dexter

hey all i was wondering what the deal was with these. do they work (the ones on ebay??) and how so. if say a cop pulls me over (for speeding etc etc) will his lights make it so the plate wont show?? or is it only from certain angles??? anyone know what happenes if you get caught with them?? fines? jail?? thanks and sorry for all the questions

$RUNNER

I'm pretty sure that they reflect a glare on your licence plate when the photo radar stations try to take a picture of your car. This way the license plates can't be read. I live in CO and they're illegal here (hence their difficulty to find in stores), but I think they might be legal in AZ.

P.S.- I what is this smiley doing?

Cebby

Those block your plate at "known photo radar angles". Definitely at an angle. You can see through them just fine head on.

nolongeraneqaddict

i saw someone yesterday, who had just tacked on a mirror over there license plate, i followed em around for a bit hoping to see them get pulled over 8/ but unfortunatly no cops were around...

Tacoma Dude

If it's for sale in mass production you better believe that the cops know about it.

Whether or not the cop that pulls you over remembers to check, well that's a crap-shoot.

Better to be a responsible adult, follow the law, and accept responsibility for your actions if you're caught doing something wrong.

acid_burn

there is a clear spray that also works. It comes in a spray can. You can do a search on google.--Acid

FUGGRWE

You said it.

jjdeneen

its dr evil from austin powers the movie

shazaam

I have these, and I blow past I-Pass, and red light cameras (on occassion) and I've never gottena ticket.

I have been asked about them by the cops twice. Once in Michigan at a gas station the cop saw it and told me it was illegal, but since I was out of state he would let it slide. The second time in Illinois, I just pulled out the registration, and told them it's my brother's truck. Its actually registered in my dad's name, so I got out of it that time as well.


The spray on stuff comes off as soon as it gets wet.

Cebby

A nice coating of mud also will hide you from photo radar

Plays_with_Toys

I saw the most ironic cover on a pickup. It was an american flag reflector cover...

"I love america, but damned if I am going to pay the government when I break their laws."

02Runner

I think there are two types, one is an anti-lidar plate cover which has crystals inside at multiple angles. This one reflects the radar activity into a varied return path which supposedly does not allow for an accurate radar reading. Hocus Pocus junk IMO.

The other is somewhat the same idea except it doesn't allow camera to get a clear view of your entire plate. It does this using a reflective coating or cover. Better than the first but still not worth it IMO.

Best bet for avoiding tickets is to just drive the speed limit.

No tickets here in over 16 years of driving. I did get one for not coming to a complete stop when I was 17.

Doug

dexter

the problem is my school is right by downtown and at lunch (places get packed so you have to get their first) on 17th ave its only 30 but everyone goes like 45-55 and they put up photo radar vans. the ones on ebay are from canada ill post some pics of them on monday with the new trd chrome license plate covers (look wayyy batter than no cover or the id rather be biking one i had before)

Sass69

We have a toll highway here (Ontario) and I wonder if these LP covers would prevent the picture the same way??? I would imagine so as I don't think the camera technology would be that much different?

PS. cameras take a pic of your plate as you enter and leave the toll highway....Could always drive OFF-ROAD and go around the cameras!!!

Any thoughts?

X-AWDriver

Those plate covers are illegal in most states and will get you a ticket if they impair the plate readability;just the plain covers aren't illegal.

A better defense at least against photo radar is a spray the will overexpose the picture of the plate and you can't read it and best of all the spray isn't really illegal since it can't be detected but it does work since I've seen it tested locally by a TV station.

MTL_4runner

I am not familiar with the first one but I know quite well about the second one. The cover is made of a material called a polarizer. Polarizers are used in all kinds of stuff from sunglasses to LCDs. Without going into theory too much, it essentially only allows light to reflect off of the license plate head on (most of the light is reflected back perpendicular to the plate), while blocking all the light reflecting at any other angle (increasingly small amounts of light are reflected at angles off perpendicular). Photo radar almost never gets you dead on, which is why it works, but a policeman who pulls you over is right behind, so they would have no way to claim the plate was "not visible". The bad part is that plolarizer does not like weather (esp extreeme sun like AZ or salt like they have in colder areas) much so it needs to be replaced quite often or it will get cloudy and will block all light coming off the license plate....then you will get a ticket for "plate not visible". :pat:

I am curious about the spay stuff.....will need to do some more research on that.

