California Considers Turning License Plates into Digital Billboards
California Considers Turning License Plates into Digital Billboards
Posted 06/21/2010 at 5:52am
| by Paul Lilly
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GMAC earlier this year surveyed about 5,000 motorists across the country with 20 test questions taken from various state driving tests, and for the second year in a row, California boasted more bad drivers than 47 other states. If we're to take this survey as accurate, then it's fair to say that California motorists have enough to worry about as it is, so why throw more distractions into the mix?
The answer is simple: money. Facing a $19 billion deficit, the California Legislature is kicking around a bill that would allow the state to begin researching what all would be involved with using electronic license plates for vehicles. The way it would work is when a vehicle is stopped for more than four seconds, the license plate would show digital ads or emergency messages, like Amber Alerts.
"We're just trying to find creative ways of generating additional revenues," said Curren Price, who authored the bill. "It's an exciting marriage of technology with need, and an opportunity to keep California in the forefront."
A company called Smart Plate has already begun developing the new plates, though is holding off on the production stage while the bill is debated. Smart Plate's chief executive M. Conrad Jordan insists that "the idea is not to turn a motorist's vehicle into a mobile billboard, but rather create a platform for motorists to show their support for existing good working organizations."
What's your take on ad-toting license plates?
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trekkiebill
June 25, 2010 at 12:55pm
Lets see......they're now paying to research the feasibilty of this asinine idea. Then they'll pay for a committee to select yet another committee for the developement of this asinine project. Then, the state will have to committ to a certain number of plates to be purchased. Next, the state will have to hire a separate IT team to support the implementation of the plates. Meanwhile.....there are people starving in their own streets......makes perfect sense!
Wild_Horses
June 23, 2010 at 5:41am
1) they will cost more to produce. 2) those costs will be passed on to the early adopters who want the cool factor of this novelty. 3) How many consumers will pay extra for the "cool factor" of electronic license plates, when the financial benefits all go to the state? I sure wouldn't. 4) Without widespread consumer (taxpayer) acceptance, can they achieve the economies of scale (critical mass of installed base) necessary to make advertisers want to use this medium? I doubt it. Maybe in CA, but I don't see it catching on.
Wild_Horses
Blues22475
June 22, 2010 at 7:55am
...or is this a bad idea financially? I mean, they're in 19 billion dollars in debt, and they want to spend more money on "electronic license plate"? That's just going to make the debt worse. The more I see this kind of thing from California Government, the more negative an outlook I have for Cali in general.
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Michael Ellis
June 22, 2010 at 3:44pm
They say this will increase revenues, bullcrap! The only people that will make money off of this are the plate producers and whichever corrupt representative they choose to bribe.
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eggman365
June 22, 2010 at 2:31am
I take all of the stckers off of my laptop and desktop and I block all kinds of adds in Firefox. Why would I want to advertise on my car?!
eggman365
June 22, 2010 at 2:31am
I take all of the stckers off of my laptop and desktop and I block all kinds of adds in Firefox. Why would I want to advertise on my car?!
PawBear
June 21, 2010 at 7:40pm
I'm still waiting for the big one, you know, the one where the entire state slides into the ocean.
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Mark17
June 21, 2010 at 12:50pm
I'm all for brainstorming and coming up with creative ways to solve problems, but this is just bad.
Maybe next they could propose a bill that would require all drivers to watch a 30 second advertisement at every intersection before getting a green light, and if you wanted to skip it, you would be required to pay a small fee.
dracx619
June 21, 2010 at 3:46pm
g, thanks a lot pal! with my luck, some cali govt jackass will prolly find this idea and start it in a few months. MUTHA F@$!
schwit
June 21, 2010 at 11:02am
They will raise the fee for the non-advertisment plates. California has become a fiscal joke.
Here's a good article on how California's public servants became the masters
jtrpop
June 21, 2010 at 10:42am
The tried & true method the government needs to do is: cut taxes, cut spending.
