Posted on Thursday 8 May 2008
Using tactics that would make any TV crime boss proud, Chinese drivers are using electrically-operated license plate devices that either cover up the legitimate plate or swap out the plate for a fake one. The driver can activate the device whenever a speed camera is near from the comfort of the car’s cabin - while driving.
A small industry supporting the speeders has emerged, with companies selling the apparatus for as little as $115 for the simple license plate blocking device. The system that allows users to swap numbers on-the-fly costs at least double that amount, reports Yahoo! News.
The problem of drivers circumventing speed cameras is not a new one - in China or anywhere else in the world - but the Chinese seem to have taken to the task with particular zeal. Some motorists have gone so far as to convert their entire vehicles to mimic those of the People’s Liberation Army, which gives them preferential treatment on the nation’s roads.
The simulated military transports have also been used for inspection-free travel, which allows their drivers to effectively smuggle contraband.
wow.. nice.. and I thought it was a good idea when I saw it done in Transporter.
the military vehicle part is a little scary though. and only in a country as weak as china could it be possible to fake a military vehicle, and get away with it.
$115? I’ll seriously consider buying this
People here do it all the time by buying a license plate frame that covers up the bottom of the license plate numbers. That way they can drive the toll roads without ever getting charged…
How about that glass that can swich between transparant and opaque by sending the electric current trough? I belive Maybach uses that tehnology in one of their cars (for glass roof or something like that). That could be even better for this kind of use.
Could save you thousands of dollars in toll fees here in Southern California every year…
Raptor, here in New York glass would get shattered the 1st day, by someone “pushing” your car away trying to parallel park on Escalade.
I think it’s risky thing to do & and you have to know ahead of time when to engage the mechanism, but my guess is that only really hardcore speeders do it and they know location of all cameras.
if you have ever been in the big cities in china, i dont think u could do much speeding, bit to much traffic. there no trucks allowed on the road during the day so at night there trucks every where. You could speed out on country roads that are not in the best condition, u like being in a roll over. The number plate changing would more usefull for there rule of only being able to drive on certian days depending if your plate ends in an even or odd number. Wont be long and chinese cities will be the most traffic congested cities in the world. They are already the most polluted. I will never forget watching a river of black sludge flowing through bejing and the smell. They seriously need to clean up there act.