Front license plates...... - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

alexm · 03-05-2007, 10:57 AM

who here has them fitted? if not have you ever had any problems?

theres also a petition online for the NJ legislators to change the requirment...Click here to sign

Tru2Chevy · 03-05-2007, 11:05 AM

Yea, those petitions have been going around for years. I dunno if they will ever do any good or not.

Are you asking where you are supposed to mount a plate on the front of your Camaro? If so, they sell a bracket that mounts right in the center of the grill.

- Justin

BonzoHansen · 03-05-2007, 11:06 AM

I guess they are reducing inspection requirements, and no front plate is one of the items they will overlook. But it will still be illegal to not have one, meaning you can still get a ticket. This state is dumb.

Law enforecement wants front plates, so until that changes (ie never), that petition is useless. Sorry.

N.J. yields on vehicle inspections
Auto group wants to put brakes on plan; cites safety
Thursday, March 01, 2007 BY KEVIN SHEA

It's happened to vehicle owners across New Jersey.

You anxiously wait while your vehicle undergoes the state's inspection process and when it's over the inspector says your car is in great shape, except the small light above your rear license plate is burned out.

Or there's a crack in your tail light.

Or there's water in your headlights.

The inspector then slaps a red fail sticker on your windshield and says that you'll have to make the repairs and come back for a re-inspection.

Not anymore.

Starting today, about 10 safety conditions that previously meant a fail will turn into a pass based on anew set of guidelines issued by the state Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).

Vehicles with inoperable or missing lights, cracked or broken mirrors, even a missing license plate, will not be failed anymore, but inspectors will officially advise motorists to have the repairs made because they could still be ticketed by a police officer if they get pulled over. But they won't have to return to an inspection center, either.

The MVC says the new guidelines will save the state $2.9 million a year and allow about 100,000 motorists to avoid a re-inspection.

But not everybody is on board with the new plan.
The AAA of New Jersey believes parts of the plan will compromise traffic safety, and a state-licensed private inspector and a police officer found faults with the plan as well.

AAA spokesman David Wein stein said the automobile association participated in the public discussion of the MVC's plan and the MVC was responsive to many of the association's concerns.

Still, AAA believes vehicles should not be passed to travel state roads with a missing, obstructed or inoperable high- mounted rear stop light, or a cracked or broken mirror, like the new guidelines allow.

"Generally speaking, there's no incentive for motorists who receive these advisories to fix these problems," Weinstein said.

"That third brake light, that's a serious issue for us," Weinstein said. "It's incomprehensible."

"To their credit, the MVC addresses many of our concerns, but anyone who thinks you can drive safely with a broken mirror is out of their minds," he said.

The MVC does not believe any of the new passable items are safety matters.

"The goal of our inspection program has always been to ensure that only the safest vehicles are traveling our roads, and we will continue to uphold that standard," MVC Administrator Sharon A. Harrington said in a statement. "While serious issues involving items such as brakes, steering, and tire wear will always be cause for rejection, those items that do not pose a safety risk should not be cause for a second trip to an MVC facility.

"Although these are minor defects that can be easily fixed, customers should understand that minor does not mean they should be ignored," Harrington said in the statement.

Weinstein said New Jersey has more than 6 million drivers, about 7.4 million registered vehicles and is one of the most densely populated states. "In a state like this, it's pretty important."

Again, Weinstein said, the MVC was responsive to the public. "But they're also supposed to promote traffic safety."

West Windsor Police Officer Tom Tarr, a 19-year veteran with 10 years on the road as a traffic officer, has mixed feelings about the new guidelines.

As a New Jersey citizen, he's all for it. He sees the state's position and believes it will reduce inspection station wait lines and be a benefit for the average motorist.

But as a police officer, he has a problem with vehicles passing inspection with one license plate.

What if a vehicle is involved in a hit-and-run crash and a witness sees the car fleeing toward them with no front license plate?

"An opportunity to make an identification is compromised," Tarr said.

And he agrees that letting vehicles back on the road with broken lights, for which he could write a motorist a ticket, reduces incentive to make the repairs.

While the MVC says that vehicles could be subject to a traffic summons if repairs are not made, Tarr said a traffic ticket is no incentive either. The motorist has to pay the ticket price in court, not make the repair, he said.

"I want to see all the equipment that came with the vehicle there and in proper working order," Tarr said.

Steve Larkin, owner of Larkin's Service Center in Ewing, has been repairing cars for 27 years and he's been doing state-authorized inspections at his shop for nine years. He had gripes with the system be fore the new guidelines, and he cannot fathom passing a car with a broken rear-view mirror or having only one license plate, knowing the motorist could get pulled over when they leave his shop.

"I just think it's not right," Larkin said.

maroman88 · 03-05-2007, 11:07 AM

awesome! i signed my whole family lol

alexm · 03-05-2007, 11:16 AM

lol me too, i just dont want to fit one as it spoils the look of the front of the car so badly. The slp license plate bracket does that mount in the middle of the grille? i'm possibly going to be moving to PA in the future and dont want to screw through the bumper where it says CAMARO!!!!

