Ontario probing defect with new licence plates

Concerns raised about nighttime visibility issues from front-line officers

TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford’s government said Tuesday it is standing by its redesigned licence plates despite reports from some police officers that the new models are difficult to read in low light.

Consumer Services Minister Lisa Thompson said the province is looking into complaints about the new plates, which were just introduced weeks ago, but stressed they passed government testing ahead of their release.

“I can assure you that we have been exhaustive with our testing,” Thompson said.

“We have tested in terms of readability, reflectivity and durability on a whole host of weather conditions and they passed.”

The problem was first raised publicly over the weekend by an off-duty Kingston police officer who posted a picture on social media of a plate in what he called a “relatively well-lit parking lot.”

“Did anyone consult with police before designing and manufacturing the new Ontario licence plates?” Sgt. Steve Koopman wrote. “They’re virtually unreadable at night.”

A spokesperson for the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police said Tuesday that the group has been hearing from frontline officers and concerned citizens about the possible defect.

Joe Couto said the chiefs have relayed concerns about visibility to the government, along with anecdotal reports that some police services’ handheld scanners aren’t reading the new plates.

“Some officers are surprised and have been taking photos, saying this is what they’re looking at,” Couto said. “It shows very clearly that, especially at night, there may be some visibility issues.”

The province unveiled the new plates last year, to replace an earlier version that was plagued by a defect that saw them peel and become difficult to read. The government said it had resolved the problem and would now guarantee the plates for life.

“The new licence plate is a … materially enhanced, effective product that will last longer for Ontarians,” former government services minister Bill Walker said at the time. “The plate will feature high-definition sheeting that is stronger and longer-lasting than Ontario’s current licence plate technology.’’

The government also announced the slogan on commercial plates would be “Open For Business” while the passenger plate slogan would be “A Place To Grow.”

On Tuesday, Thompson slammed the “flaking and peeling Liberal plates” and accused the previous government of not working to solve the problem.

“We have gone through a rigorous testing program with our stakeholders to ensure that the new plates for Ontario are durable and are absolutely reflecting the key information that the people need to be seeing,” she said. “They are actually very readable.”

Thompson said the government takes the feedback from drivers and law enforcement officials seriously and is investigating the complaints.