California May Issue Digital License Plates

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It looks as though California might beat South Carolina (here) to the punch as the first state to issue digital license plates. I wonder how fast these will be hacked or criminals are caught taping iPads to the back of their getaway cars. ;)

California may become the first state to issue digital license plates that can be registered electronically and record tolls. Privacy advocates are concerned the plates could become tracking devices for law enforcement.
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If it's not broke, fix it, right? Just another reason for California lawmakers to spend money they don't have. Enjoy? :)
 
It makes it easier for cops to sit on the side of the road and simply let a machine track the plates. They already have a device that does this, but this would make things 10x easier. But relying on digital methods to track people is just asking for trouble. Someone out there is smarter then you, and will easily use this against you. God forbid they decide to use RFID.
 
lol, this is the first time i've heard the "news".

"State Senate Bill 806 would create a three-year pilot program to test up to 160,000 cars with electronic license plates produced by San Francisco-based startup Smart Plate."

It's still under discussion, according to the leginfo.ca.gov page. It's a stupid idea regardless. One of the problems it's supposed to address is registration. I just renewed my tags last week: went to the DMV, walked to the kiosk, scanned my renewal form I got in the mail (I could have mailed it in), and in a 3 minute transaction I had a new registration paper and it printed my 2014 tag sticker.
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About license plate tracking...

The cops can already track the plates which are available on cars now, accurately and quickly. The disturbing part of it isn't how you would expect it to be used: passively checking plates as patrol cars do their rounds. No, cops drive into store parking lots and other places they had no reason to, and previously didn't patrol. That is all about maximizing data collection.
 
I'm sorry but I would totally randomize my plates to change every evening. And have the broadcasted plate information change as well. I would NOT just sit idlly by and let that happen. Sorry.
 
The California Department of Motor Vehicles said the plates would save $20 million a year, since renewal tags would not be issued.
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I would love to see this break down of "spending" ... mailing a sticker is more expensive than a fucking screen. I know there are like 30 million registered vehicles, and I can see the idea of $15M just to put a stamp on those envelopes, but lets break down the years it would take before we hit breakeven, THEN calculate the $20M/year in savings.

Or they can simply add 50 cents to the cost of renewing your license to pay for postage and then it's a win win for California!
 
Grimlaking said:
I'm sorry but I would totally randomize my plates to change every evening. And have the broadcasted plate information change as well. I would NOT just sit idlly by and let that happen. Sorry.
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I'm sorry but you would more than likely lack the ability and/or means to made said modifications. You would also more than likely be fined or jailed for tampering with the device. Sorry.
 
CptVague said:
I'm sorry but you would more than likely lack the ability and/or means to made said modifications. You would also more than likely be fined or jailed for tampering with the device. Sorry.
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the great thing about lacking skill in something as relatively mundane as this (to someone like myself with my background.) is that getting the skill is easy.

While the plate may not have the horsepower to run a randomization on it's own to accurately render and display a new plate (depending on HOW the template is populated of course.) simply modifying what is displayed/sent once that is figured out will be easy enough.

Since it is from a small company it is at first guess running on a modified redhat core. IF that proves correct the rest is comparatively simple. Just identify what updates the plate and how. If it requires external power or not to re draw the plate or not.. that sort of thing.

And about the cost savings. I am betting the majority of cost savings projected are manpower based. Meaning Govt employees slowly loosing their jobs. Provided the Unions haven't secured them.
 
Registration Fees are already too high.
Setting up the infrastructure and managing the new plates will cause another increase in Fees.

Existing high-speed image recognition systems are already used effectively by toll road systems.
Less registration material mailed means less business for the Post Office and less work for lazy DMV workers.
 
Grimlaking said:
I'm sorry but I would totally randomize my plates to change every evening. And have the broadcasted plate information change as well. I would NOT just sit idlly by and let that happen. Sorry.
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at least two intelligence services will identify you as a terrorist, freeze your assets, transport you to a secret prison in romania and torture you for the rest of your life. this totally never happened before and you're SOL because nobody will even know what happened and therefore can't help you.
 
Oh boy another reason to charge me an outrageous amount to register my vehicle to use the shitty roads they never seem to fix that are packed full of illegals!
 
CptVague said:
I'm sorry but you would more than likely lack the ability and/or means to made said modifications. You would also more than likely be fined or jailed for tampering with the device. Sorry.
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I lack the skills to jailbreak an iphone. But I imagine somebody will figure it out someday :D
 
Very few people who would actually do a good job want to be in government. That leaves us with a variety of sociopaths and douchebags to deal with some of the most important aspects of our lives.