Atomike
June 21, 2010 at 10:39am
California = Bankrupt. In every possible sense of the word.
Financially. Intellectually. Morally.
Bankrupt.
richeemxx
June 21, 2010 at 9:47am
Some day's I'm ashamed to admit I live in California. Our legistaltors come up with some of the most ridiculous ideas for ways to make money. Hello people cut some of that un-needed crap you've been funneling funds into for years.
If the state wants to cut my registation fees and give me a percentage of the money they are making off me then yeah I might be down for the idea but we all know that's not going to happen.
As for texting and cell-phones, uh cali already has a ban on both, not that it has helped much.
CentiZen
June 21, 2010 at 9:26am
Hate to break it to you, but cali is one of the least messed up states when compared to the rest of america. At least they can be rational every once in a while, like with legalizing marijuana.
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NewGadgeteer
June 21, 2010 at 8:13am
Perfect place for a campagin ad. All lies, no sense. A Liesnosense Plate.
gumbypoky
June 21, 2010 at 7:39am
We have cell phones and texting. Let's add another major distraction for drivers. "Sorry I rear-ended you, but did you see that fabulous graphic for a BIG MAC in the next lane?" I wonder if brilliant ideas like this have any connection with California's deficit problems?
quickone
June 21, 2010 at 7:27am
If this is one of those plates where you can get your school or organization on, than I think that would be great, I'd love if my plate had a Go BLUE! on it when I was driving around.
If it is ads that the state is putting on there to make them money, I would be PISSED. Driving around with a punch the money ad flashing at people.
I'm actually suprised plates have not gone to a bar code or RF type thing so officers don't have to copy down the number but could just do a quick, and automatic scan.
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orca11
June 21, 2010 at 7:44am
The registration sticker (at least in TX) has a barcode that a nice officer scanned on my car just Thursday! ;-) The plate itself probably has to remain in a human-readable form for lower-res security cameras and individuals to identify a vehicle.
zepontiff
June 21, 2010 at 7:22am
Fairly certain at least in my state laws would have to be changed in order for this to be legal. Its pretty specific as to which color lights can be coming from a car.
orca11
June 21, 2010 at 7:06am
I'm sure the cops will love this... you've got 4 seconds to write down the plate number before we start rolling the Dunkin Doughnuts ads.
And yeah, hacker's dream. Traffic cam? No problem, just display a different plate number.
Talcum X
June 21, 2010 at 7:06am
Where the state motto is "As seen on TV" Now you can see it on the plates of the guy in front of you.
Bad idea all around. They are going to spend millinos on these mobile billboards just to make revenue from the adds? Sounds like diminishing returns. CA. is so messed up. One of the reasons I moved away from that state.
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w2ed
June 21, 2010 at 6:57am
As far as this sort of thing goes, I could see a lot of good uses for this, cheif among which the lack of need for thse stickers some states require to show that it's up-to-date and the number of license plates that won't have to be remade every couple of years. That said, the number of wrongs that can be tied to this leaves me leary.
First, any sort of electronic device is open to hacking, and unfortunately no matter how many laws or security devices are in place, someone WILL figure out how to hack it. This could lead to a number of different problems, including making it easier to steal vehicles with these plates. Yes, it's only a few idiots among the masses who'd attempt this and/or succeed, but does this invitation need to be there?
Second is the ads - yes, they'd be a necessary evil for this to work, but just what kind of choice will the consumer get? Most of the time the answer is "none", and could create conflict. I could see this flying well with company cars - a Comcast van advertising Dish network or a church-going, God-fearing Christian advertising a Metallica-Slayer concert, for example. (No, kids, that's not sarcasm... :-P )
Neufeldt2002
June 21, 2010 at 6:50am
Only way I would allow an ad on my plate is if I got the money for it.
K0BALT
June 21, 2010 at 6:50am
Should be voluntary. It'd be nice if they would let you choose from a list of advertising companies and also to waive your fee every year if you decide to do so.
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