Californians ... Please sign the following petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/caplate/petition.html

Do you think it has a chance?

I don't know ... can't hurt to try ;)

I saw the link on NAM and decided to post it here.

Will sign it.

However, the petition seems to omit one angle that could be more effective. Perhaps we should approach it from a public health and safety. Many cars, like the MINI will get better air flow over the radiator, and thus better cooling (for the engine and occupants) by removing the front license plate, leading to fewer mechanical break downs caused by overheating. When half of the state is a desert shouldn't our politicians be concerned with measures that will help protect our cars, their engines, and the passengers inside from heat damage?

Who wants to overheat, have the oil break down and damage their piston walls, causing their car to forever burn oil, polluting the air we breathe? And I imagine no-one wants to break down on their way to Vegas while crossing Death Valley.

While it's only a minor effect, It's still a worthwhile pursuit to have this law changed.

Any reason why this is not a petition to put it on the ballot? It would certainly have much more profile if it did make it that far..

Any reason why this is not a petition to put it on the ballot? It would certainly have much more profile if it did make it that far..

Is a higher profile about this issue a good thing? Especially if it doesn't pass.

Any publicity at all and you're bound to get people starting to notice that some cars don't have front license plates mounted. Perhaps the police in CA already notice? They sure don't notice it here in TX. I've been running with no front plate for the past 8 years or so. (First on a Miata, and now 2 years on my Cooper S). So far, knock on wood, no problems at all with law enforcement.

It takes over a hundred thousand signatures and lots of money to get a ballot initiative. Plus the general public could care less about the cause. We would be more effective by directly contacting car-friendly Senators such as Tom McClintock. He is a very nice guy and, most importantly, he is Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee. Here is a link to the committee website with all of the standing members. These are the people you want to contact, along with your own senators.

http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/sen/committee/STANDING/TRANSPORTATION/_home1/PROFILE.HTM

Just for the record it takes signatures equal to 5% of the people who voted in the last election for governor (regular not recall), that'd probably be somewhere over 400,000. As Rick said you are far better off going the legislative route.

Ya... I hightly doubt this will work... maybe even make things worse... since now cops will be even more mad and crack down on ppl w/out front plate since people are complaining about it. There should be exceptions for better looking cars, more unique cars, and so on for front plate... They only use it to generate money for red light cameras, and maybe spot a felony car... but as for MINIs theres so few of them i highly doubt they will be used in a crime or whatever... even if they are theres so few around if it matches the "crime car" stop us. haha i mean older cars and MORE COMMON cars i see the need for front plate. cuz if a "black civic" is used in a bank robbery with such and such plate number then its useful but ok a yellow MINI with black top used in a bank robbery... theres prob only 1 in that area anyways if u see it chances are its the one... Ok i have no idea what i just typed... but you get the point. :p

... Ok i have no idea what i just typed... but you get the point. :p
LOL!
Tavis1 :red:

Any reason why this is not a petition to put it on the ballot? It would certainly have much more profile if it did make it that far..


I don't like the front license plate all that much either. But it seems that raising this particular issue to the level of an initiative--by placing it on the ballot--is overkill. An initiative is an amendment to the State Constitution. Auto licensing is a legislative issue.

My 2 cents.

//--EDIT--//

Looking more closely at the petition itself, it's an appeal to the legislature. I'm totally on board with that. Have signed.

I'm not too sure about this one. I know that I am here in England, but I don't see that the reasons posted in the actual petition are good enough to abolish the front licence plate from all cars! I definitely understand on some classics or modern cars with no feature designed to hold the licence plate it doesn't seem necessary to have one. However, the police, in my opinion would have a more difficult job in spotting a suspect car if they don't have a fromt plate.

For example, your car is stolen and the cops know your licence #, type and color of car. If they see the right color and type of car coming toward them on the other side of the road, all they would usually have to do is look at the front licence plate. If they are abolished, it would be more difficutl for the cop to be cracking his/her neck all the time to look at the rear plate. Plus, if they see the plate on the front they can start to turn already before the car has even passed, giving them a better chance to catch the car. I know that if my car was stolen I'd prefer it to be easier for the cops to catch them by having the plate on the front than not.

Also, I don't buy the aerodynamics and performance argument either. I'd love to get someone to drive a car with and without a plate and see if they can tell you the difference in performance. Over a year may be the fuel economy might be different in favor of a car without a front licence plate, but I wonder by just how much? Not a great deal I suspect!!

My " 1 point 1 five pence" (2 cents)!!!

Officers really don't seem to care around here. I've driven by officers and been pulled over for speeding tickets by numerous CHP and city police in both Orange County and Los Angeles. Never have I been cited for, or even warned for not having a front license plate.

From my understanding, some juristictions are sticklers, others aren't. From my understanding Santa Monica makes quite a bit of money on front license plate violations.

As for helping find stolen cars, maybe in some urban areas there are task forces looking for stolen cars, but from my experience recovering stolen cars is haphazard at best. I had my motorcycle stolen, and the only reason I got it back was someone was riding it without a helmet, or headlight and it had expired tags.