Will speed cameras catch cars that don’t have front plates?

Gov. Jay Inslee wants to implement speeding cameras on state highways. As many I-5 drivers can attest, speeding is indeed a problem but the governor is ignoring a fatal flaw, that those cameras rely on the proper display of both front and rear license plates as required by vehicle licensing laws. This is the same root problem that some drivers exploit to circumvent paying when using toll roads and express lanes.

It is amazing how many vehicles one sees daily that do not have a front license plate displayed on their front bumper (Teslas are a common offender).Drivers can get out of the front plate display requirement by petitioning the state if, and only if, the vehicle manufacturer has not provided a suitable space on the front of the vehicle, but as in the case of those Teslas, I have seen many with front plates bolted to the front bumper so what constitutes “suitable space” is up to the state to define, not the vehicle owner.

In order for those speed cameras to work as envisioned, there’s got to be groundwork done to ensure that vehicles in this state properly display both front and rear plates. Perhaps we need a new law that all new and used vehicle dealers, as well as repair shops, must ensure that no vehicle leaves their premises without both plates affixed. Otherwise, this idea is not going to succeed even close to what’s envisioned.

Fabian Borowiecki

Everett