Front License Plate Eradication

[.Guy.]

while were at it please lets make safety inspections required every two years instead the current one.

[Hubbs]

I bought my car used. It came from Delaware and didn't have a front license plate holder. I had to have one installed. It blends seamlessly, color matched, etc. Undoubtedly you can get one for your car if needed.

This, boys and girls, is what's called an "unfunded mandate."

(Unless, of course, Virginia provides some sort of way to claim this sort of expense on state tax forms or somesuch. Then I look like a donk.)

[HogNose]

I never knew that this was a big issue. Learn something new everyday.

I think Virginia is one of the few that still have one on the front and it is a waste of money and steel. Plus then we can buy those Redskin license plates. :applause:

[Springfield]

while were at it please lets make safety inspections required every two years instead the current one.

They are trying to do that in VA right now. I whole heartedly disagree with this idea. The safety inspection process increases revenue for the state and keeps cars safe. This is one of the reasons that I believe VA to have safer cars and less break downs than MD.

Frankly speaking, people in general know very little about the cars that they drive. Without safety inspections they could be driving around with tires that have steel cords coming out and brakes that are metal to metal until they seriously hurt somebody in an accident. This is the society of gas and go. The people who are fighting to eliminate safety inspections are the same ones who wouldn't know that they were driving on tires with no tread and brakes that are non-existent.

[No_Pressure]

When I was out in Arizona at school they didn't require it in the front so I took it off, it was like a big huge sign while doing like 82 amongst other AZ cars in a 75 zone that said "pull me, and only me over because I'm not from here". It made the car look nicer in my opinion but whatever. I don't like having it but I'm not really willing to raise a big fuss over a license plate. It's a state thing so if I don't like it I can go to a different state that better suits my opinions, needs, wants, etc.

At least thats how I look at it.

[Rumrunner6900]

Lets be honest here people, you either don't want one because of aesthetics and/or "being caught", which then you are probably doing something you shouldn't. IMO, front tag really doesn't look bad/good with/without one.

Check my earlier post in this thread.

If the cost of having a front plate for every vehicle is more than the revenue generated from tickets for not having the front plate, then by all means, it needs to be gotten rid of.

If the Commonwealth truly has such a budget shortfall, nothing should be off limits. And if this can save a few million, get rid of the damn things.

[RedlightG20]

and what kind of car is this? most cars with an ecu or computer have a commanded air/fuel ratio. meaning it will add or subtract fuel in order to reach its targeted ratio. i dont think a front license plate is that damaging to your car, but for the record i still think they look dumb and are pointless.

One car I can think of off the top of my head is the Pontiac Solstice. There is no mounting point for a front plate except on the front grill, which I would guess covers more than 1/4 of the entire grill surface on a few that I've seen.

I'm more pissed about dealerships punching holes in the front in order to mount the bracket when you first buy the car (at least in MD anyway). Couldn't they come up with something that uses strong magnets on both sides of the bumper to hold the bracket in place instead of drilling holes in it?

[Dan T.]

Won't this put a lot of inmates out of work? :whoknows:

[Ellis]

I wish MD would adopt this as well...

[Mad Mike]

Wow.

That was pretty stupid of whoever designed your car, to make it so that part of the car that's required by federal law damages the car.

I think you should sue.

Federal law? :doh:

It's NOT a federal law. It's a STATE law. Here in florida, we don't have a front plate. It's not needed.

It DOES screw up aerodynamics, and thus, gas milage.

It does use twice the resources.

And it does look ugly.

[HighOnHendrix]

while were at it please lets make safety inspections required every two years instead the current one.

Or never... We didn't have them at all back home in Ohio and you don't see any more cars broke down on the side of the road than out here; or in MD - I lived there for five years btw.

I think Virginia is one of the few that still have one on the front and it is a waste of money and steel.

Actually about 30 states require both.

They are trying to do that in VA right now. I whole heartedly disagree with this idea. The safety inspection process increases revenue for the state and keeps cars safe. This is one of the reasons that I believe VA to have safer cars and less break downs than MD.

Frankly speaking, people in general know very little about the cars that they drive. Without safety inspections they could be driving around with tires that have steel cords coming out and brakes that are metal to metal until they seriously hurt somebody in an accident. This is the society of gas and go. The people who are fighting to eliminate safety inspections are the same ones who wouldn't know that they were driving on tires with no tread and brakes that are non-existent.

Right. That's why there's constantly some donkey broke down in the tunnels down here. Last year I had to replace two perfectly good tires because a tiny strip of tread near the shoulder of the tire had gone below the minimum tread depth. Total waste of my money. I do most of the maintenance on my car, and keep a close eye on my tires and brakes especially. We need to stop looking to the government to mother us all the time.

Far as I'm aware, all cars sold in the US have to have the ability to take a front license plate. (Just like they must have a lighted bracket for a rear one.)

Now, that ability may come in the form of a removable bracket. But the ability has to be there.

On some cars, removable = leaves holes in your bumper if you take it off when you move to a state that has a more reasonable law in this regard. Thanks, stupid two-plate law. But it's the law, so I know you'll tell us all to follow it to the letter like sheep to the slaughter.

When I drove a Trans Am I was always sad that I had to display that damn front plate instead of the filler plate with the Screaming Chicken on it. Looks aren't everything, but they count for something. It's a PIA to get the dead bugs off license plates, too. Must be the reflective coating.

[NOLASKINSFAN]

Wow.

That was pretty stupid...

You guys made me agree with Larry and I really don't appreciate that...

/thread

[Corcaigh]

While many cars can be fitted with a front number plate holder after the vehicle has left the factory, it can involve making holes in the body work. Not so good if you would like to remove the plate holder later.

[Corcaigh]

On the subject of annual safety - why not - it costs hardly anything and takes a few minutes.

