REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

gearshifter · 03-22-2010, 02:44 PM

I saw this digital license plate frame one day while driving.
It's the type where there's a little digital lcd the the bottom of the frame.

Just wondering if this is legal?

http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/pr...=1269297938072

sebberry · 03-22-2010, 03:42 PM

Illegal. Not to mention distracting. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want the driver of the car behind me watching my licence plate.

jlenko · 03-22-2010, 07:25 PM

I've seen those... in fact, I bought one myself to put on the car, but I never got around to it.

The text is sooooooo small, unless you're right on the guy's rear bumper, you can't even tell what it says... and as it's scrolling, it's really difficult to read even close up.

Not worth it. And illegal, but that's beside the point isn't it? Because people are still stupid enough to buy and use it.

Inaii · 03-22-2010, 09:53 PM

Last one I saw of those was for a kitten rescue company. It's a good thing I wasn't driving, or I probably would have crashed trying to read it.

tonyvu · 03-22-2010, 10:18 PM

Canadian tires sells these things, its stupid imo.

illicitstylz · 03-22-2010, 10:28 PM

lol FIFTY DOLLARS

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows...%252BFrame.jsp

hchang · 03-22-2010, 11:38 PM

What about the license plate frames that are lit up by LED lights, are they illegal?

I can't remember which store it was, either the car store in Metrotown, or the Car store in Parker Place had them.

zulutango · 03-23-2010, 07:14 AM

See the definition in Div 4 of the Regs fior "unauthorized lights",...it is one. Cdn Tyre insists on selling lots of equipment that the Regs and Act prohibit them from offering for sale or selling...underglow, tail light and headlight covers, over watt bulbs, coloured bulbs, Lic plate frames like these...lot of the same stuff also at Lordco. They say that the tell people that it is not for on-road use...not the experience of anyone I have stopped with it on. The buyers are really hissed to know they, at the least, will have to go back and get a refund...and pay a fine. If you take a microscope to some of the packaging you might find some very small print saying to check with local authorities. That still does not absolve the seller from the responsibility.

Sale of motor vehicle contrary to regulations
222 A person must not sell, offer for sale, expose or display for sale or deliver over to a purchaser for use a motor vehicle, trailer or equipment for them that is not in accordance with this Act and the regulations.

Soundy · 03-23-2010, 07:18 AM

Well, until they're actually made illegal FOR SALE, and not FOR HIGHWAY USE only, these stores aren't really doing anything wrong; there's nothing that REQUIRES them to instruct customers on what is and isn't legal use of the things. They sell hammers, too, but nothing requires them to inform customers that it's illegal to bash someone else's head in when they buy one.

Actually, I was thinking of getting one of those frames and programming it with "IF YOU CAN READ THIS, YOU'RE TOO DAMN CLOSE!"

But then I thought, I'd rather have a big one across the top of my windshield that reads "KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS".

Greenstoner · 03-23-2010, 07:47 AM

i have seen one of those before...

that thing wont lit up unless you step on your brake...

i've seen people putting ad on there, so when they stop, the car behind him can read the ad off the frame.

ie "tom's renovation, 604-111-2233"

Soundy · 03-23-2010, 08:25 AM

^That's how they're SUPPOSED to be hooked up... most of them I see though, they're running all the time. And it's still illegal.

Strzelec · 03-23-2010, 09:43 AM

Even if its hooked up properly (activates on brake), its still really unsafe. Last thing you want is someone trying to read something on your license plate while they are braking

Blk04Turbo · 03-23-2010, 10:39 AM

Haha,

Yes, they are distracting, because I always get curious and try to tailgate the guy to see what it says..... joking, joking.....

I saw a fat guy in a mid 00's VW Beetle, that had a plate that said:

"I PWN N00BZ"

Cracked me up so much that I almost drove off the road.

wing_woo · 03-23-2010, 11:35 AM

I saw this on a van yesterday on my way to work and the first thing I looked was down at the license plate to see what it says. I think they are destracting. The most ironic thing was that it was a van for an insurance company advertising that you can save money switching over to them. I think you'd lose the savings after crashing into him while trying to read the ad.

zulutango · 03-23-2010, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soundy

Well, until they're actually made illegal FOR SALE, and not FOR HIGHWAY USE only, these stores aren't really doing anything wrong; there's nothing that REQUIRES them to instruct customers on what is and isn't legal use of the things. They sell hammers, too, but nothing requires them to inform customers that it's illegal to bash someone else's head in when they buy one.

Actually, I was thinking of getting one of those frames and programming it with "IF YOU CAN READ THIS, YOU'RE TOO DAMN CLOSE!"

But then I thought, I'd rather have a big one across the top of my windshield that reads "KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS".

Hey Soundy...I have a set of Yosemite Sam "Back off" mudflaps if you want...for free? On a serious note...Cdn Tyre should use "due diligence" in stocking this stuff. A good Lawyer ( yes there are some) gets hold of this and some muck is gonna fly. The problem I had with it was that the purchasers who got stopped and ticketed were rightly hissed at the dealers and the first question was..didn't they know it was not legal and why did they not tell me or sell it to me? I told them that they should be asking them that...and if the staff were not aware of the legal requirements, then management should be telling their staff that at least. Quote from the Act.."equipment for them that is not in accordance with this Act and the regulations."

Whenever I went into to locations where I worked and spoke to the manager I was always told that "my staff always tell the buyers that it is not legal for road use"....I had people go in and go to purchase items and not once were they told they were illegal for road use...and a couple of my buyers even asked right out and were told it was legal for road use. Very few of the items stated right out that the items were not legal for road use...a few said to check with local authorities.

sebberry · 03-23-2010, 02:06 PM

Zulu, do you give people the oppertunity to remove the offending item at the roadside and let them go with a warning? I'm sure there are people who simply don't know that they are illegal since they are for sale in legit retail stores.

sho_bc · 03-23-2010, 02:13 PM

For me, it depends on the attitude of the person at the time, if I give a box 3 N&O, a VT, have them remove the frame roadside, or any combination of those three things. It also depends on what else I might have pulled them over for, the traffic flow, the location of the traffic stop and many other factors.

zulutango · 03-23-2010, 05:12 PM

If I issue a VT I do it under the Regulations, rather than the MV Act. That way there are no points and it doesn't show on your driving history. If I issue a VT I suggest that the driver might want to discuss the situation with the seller and a lawyer if they have one. As sho bc says, a lot depends on roadside attitude. I will not let a vehicle with headlight or tail light covers leave without their removal. Here is what happens sometimes when you try to be a nice guy & give someone a break. I made a lady driver remove her headlihgt and taillight covers ( after dark) ...she had no idea how so it was obvious that she had been driving with them on for a long time. She broke one of the covers during the removal process. Next day I get called into the boss' office...has a written complaint against a Member and the bill for the broken illegal covers sitting there on his desk. Lucky for me he was old school and I listened as he called the complainant back and said the bill and the comlaint were going into the garbage and that she should be suing the store for selling her the illegal covers. These PC days I would have probably had to have given a statement and an internal investigation would be done from a Sgt from another Unit with the Public Complaints Commissioner coming after me with a knife.