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California Wants To Put E-Ads On License Plates

Posted by kdawson on from the distracted-stopping dept.

techmuse writes "The San Jose Mercury News reports that the California state legislature wants to put electronic advertising on license plates. The plate would display standard plate information when the car is moving, but would also display ads when the car is stopped for more than 4 seconds (say, at a red light). Not distracting or annoying at all! 'The bill has received no formal opposition. It passed unanimously through the Senate last month and is scheduled to be heard Monday by the Assembly Transportation Committee.'"

4 of 624 comments (clear)

  1. Programmable Number Plates by Bronster · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Oh goody - programmable number plates. What could possibly go wrong. I can just imagine how happy the jackers are going to be - no need to switch plates, just upload a custom firmware and you're gold.

    1. Re:Programmable Number Plates by GrumpySteen · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I can see a huge underground industry built up around this because there's no way in hell what ever "encryption" they use will last.

      And then, once the encryption is broken, they can justify passing an even more draconian version of the DMCA that makes breaking encryption a felony with mandatory prison time. Hooray for the future!

  2. Green technology by LoverOfJoy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    California is totally into green technology lately. I've got a great idea for them. Normal non-powered license plates. Once created they use no energy and produce no emissions.

  3. This is a stupid formula by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    People drive at what *they* perceive a safe speed to be, not what is a safe speed.

    People also drive at a distance behind other cars at which they perceive to be safe.

    How many people stay the requisite 3 seconds behind other cars? (or even longer on wet/icey roads)

    How many people are aware of why that 3 second rule exists and understand it enough to obey it?

    The point here is that people will drive in a manner that is neither safe for themselves or others on the road because they can and because they think it is ok without understanding why it isn't.