "staking out" the on or off ramp to catch them.

 

[landscaper]

they had one guy who hooked a fishing line up to a cover over his plate unreeled it for teh ramnp pulled it in for travel, collected him when he used the same ramp every day.

Pickup trucks with the tailgate down can not have hteir plates photgraphed by the 407, so a 10foot 2X4 in an 8 foot box works every time./

 

[Larry_Fyne]

I recall that the HTA does not require a license plate to be replaced due to normal wear (ie. fading in the sun). The only requirements in the HTA are:

Number plates, further violations

No other numbers to be exposed
13. (1) No number other than that upon the number plate furnished by the Ministry shall be exposed on any part of a motor vehicle or trailer in such a position or manner as to confuse the identity of the number plate. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 13 (1).

Number plate to be kept clean
(2) Every number plate shall be kept free from dirt and obstruction and shall be affixed so that the entire number plate, including the numbers, is plainly visible at all times, and the view of the number plate shall not be obscured or obstructed by spare tires, bumper bars, any part of the vehicle, any attachments to the vehicle or the load carried. 1994, c. 27, s. 138 (7).

Obstruction prohibited
(3) The number plates shall not be obstructed by any device that prevents the entire number plates including the numbers from being accurately photographed using a photo-radar system. 1993, c. 31, s. 2 (5).

Same
(3.0.1) The number plates shall not be obstructed by any device that prevents the entire number plates including the numbers from being accurately photographed using a red light camera system. 1998, c. 38, s. 2 (1).

Same
(3.1) The number plates shall not be obstructed by any device or material that prevents the entire number plates including the numbers from being identified by an electronic toll system. 1996, c. 1, Sched. E, s. 2 (1).

Offence
(4) Every person who contravenes subsection (2), (3), (3.0.1) or (3.1) is guilty of an offence. 1993, c. 31, s. 2 (5); 1996, c. 1, Sched. E, s. 2 (2); 1998, c. 38, s. 2 (2).

 

[oldjones]

We're getting a long way from the OP question about faded numbers aren't we? Is it forbidden to touch them up yourself, so you're forced to go down to the License Bureau for a new plate?

 

[Sammy the Bull]

Get some crazy glue, plop a whole bunch of dirt on your plate and away you go

There's also these products (kinda illegal though): http://www.phantomplate.com/photoshield.html

 

[james t kirk]

Calling the cops won't do anything. One time an idiot driver in a commercial vehicle cut me off, I was mad as hell and noticed that his license sticker had expired months ago. I called the cops to report the expired sticker, they said I had to attend a police station to file an official complaint. Why they couldn't simply couldn't trace the vehicle and send a cop to the business to give them a ticket is beyond me. I suspected the expired sticker could also mean expired insurance, the cops didn't seem to care.

Cops never care about shit like that.

Unless you get shot (and maybe not even then) they really don't give a fuck about the day to day shit you need them for.

I was behind a truck carrying scrap cars one time and a pile of old parts fell off the truck and slammed into my car damaging my car quite badly. I had the plate, went to the police station and the cop's eyes just sort of glazed over and told me to go to the collision reporting centre.

I went to the place off the QEW around Evans, and those cops didn't care either. All they did was give me a report, slap a sticker on my car and told me to call my insurance company.

 

[Moraff]

Is it forbidden to touch them up yourself,

You can't repaint your plate yourself.... buddy of mine tried that and the cop gave him the option of 24hrs to get new plates or a ticket... his choice <grin>