FirstToy

Here in socal where registration sticker theft is a big problem, the clear covers help deter that. Even with slicing up your sticker, people try to steal it!
I like the idea of the photoradar cover but around here, cops stand on the sidewalk (looking at your plate at an angle) to write down info. I think they could ding you for that.

photoradar should be illegal. The photoradar company gets paid by how many tickets they hand out! Sounds like incentive to be a bit "overzealous" doesn't it?

mrshish

I saw a Discovery Channel show and they talked about various plate protectors in Europe. The software they had to view the pictures had a button that would reveres out the frame. They ran several different brands of covers through the radar camera. Some worked some didn't but the ones that weren’t initially readable all became clear after reversing the contrast(?) of the image. The net on the show is they didn't work. I don't know if things work different here but I’m guessing they have a way around it.

Another option is to glue a leaf over a segment or two of a digit. If anyone sees it they think it just got stuck on there. Just make sure it's easy to rip off so an office doesn't get suspicious.

sochuck

I am a little confused, are you attempting to beat tickets for speeding and runnign red lights or are you trying o defeat a system used to correct you for stepping a bit over the edge of legal limits? here is some advice from an ex cop. if you get skinned for running a red light and a phot is taken of your plate you will recieve your citation via the mail. as soon as you sign the return get a lawyer and challenge the probable cause for the issuance of the cite. a police officer, at leastin oHIo we have to witness motor vehicle violations. that is we have to be present and witness the incident, other than traffic crashes. if you are speeding it means nothing to me unless i am ther to see it and more importantly i have to see you behind the wheel operating over the limit when i make the traffic stop. this is where the challenge comes in.
in my former venue we did not use cameras for traffic enforcement ( i feel its a bit chicken˟˟˟˟˟ to do so) so i can't say that get a good pic of the driver. to be proven guilty in court the burden of the prosecutor is to put you behind the wheel and operating the vehicle at the time the indiscretion occurred. you will be allowed to view the evidence prior to trial (discovery) and you can make your own decision then as to where to go from there. if it is a speeding ticket then you can investigate the reliability of the unit.
just a few hints that may help.
now onto the all those MAGIC devices that are sold and attached to your truck to prevent the radar from picking you out as a speeder. save your cash they don't work. the radar that is used by cops is doppler based radar and uses the mass of your vehicle as its feedback. so nothing can be put on the front or rear of a truck to make it invisible to radar. now things like rain and snow will effect the range of the radar but does nothing to its accuracy. lasers don't need a license plate to give a reading, any flat reflective surface will do. you drive a Toyota and most present a multitude of target surface for a laser to paint. so again if you have that much cash to throw about throw some to me or better yet put in your defense account fund.
i hope this helps anyone that has been stung by my former brothers and sisters in blue. in closing i would like to say that i am a firm believer in "don't do the crime if you can't pay the time" if you speed, run a red light or spit on a sidewalk you did with purpose and should own up and pay your dues, but there are places in this country when less than honorable folks finance their city off of tickets, this i don't like and this is why i like to point out holes in enforcement techinques.

Sass69

[QUOTE]Originally posted by sochuck
[B].
now onto the all those MAGIC devices that are sold and attached to your truck to --->prevent the radar from picking you out as a speeder<----. save your cash they don't work. the radar that is used by cops is doppler based radar and uses the mass of your vehicle as its feedback. so nothing can be put on the front or rear of a truck to make it invisible to radar. now things like rain and snow will effect the range of the radar but does nothing to its accuracy. lasers don't need a license plate to give a reading, any flat reflective surface will do. you drive a Toyota and most present a multitude of target surface for a laser to paint. so again if you have that much cash to throw about throw some to me or better yet put in your defense account fund.
]

I don't think the issue is if you are speeding....We are speeding, and want to be able to make the picture of the plate unviewable when pic is taken from the camera. Not make the Vehichle invisible??

I like the leaf idea..! I am only looking to beat the camera from our toll highways here in Ont. I find it funny that more police are patroling the toll highway than the public highway..Hmmm?? A little incentive or should I say kickback!