Any way, dumb idea but Cali is about as bad of a state government as there is currently. Try driving around L.A and see what I mean. Potholes that can swallow you whole and gridlock EVERY day of the week now.
 
They just want to find a way to expand the Toll Roads program to all freeways and roadways.

Double Taxation....
 
Don't most states have online vehicle registration anyway? I just go to a website, pay the bullshit excise tax + registration fees, then a few days I get new stickers and one sheet of paper in the mail.

I can't image the manufacturing costs, infrastructure build up, system maintenance, and repairing broken plates would ever cost less than two decades of getting those stickers in the mail.
 
Privacy advocates are concerned the plates could become tracking devices for law enforcement.

I might be a little off but isn't this already being done with normal plates... Heck, isn't it the entire reason for having them in the first place? A specific number attached to your car so authorities know exactly who the vehicle is licensed to? As for government having your information, seriously, they already have this info when you got your stupid license.

But aside from that are you going to get a ticket if the battery dies and you are now driving your car without tabs? Does it do away with the yearly sticker or is that just a new jpg? Not to mention environmental issues or the neighbors rotten kids. Is it your dime to get it replaced, if the screen is cracked? Heaven help you if the knucklehead rear ends you will your insurance replace it?

Seriously how are the metal ones not superior to this in just about every way?
 
sfsuphysics said:
I would love to see this break down of "spending" ... mailing a sticker is more expensive than a fucking screen. I know there are like 30 million registered vehicles, and I can see the idea of $15M just to put a stamp on those envelopes, but lets break down the years it would take before we hit breakeven, THEN calculate the $20M/year in savings.

Or they can simply add 50 cents to the cost of renewing your license to pay for postage and then it's a win win for California!
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This is California, where liberal good intentions punish the poor mercilessly. They're just going to have the driver pay for the screen. Your registration was $200 last year? It's $1,000 now. But we reduced the carbon footprint of mailing all those stickers so it's worth it.
 
ocellaris said:
Don't most states have online vehicle registration anyway? I just go to a website, pay the bullshit excise tax + registration fees, then a few days I get new stickers and one sheet of paper in the mail.

I can't image the manufacturing costs, infrastructure build up, system maintenance, and repairing broken plates would ever cost less than two decades of getting those stickers in the mail.
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we do have that here in CA and I cannot tell you the last time i actually had to go to the DMV because its been that long.
 
temujin987 said:
at least two intelligence services will identify you as a terrorist, freeze your assets, transport you to a secret prison in romania and torture you for the rest of your life. this totally never happened before and you're SOL because nobody will even know what happened and therefore can't help you.
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Ok you have a point. It may be easier to just move if Texas does that. You know right after we finish removing women's rights.
 
Rami100735 said:
They just want to find a way to expand the Toll Roads program to all freeways and roadways.

Double Taxation....
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This. Toll roads are expensive to maintain. Automated toll roads, not so much. This way they can punish, errr... tax you for every mile you drive.
 
Always nice to see government living by the old adage: "If it ain't broke... Spend lots of money to break it."
 
I just wonder, whats the durability? Can the battery die? An aluminum plate lasts virtually forever even into a mangled state.
 
And here I am about to relocate to Orange County.

They are already yelling at me to register my car as soon as I get to California even though it is already registered under Florida law until 2015.

That plus knowing I will now have to pay state income tax (FL has no such thing) and that I will get taxed on Amazon and Newegg for the privilege makes for a really bad welcome :mad:

Tell me, how are the trains from LA to the OC like? Do they go all the way to San Diego? I don't want to commute anymore :(
 
Just think how easily hackers with criminal intent can implement a fake digital license plate number to use in a crime and then change it after while driving away from a crime scene. Any state government thinking of implementing Digital License Plates is a REALLY BAD idea. :rolleyes:
 
THINK... damaged digital license plates would cost the vehicle owners $$$. Think again... you park your vehicle at a shopping mall and vandals go from vehicle to vehicle smashing plates with a hard object. Or UNKNOWN driver back up and taps into bumper, instead it smashes only the digital license plate. The unknown driver leaves the scene because there isn't a scratch on your bumper, but your digital license plate is cracked and no longer displays. The PERFECT reason for the police to pull you over, now they verbally request your plate number to identify your vehicle as being your vehicle or they will then perform a VIN Number identification. There are so many reasons to keep a FIXED metal license plate vs a digital one. The number one factor is COST to the vehicle owners. Now will Insurance companies offer coverage for damaged digital license plates, upping insurance cost. WOW... everyone is in it to make mad money! :D
 
Terminus said:
And here I am about to relocate to Orange County.