Tru2Chevy · 03-05-2007, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexm

lol me too, i just dont want to fit one as it spoils the look of the front of the car so badly. The slp license plate bracket does that mount in the middle of the grille? i'm possibly going to be moving to PA in the future and dont want to screw through the bumper where it says CAMARO!!!!

Well, there is an entirely different grille for states that use a front plate, so you could just get that one, and save your current one in case you move.

- Justin

GP99GT · 03-05-2007, 11:50 AM

i dont have one on my mustang...havent been hassled for it yet. didnt have one on my GP either for about a year, no problems

slugger27nj · 03-05-2007, 11:54 AM

They'll never do away with the front LP requirement because it's an easy source of revenue. The good thing is that most police won't hassle you about it.

alexm · 03-05-2007, 11:58 AM

whats the price of the ticket for not having front plate if a officer does decide i deserve one?

Knipps · 03-05-2007, 11:58 AM

54, been there done that

alexm · 03-05-2007, 12:02 PM

lol how long did you get away with no plate

Knipps · 03-05-2007, 12:03 PM

until i got pulled over for 54 in a 35

alexm · 03-05-2007, 12:05 PM

LOL hmmmm i might just leave it off until i get a ticket then see if i can be bothered with having it on or not

ryanfx · 03-05-2007, 12:24 PM

if I didn't have retardedly dark tint i would rock no front plate. I'm lucky (knock on wood) to be driving around for about a year and a half now with 5% and I haven't been stopped yet. Between the tint + my exhaust I don't need to give them even more reason to stop me.

Tru2Chevy · 03-05-2007, 12:31 PM

The front plate ticket can be looked at two ways:

You can think of it as a "freebie" ticket that cops sometimes give out when they pull you over for speeding or another offense. Or you can think of it as just one more thing they can add to the list of things to give you tickets for when they feel like throwing the book at you.

- Justin

Fast92RS · 03-05-2007, 01:10 PM

My buddy got pulled over on 287 for no front plate. His car did stick out like a sore thumb though and he said he wasnt speeding but maybe they just wanted to bust some chops and decided to give him a ticket for no front plate.

BonzoHansen · 03-05-2007, 01:20 PM

No plate, black outs, tint...all just probable cause...

NJLT1SS · 03-05-2007, 01:47 PM

They need to do away with inspection all together.

jims69camaro · 03-05-2007, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJLT1SS

They need to do away with inspection all together.

inspection might be a pain in the ass, especially if your car is modified, but i like it. i have a reasonable assurance that the guy coming up behind me at the stoplight that is red is going to stop.

every two years instead of every year is a gift from the gods.

it's funny how often the front license plate mounting discussion comes around...

TransAm619 · 03-05-2007, 02:44 PM

No front plate here. Never had one on the Camaro since i bought it, and ever since the new bumper on the 86 i didnt have one either. Only stopped once in the 86 and he told me to put it in the windshield but no ticket. As far as everything else goes... im rockin 5% all around including an 11 inch tall 5% strip on the windsheid not to mention the lack of inspection sticker since i bought the car over a year ago.

Ive come to this conclusion, weather you agree with me or not.
-99% of the time you will not get a LP ticket unless already pulled over for something else. So, drive nice people

qwikz28 · 03-05-2007, 02:50 PM

no one here has ever heard a story of a hit and run where the bumper and lisence plate both fell off and were left at the scene of the accident? i know i have and thats why we have front plates....

i'll be putting mine back on my car soon. its not worth giving cops another reason to hassle me

79CamaroDiva · 03-05-2007, 03:04 PM

i was hassled only once in my 79 for no front plate, he gave me a hard time because my inspection sticker was 'overdue' and i said, 'but sir, i have qq plates, i dont need to be inspected' and he said 'how am i supposed to know that if you're coming at me with no license plate?' he gave me a real hard time about it.. i told him that my uncle that is a police officer told me with historic plates a front plate isnt necessary, he told me flat out that my uncle was wrong, and since i was given two, the car needs two... i never put it on.

i wont put it on on my 02 z either.. im very respectful when i get pulled over and have gotten away with a lot of things, if they want to give me a $54 ticket for doing something that i would normally have to pay a lot more for, they're more than welcome to.

maroman88 · 03-05-2007, 03:35 PM

i got hit with a no front plate ticket while parked at 7-11 in new milford

SamhainZ28 · 03-05-2007, 04:41 PM

I went through Rahway inspection, and had no front license plate, they didn't fail me for that though, i had a 3rd brakelight out, i guess they don't care about plates anymore

NJSPEEDER · 03-05-2007, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slugger27nj

They'll never do away with the front LP requirement because it's an easy source of revenue. The good thing is that most police won't hassle you about it.

further proof that the numb nuts runnign our state don't have a calculator. how few front plate tickets are handed out at $54 each compared to cutting your materials and production cost in half to even produce the plates. add in court related fees(yes, they actually read all the paid and pled guilties into the record) as well as the cost in salary of the time the officer is standing there talking/writing the ticket and you can see how NOT having a front palte would actualy save thousands opf dollars a year.
then again, maybe the cops would actually have to enforce of the easy revenue tickets like SPEEDING!!!! oh wait, first the cop would have to drop below 90mph to write the ticket, guess that will never happen.