Cherished Number Plates News

Chinese Number Plates Backlash to Speed Cameras

08 October 2008

Chinese drivers are said to be using the tech savvy stereo typical brainpower to speed on motorways and avoid speed cameras.

The drivers are using machines to swap the numbers on their licence plates in seconds to confuse the monitors who are supposed to deal with dispatching fines or court summons to the cars registered address.

The reconfigured number makes the vehicle almost impossible to trace.

Desperate officers have accepted the offenders have their number in the fight against speeding.

"Our chances of capturing them is next to nil," admitted one traffic policeman in the city of Yangjiang of China, one of the many police officers becoming more and more frustrated with the growing backlash towards speed cameras.

"More than 50% of cars caught on camera for speeding and other offences either cover up their plates or use a fake licence plate."

The remote-control device can be bought for around 800 yuan (£65), a small fraction of a speeding fine or court fine.

"The era of covering up the licence plate by hand has passed," said one driver.