They are already yelling at me to register my car as soon as I get to California even though it is already registered under Florida law until 2015.
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In theory, you can get a refund from Florida after you register in California. In practice, as long as you don't get pulled over, you should be OK. And if you do get pulled over, be very careful about what you say regarding where you live, etc. One of my coworkers got pulled over with Washington plates after pulling a 4-lane exist maneuver: the officer said he knew there was no way someone doing that didn't live in California. :)

Terminus said:
That plus knowing I will now have to pay state income tax (FL has no such thing) and that I will get taxed on Amazon and Newegg for the privilege makes for a really bad welcome :mad:

Tell me, how are the trains from LA to the OC like? Do they go all the way to San Diego? I don't want to commute anymore :(
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Honestly, LA and OC are a car culture. Public transit exists, but if you want to use it, you need to be very choosy with where you work and where you live, especially if you're going to work in LA county and live in OC. (Caveat: I've been in the SF Bay Area the last 9 years, I know there are some new transit options in LA since then)
 
Rami100735 said:
They just want to find a way to expand the Toll Roads program to all freeways and roadways.

Double Taxation....
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This. I live in California and all the Democrats that control this state care about is how to tax the people even more.

This will give them the means to tax people per mile driven. They tax you on every gallon of gas you buy, tax you on every mile driven, and bill you even more when you drive on a toll road to avoid sitting in traffic for hours.

As for cost, I'm sure they are not including the cost of the screen, or the replacements in the study, because the car owner will be paying for all that. I’m sure people won’t mind paying an extra $400+ when they pay for their license on a new car, and another $400+ every time it breaks or stops working.

Over the years I’ve straightened out several license plates after a minor bump in a parking lot or after a minor fender bender. Sometimes all that happened was a small scuff on the bumper and a bent license plate. Not worth spending money to fix. Now it will cost $400+ to replace the “display” instead of just bending the license plate back.

I hope everyone who sees one of the test license plates gives it a good whack with a hammer.
 
ocellaris said:
Don't most states have online vehicle registration anyway? I just go to a website, pay the bullshit excise tax + registration fees, then a few days I get new stickers and one sheet of paper in the mail.

I can't image the manufacturing costs, infrastructure build up, system maintenance, and repairing broken plates would ever cost less than two decades of getting those stickers in the mail.
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If they really wanted to reduce costs, they would switch to a 2 year registration. That way they would only have to send out a sticker once every 2 years.
 
Terminus said:
And here I am about to relocate to Orange County.

They are already yelling at me to register my car as soon as I get to California even though it is already registered under Florida law until 2015.

That plus knowing I will now have to pay state income tax (FL has no such thing) and that I will get taxed on Amazon and Newegg for the privilege makes for a really bad welcome :mad:

Tell me, how are the trains from LA to the OC like? Do they go all the way to San Diego? I don't want to commute anymore :(
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I hope you are getting a real good pay increase for moving here, as living cost are very high. We already have the highest marinal income tax rate, and the highest gas taxes in the country.

Both me and the wife are native born Californians, and have lived here all our lives, but it's gotten so bad, we are just looking for an excuse to leave this state behind.
 
nutzo said:
If they really wanted to reduce costs, they would switch to a 2 year registration. That way they would only have to send out a sticker once every 2 years.
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But then they are not getting there money like they want..Sure they will be getting it in a bigger sum but what about the off years? Our poor poor government cannot do that or no no no.. They are hurting to much.

(sarcasm)
 
The wonderful state of CA. They want your guns, they really want to be able to track your activity. These plates, which the vehicle owner will have to buy, puts them one step closer to charging by the mile driven. They also want to advertise on them. Talk about a distraction, they complain about how the action of texting while driving causes accidents. Friggin Village Idiots run this POS state.
 
whiz187 said:
The wonderful state of CA. They want your guns, they really want to be able to track your activity. These plates, which the vehicle owner will have to buy, puts them one step closer to charging by the mile driven. They also want to advertise on them. Talk about a distraction, they complain about how the action of texting while driving causes accidents. Friggin Village Idiots run this POS state.
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We would be much better off if we where run by the Village Idiots.
 
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