I'm not so sure new cars really need emissions inspections every two years though.

[Kosher Ham]

I don't know that it will save money. My guess is that it would cost more money.

[haithman]

front plates look like ass

[Sniffler]

Lets be honest here people, you either don't want one because of aesthetics and/or "being caught", which then you are probably doing something you shouldn't. IMO, front tag really doesn't look bad/good with/without one.

Actually...I have a feeling it's not about "aesthetics" or "being caught"... Here at ES, our members are just trying to help VA cut there License Plate production costs...

[Larry]

Actually, though, one thing I've wondered, about laws requiring front plates, is, how well are they enforced.

Hypothetical: VA driver simply doesn't put a plate in the front.

Now, cop sees car with no front plate. But, cop has no way of knowing if the car is from VA, or from some state that doesn't require front plates.

Seems to me, the only way to get caught is if the cop notes that the back plate is from Virginia, and that there's no front plate on the car. (Obviously, that requires the cop to be able to see both ends of the car.)

(Although, counter thought is, if cop sees car with no front plate, but current virginia stickers on the windshield. Do they still have those in Virginia? When I lived there, you had to have an inspection sticker, and a county sticker, or else. But I don't know if they still require them.)

[zCommander]

Lets be honest here people, you either don't want one because of aesthetics and/or "being caught", which then you are probably doing something you shouldn't. IMO, front tag really doesn't look bad/good with/without one.

When I moved to AZ they don't have one in the front and I felt like I have to have one since we do in MD. So I just got a vanity plate.

My current front plate is all bent up and looks bad so having one just in the back is fine with me.

[BlueinBuf]

Actually, though, one thing I've wondered, about laws requiring front plates, is, how well are they enforced.

Hypothetical: VA driver simply doesn't put a plate in the front.

Now, cop sees car with no front plate. But, cop has no way of knowing if the car is from VA, or from some state that doesn't require front plates.

Seems to me, the only way to get caught is if the cop notes that the back plate is from Virginia, and that there's no front plate on the car. (Obviously, that requires the cop to be able to see both ends of the car.)

(Although, counter thought is, if cop sees car with no front plate, but current virginia stickers on the windshield. Do they still have those in Virginia? When I lived there, you had to have an inspection sticker, and a county sticker, or else. But I don't know if they still require them.)

I've been driving my car for almost 3 years up here in NY(which requires 2 plates) without a front plate, and have never gotten in trouble for it, even been through dwi checkpoints and the like and never had any problems. I've often wondered if it is somewhat contributed to the fact that I am only 5 minutes from the PA border, where you don't need a front plate.

[Larry]

I've been driving my car for almost 3 years up here in NY(which requires 2 plates) without a front plate, and have never gotten in trouble for it, even been through dwi checkpoints and the like and never had any problems. I've often wondered if it is somewhat contributed to the fact that I am only 5 minutes from the PA border, where you don't need a front plate.

I once, when I was considerably younger (and broke-er), went for over a year, driving a car with expired license plates, expired inspection sticker, expired county sticker, no insurance, and a suspended license (unpaid ticket).

I credit the fact that I got away with it so long to the fact that I drive very conservatively. My theory was that as long as you aren't speeding, swerving, runnung lights, or other things that call attention to you, then cops really don't look at you that much.

Until . . .

One night, I'm driving home from a night of gaming, and I come to the traffic light that's two blocks from my apartment. And there are four police cars at the intersection, pulling people over.

I get pulled over. I pull over. Park. Young, nice-looking, woman cop gets out of the driver's side. Big, fat, redneck-looking guy gets out of the passenger side. Stands behind my car, puts his hands on his hips, and says "OK, rookie, what's wrong with this car?"

Seems that the Virginia Beach Police Academy was teaching the new officers how to write traffic tickets, tonight.

The officer didn't have enough blank tickets. (They'd each only been issued a few.) She had to stand next to my car, and flag down all of the other trainee's cars, and borrow paperwork from them.

(And she still didn't have enough. After she reluctantly allowed one of my friends to drive me the two blocks to our apartment, when we're sitting around the apartment telling the story, there's a knock on the door. She'd found one more ticket, so she drove it to our house to deliver it to me.)

[Mad Mike]

Larry

No matter how you slice it, if you cut down the air coming in, the computer may adjust for it, but you are still cutting peak performance and efficiency.

Worse; modern cars are designed with wind tunnels to get a smooth airflow for maximum MPH and MPG. Tiny details matter. Putting a big flat plate in front of them pretty much ****s that up. Not a big issue around town, but at highway speeds, it sucks.

Then there is the fact that they just are not needed. plenty of states get by just fine without them. Lidar or no.

And there is no federal mandate to have a mount. If the state requires it, dealerships can add it. And believe it or not, not all cars are designed just for the United States. In fact, most aren't. My car has no provisions for a mount. To put a plate on it, I would have to drill holes and screw a mount on. An act that I would consider damaging the car. Because...

The final argument against them is that they just look bad. For the average person that's not a big deal but for an enthusiast with a nice looking car, its a sin.

[zoony]

in my state there are no city stickers, no vehicle inspections, no front license plates. Just registration once/year for $24. And people ***** about that

Also, no state income tax :cool:

[fullnelson9999]

Nope. I like my front plate just fine thank you.

[Enzo]

They need to get rid of speed cameras & red light cameras also. They completely go against the spirit of "Innocent Until Proven Guilty". If they don't get a clear picture of the drivers face then there is no way they can prove who was driving the car at the time. If they can't prove who is driving then how can they convict if we are all truely innocent until proven guilty. Besides all that I just put in an order for a 458 Italia & I'll be damned if I'm going to mess up that beautiful car with butt ugly front plates.